Market Day has become one of the most anticipated days of the year but requires weeks of effort to make a success. Each third-grade student is assigned to make a good or service and prepare to sell it to the entire school community on Market Day. Scholars are involved with the process from start to finish, according to Third-grade Teacher Kristi Garrett.
Two students are set up at their shops for Market Day, the culmination of a third-grade economics unit.
The activity is a culmination of an educational unit on economics, which included learning about taxes, fees, and fines. Through the two-month process, scholars made cash registers and posters in class and completed all other aspects at home. The goods and services scholars’ products ranged from stickers to paper fidget spinners.
The money raised from Market Day is used for the school fund and donated to charity.The final piece of the puzzle was to hit the open market. On Market Day, the entire school exchanged cash for “Market Day Moolah” to purchase things from the market, and third graders worked hard to sell their products. Garrett said this portion of the event was when scholars had to make choices based on what they learned in the economics unit, such as varying the price based on supply and demand.
“Our entire school population loves it,” Garrett said. “We have shirts for Market Day and on the back we have ‘#BestDayOfTheYear.’ I think the middle schoolers really like it because they remember doing it in third grade and the little kids are just excited to go shopping at school.”
Engaging school-wide activities and the charitable spirit of Market Day are just a couple of reasons why Plymouth Scholars has outperformed the local district in each of the nine years it has been open.
The entire school is a part of Market Day, and scholars call it the best day of the year.
All the Market Day Moolah proceeds are split in two and the money goes to a good cause. Half goes back to the school and the other half goes to a charity which the top sellers select. Past years have seen a donation to March of Dimes, as well as donating to the Detroit Zoo.
What a great way to get scholars hands-on entrepreneurial experience, Plymouth Scholars!
What a great way to get scholars hands-on entrepreneurial experience, Plymouth Scholars!
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About Plymouth Scholars
Plymouth Scholars is a tuition-free, public charter school in Plymouth, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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