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Show I Mrs. Melford Ahlitrom work with students at Bryce Valley Elementary School during special business and finance learning program. TROPIC First, second and third graders in Bryce Valley Elementary School are having special experiences in business education. Under the leadership , of their teachers, Mrs. Melford i Ahlstrom and Mrs. Mac Jerome, the classes are lear- ' ning such business experiences as cost benefit analysis, specialization, market survey, consuming, opportunity costs, i scarcity and decision making. The students are given the ' opportunity to earn blimps, a word used for the money used during this adventure, by doing special jobs such as taking care of equipment, books, own desk, fixing the chairs, cleaning the v blackboard, completing their work on time and correctly and by being the banker for that day. A blimp is a piece of mineographed paper, larger than a real dollar bill with the denomination printed inthe corner of each bill. The students make items at home with their mothers to Students are learning the value of money and how to handle, spend, save and Invest in special program underway. Bryce Valley Students Get Business Training bring to school to sell. Such items have been sold as marble bags, cupcakes, cookies, candy hand made items that the children make on their own and apples. When a student brings something to sell, they must pay 2 blimps for advertising space, this is collected by the banker. When two students sell anything together they must first write up a business contract stating what each person will do, how each person will divide the money. Before a business is set up the teachers and students decide how much they think the items could sell for. "Remember if you sell the items for not enough blimps the business will sell out real fast but you will not make enough blimps to make the business prosper," the students are advised. "With it cupcakes at seven blimps a piece, Audrie Davis should make 77 blimps. She must pay two blimps to the banker for a space to set up her advertising sign. If she makes the right change, she should end up with 75 cents," Mrs. Ahlstrom explains to the class before they proceed to sell the items. "Be sure to make the signs big enough for the others to read," they are cautioned The banker keeps track of the amount of money earned by each person, at the end of the selling adventure, collecting the money at this time. The money is then passed out at the beginning of the next activity and money is collected for advertising space. At the first of the unit of study, which should last about eight weeks, a story was told to introduce the children to a special mini or kinder'society. Following this, the students then name their society, talk of scarcity and ways to determine who will end up with the item, such as two candy bars for the entire class. Also at the beginning of this unit, as an experiment, the first second and third grades answer certain questions connected with business, this group is called the controlled group. The same questions were asked the kindergarten students and fourth garders, this group is called the experimental group. Following the course of study the same quesitons will be asked both groups at which time the teachers will determine the success of the course. This is a state wide learning experience under a select group of teachers, about 60 participating in workshops to introduce this system which was designed by Dr. Marilyn Kourilsky of the University of California. Mrs. Ahlstrom and Mrs. Jerome were the only two teachers from Garfield County to participate. By becoming involved in this course the students should learn about the concept of scarcity, the economic problems faced by all societies, decision making opportunity cost and cost-benefit analyst. They should learn the concept of production specialization, opportunity costs, which means giving up something to get something else, consuming, producing surveying, bartency versis money system and things everyone needs to know to go into business and haw to live in the world by learning basic principals of economy. At the same time the students are taught honesty, determination and rosponsiblity. |