Themes
Farmers Market
Themes | 1G
- Make sure that the “Wow!” moments of the projects are clear in the beginning of the Summary
- Make sure you list all the required materials
- Make sure that the Financial Literacy skills that will be developed and assessed are clear
- Make sure you explain and justify the deliverable
Summary:
Get ready for a delicious and educational adventure at the “Farmers Market!” In this project, students will become young food explorers as they learn about fresh produce, make healthy choices, and discover the basics of money and spending.Learning goals:
- Learn about where food comes from and the benefits of eating fresh, locally grown produce.
- Understand the importance of choosing nutritious foods for a balanced diet.
- Introduce the concepts of money, buying, and spending in a simple and relatable context.
- Practice counting, addition, and subtraction through hands-on activities.
- Engage in conversations about food choices and money decisions.
Skills and Standards:
Skills:
- Financial Literacy – Identify the needs and wants.
- Financial Literacy – Understand the concept of money and its units.
- Financial Literacy – Recognize the price of items.
- SDG 2 – Know the nutritional value of food and simple and economical ways to eat well.
- SDG 2 – Identify possibilities for sustainable agriculture.
- WEF Skill 6 – Engage with the group and their tasks.
- WEF Skill 6 – Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work, and value the individual contributions made by each team member.
Standards:
- Cog Skill – Communicate accurately and precisely, expressing, integrating, and applying specific content and/or conventions with accuracy and precision.
- ELA | Writing – With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
- Math – Relate counting to addition and subtraction (e.g., by counting on 2 to add 2).
- Math – Solve word problems that call for addition of three whole numbers whose sum is less than or equal to 20, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.
- Math – Apply properties of operations as strategies to add and subtract.
Deliverable
- Create a 1st grade farmer’s market and simulate selling fruit and vegetables with the children, while others buy using Play Dollars.
Milestones
- Milestone 1 : What is a Farmer market?
- Milestone 2: Let’s explore different fruits and vegetables
- Milestone 3: Farmers Market visit
- Milestone 4: 1st graders Farmers market
- Milestone 5: Let’s talk about money
- Milestone 6: Farmers market simulation
- Milestone 7: How was your experience?
Planning suggestions:
Milestone 1- Previous knowledge – talk to the children to find out what they already know about farmers markets, if they’ve ever been there, if they know what kind of food is sold there, why it’s important and how they work.
- Project wall – make the children’s responses and first impressions of the farmer’s market visible.
Milestone 2
- Tasting – Introduce various fruits and vegetables that are commonly found at farmers markets. Discuss their colors, textures, and tastes.
- Research – in small groups, children can research the fruits and vegetables that they liked the most and/or found different. It would be nice to know where they come from, how they are grown and in which recipes they can be used.
Milestone 3
- On-site visit – Discuss the idea of visiting a farmers market together. Talk about what to expect and how to interact with the vendors.
- Take notes – encourage the children to take pictures and write down their observations of the visit. This goes for the items that are sold, how the farmers are organized, what the price of each item is.
Milestone 4
- 1st grade farmers – decide together with the children what a group farmers’ market would look like. Small groups can sell fruit and vegetables and others can simulate a purchase.
- Craft stands, fruits and vegetables – encourage the children to create the visual identity of their stands – name, colors and what they will sell. This is also the time for them to mock up the fruit and vegetables that will be on the market. They can try making them out of paper, clay or magazine cut-outs.
Milestone 5
- Introduce the concept of money as a way to buy things. Show coins and bills, and explain their values.
- Craft Play Money – what the coins and bills used in the market will look like. You can show them different bills and coins so that they can be inspired to create their own and use during their farmers market experience.
Milestone 6
- Set up – Organize a mini farmers market within the classroom. Assign some students to be vendors selling fruits and vegetables, and others to be shoppers using the Play Money. Use the stand visual identity and mock ups kids prepared.
- Pricing and budget – take a moment for the children to consult the notes they took during the on-site visit and put the prices on the items that will be sold. Meanwhile, set a budget for the shoppers.
- Shopping – guide the students as they make choices, “buy” items, and practice budgeting their Play Money for their purchases.
Milestone 7
- Discussion – gather the class to discuss their farmers market experience. Ask questions about their favorite foods and the choices they made.
Golden Tips:
- Create posters showcasing the different fruits and vegetables they learned about.
- Write short stories or draw pictures about their favorite farmers market experience.
- Research and present about the importance of supporting local farmers and sustainable agriculture.
