Park Creek Third Graders Study Economics with Market Day

Shown buying products available for sale during the Market Day Bazaar at Park Creek School are (from left to right): Joselin Tamay, Cuauhtemoc Chavez, Ladashja Roberts, and Abraham Carrillo

Third-grade students at Park Creek School recently experienced entrepreneurship and learned firsthand the importance of economics when the school held a Market Day Bazaar.

More than 100 students participated in the special event. Students were given the opportunity to earn Market Money – which was custom designed for Park Creek students – by demonstrating positive behavior at school. Working in collaboration, the students produced, advertised, and sold products they had created. Products available included snow globes, necklaces, cardholders, butterflies, ladybug candy dispensers, door hangers, inchworms, cupcakes, frogs and key chains. Students were able to use their Market Money to purchase items.

During the Market Day Bazaar, students were able to make decisions as business owners to raise or lower prices based on the demand for their product. This factor helped the students understand the interdependence of consumers and producers in a real world market place.

Some of the students discovered they like the entrepreneurial aspect of the activity. Katherine Simon said, “It showed me what it would really be like to own a business and be a entrepreneur.”

Another student, Juan Gonzalez, said, “It helped me decide that I would like to own a business someday.”

Students also came away with a new understanding of buying products and how marketing works. Third grader Bryan Perez said, “It helps you to understand the importance of persuasion on customers.”

Guadalupe Guijon said, “It makes me think of my choices now when I go to the store with my mom.”

And student Amy Madrigal said, “It showed me exactly how a business works from top to bottom.”

The activity provided all the students with a real-world experience that helped them discover something about themselves. Jose Hurtado said, “I enjoyed being the producer better than a consumer, and Ricardo Lopez said, “It was fun making products for our friends.”

Third Grader Hector Santiago thought it was a fun activity and said, “I loved earning my Market Money by behaving and doing my job.”

Jimena Olivera said, “It made me feel as if I were in a real store making real purchases.”

In addition to the Market Day activity, each group also made extra products to be donated to Wood Dale Health and Rehabilitation Center for their residents as a community service project.

Park Creek Elementary students could earn custom-designed "money" for good behavior at school that could later be used to make purchases during the Market Day Bazaar. The Park Creek money featured Principal Phil Jones' picture appears on one side and a photo of the school on the other.