Economics in Action

Third-graders have been learning consumer and business skills in an innovative way in Jenna Holt’s classroom at Morganton Day School.Holt has created excitement with her students by setting up a store within the classroom where they can shop for products, thus learning practical, real-life money skills.

“This is one of my favorite units because I love watching students develop responsibility,” Holt said. “Having a beautifully small class allows me to provide students with this type of authentic learning that they will remember for a lifetime.”

This hands-on learning experience teaches students to make responsible choices that will provide them with short- and long-term benefits. Students learn key concepts like goal-setting for saving money and the differences between goods and services, income and expenses and borrowing and credit.

Students can earn “bucks” by showing responsibility and cooperation and making good choices throughout the school day and can then purchase items in the class store. Through this process, they learn how to keep track of their cash balance in their mock checkbook.

Holt helps students develop responsibility by introducing real-life experiences, including unexpected costs and marketing ploys like buy-one-get-one sales. Students were excited to see a buy-one-get-one sales in their classroom and enthusiastically bought up all the items.

During their weekly “Checking Check-In,” students will reflect on their spending choices and learn that week’s economic lesson.

Other important upcoming lessons include a “Jelly Bean Interest” activity, a supply and demand lesson called “Popcorn Economics” and a student-driven “Market Day,” where students can bring goods from home or sell services to each other to earn money.

One of Morganton Day’s main educational goals for its students is to have them take action from all of their learning experiences. In completing the money unit, school leaders hope students will be more inclined to opening their own savings account at a local bank and thereby manage their own accounts using the information they learned in the classroom.

Morganton Day School is dedicated to a philosophy of inquiry-based education, parental involvement and an understanding of the uniqueness of the student as a member of a global community.

To schedule a tour of our school, call Advancement Director Ellen Settlemyer at 828-437-6782.