The room was a large potpourri of sounds, sights and smells as salesmen and saleswomen advertised their wares and shouted their bargains. The walkways were packed with customers looking to find that perfect one of a kind gift. Signs displaying the newest products covered the walls and tables.
No, I’m not talking about the most recent holiday bizarre or a trip to Gibraltar – I’m talking about the Clear Lake Elementary “Economic Sale.”
Fifth grade students in Melanie Royster, Gary Irish, Jill Stuck and Kerry Knight’s classes got together for a second year to create, build and hock their original holiday gift ideas as part of a class project. The students used their skills in math, writing, problem solving and social studies to complete the assignment.
“The goal of this was to actually have the hands on experience of opening a business and going through the process from start to finish,” said organizer Jill Stuck. “They realized that with all the time they put in, that this was their income for the work they did.”
Work for the sale began just over four weeks ago. The fifth grade students brainstormed products ideas in class and learned appropriate “business” terminology, like the words “profit” and “bottom line.” When creating product ideas, the would-be business owners had to hit a target audience with included third, fourth and fifth graders, as well as their parents.
After designing several product ideas, the students then figured out how much it would cost them to produce between 30 and 35 units of each item. To do this they researched the cost of the materials and the amount of time each product took to make. Once a final cost was established, each child picked a product. The entire process was noted in journal entries.
“Some of them found that if it was taking a half hour to make one item, it just wasn’t going to work,” explained Stuck. “They often had to go back to the drawing board.”
The students kept their products a secret so that no one could “steal” their idea. They advertised the one day sale in the school hallways a week before the big day and then promoted their individual products the day of the bizarre.
“I really enjoyed seeing how much they enjoyed it,” said Stuck. “They love it from the start to the end – they just really get into it.”
At the sale, the students were required to bring their own change and keep track of their own expenses. Several of the youths posted signs and samples at their tables and even wondered around the sale with extra displays and products.
Parents and other Clear Lake students were given the chance to come in and look for that perfect gift from a wide variety of options: marshmallow shooters, scarves, stockings, jewelry, baked goods, candy, hockey sticks, ornaments, picture frames and holiday plaques.
During the sale, the students could see which items were the “big” sellers, while others didn’t do as well. After the event, each child took home their “tills” and calculated their final amounts. In the end, Stuck said she saw profits ranging from $2 to $40; however, success was not based on “profit margins,” but on completing the assignment. “They owned this little business,” said Stuck. “They did it and they were successful.”
“I actually think the adults like this as much as the kids,” she added. “A family from another school district heard about it through cub scouts and even came in to shop. It was really great.”