Real Life Learning

School:: Sea Gate Elementary
Subject:: Special Needs Students
Teacher:: Kristyn Stetson
Students Impacted:: 14
Grade:: K-5
Date:: October 24, 2021

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

Naples Luxury Builders - $200.00

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 15

This grant allowed me to set up a classroom store for my students. The students in my classroom work in our cafeteria every week and receive a “paycheck” for their work. My students work in the cafeteria once a week, helping with a variety of tasks related to their math goals. Some of the tasks they have are bagging breakfasts and stocking the snack area, working on addition and subtraction skills and dividing fruit into equal groups so it can be put out for lunch. Using the grant, I was able to purchase fun games, crafts, and snacks for my students to “buy” with the money they earned in the cafeteria. My students first decided on three items that they would like to see in the store. Each student wrote me a five-paragraph essay explaining the three items they wanted, why they wanted those items and what they would do with the items. Then they had to use the internet to find the prices of each item using store websites. They had to pick the item or items they wanted that cost less than $12, so that there would be enough money to purchase items for everyone in our classroom. Once all the items had been purchased my students were able to use the paychecks, they earned working in our cafeteria, to buy the fun games and activities. My students were able to have hands on learning with depositing and withdrawing money from their classroom bank accounts. They discovered how to figure out how much money they had made and how much was left after they bought an item. My students also experienced how to figure out if they had enough money to purchase an item from our classroom store or if they had to save their money for a later week if the item, they wanted cost more than they had. Many of my students have individual learning goals that deal with word problems or money. This grant was a great way for my students to have real life experience with both of these important math skills. It also allowed my students to see the power of work. They understand that in order to have money to buy things they want, they have to follow the directions from a boss while working. I have found my students learn best and remember the new knowledge through hands on and real- life experiences and this is exactly what this grant allowed my students to do.

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Items ready for shopping

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Figuring out how much money they have to shop for

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Shopping for items

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Writing a persuasive essay about what three items

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Using the internet to search for the cost of the i

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Working in the cafeteria

Original Grant Overview

Goal

My goal is to immerse my students in real life experiences in order to gain the life skills they will need to live as independently as possible after they graduate high school. The opportunity to earn money for working in our school cafeteria one morning a week, will allow my students to learn work skills, money skills, budgeting and have a better understanding of the value of money. They will experience firsthand that through working they can earn money in order to purchase items they want. Students also will also learn how to save money to buy items that cost more and that they do not have to spend all their money as soon as they earn it. Students will make real life connections between what is learned in our classroom and why those skills are needed in life.

What will be done with my students

My students work in the cafeteria one morning each week helping to count and stock items for breakfast. Students have a work uniform, clock in and out and have a specific task to complete in our allotted time. The students are responsible for figuring out the math needed in order to know how many of each item to restock. They have to navigate the storage room in order to find each item and they must follow all the rules of the kitchen in order to maintain their job. This partnership helps my students learn important job skills that will help them long into their future. As part of their work, students have to clock in and out and will receive a virtual paycheck every month for their work. Students will be able to use their virtual money to buy items from a classroom store. My students will have to figure out if they have enough money to buy a certain item and how much money they will have left in the bank once they purchase that item.

Benefits to my students

All my students have intellectual disabilities and struggle with academic skills. Real life applications of money skills will be seen throughout this project, allowing my students to understand the importance of increasing their knowledge in this area. Students will gain a greater understanding about the value of money and how to budget and save money in order to purchase items they want. This opportunity will allow my students to learn skills that will set a strong foundation for them as they advance through school and eventually go through our transition program and into the community as adults.

Budget Narrative

This grant would allow me to set up a classroom store. My students would be able to purchase items using the virtual money they earned by working in the cafeteria.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	Classroom store items (toys, snacks, books etc.)	$200.00
	Total:	$200.00

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Real Life Learning

Investor

Impact to My Classroom

Original Grant Overview

Goal

What will be done with my students

Benefits to my students

Budget Narrative

Items

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