by Kathryn Kyd
This fall, what began as our food unit’s culminating project, “Sandwich Shop Deluxe,” turned into a much grander student-driven venture.   My kindergarten students became inspired by a book we read in class called “Give a Goat.”  They wondered if they could help others like the fifth graders in the book had done.  They began to think about the recent flooding in Boulder County and surrounding areas which had caused so much damage.   They came up with a new name for the project, “The Pink Pretzel Shop,” and a new mission, earning money they could donate to the flood victims in our area.  The students used mindmaps to brainstorm what they would need for the shop and what kinds of pretzels and toppings they would make.  They went to work making aprons, designing logos, menus, and advertising for their shop.  They learned about money and practiced how they would treat customers.  Then they baked lots of pretzels.  The Pink Pretzel Shop sold all of its pretzels, and it earned $83.00 for victims of the flood in Boulder County.  Pretzels sold out almost immediately! Because of their caring, the students did more than merely demonstrate new skills they were learning. They found a way to put those skills to use for the benefit of others.

 

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