When math gives you lemons …
Grade four students from Cardinal Newman Elementary School learned a valuable lesson by turning lemons into cold hard cash.
Just an hour into the lunch during the Brock University farmers market, the team of Olivia Rondinelli, Luka Lipinski, Chloe Schonewille and Ariana Pizzicalla were nearly out of their pink lemonade having sold close to 50 cups at $1.25 each.
“We chose pink lemonade because it’s way different (from the others), so we’ll ‘pop,’ we have free napkins and a free garnish, but we don’t have straws because of the environment,” said Chloe.
Teacher for the six teams, Laurie Crain-Anez, said it has been hands down one of her best experiences.
“If I could tell you what a wonderful experience this has been for them. It’s absolutely the best math I’ve done with kids in my career.”
“Each group conducted research, talking to over 250 people, they analyzed the data and made business decisions based on that. They had a budget, they had to purchase the décor, the lemonade all the things they needed within that budget.”
She praised the BioLinc, having been incredibly motivating teaching the Niagara Falls students about business decisions, the manufacturing process and maximizing the profit.
“We get them thinking about everything involved in building a business,” said Cassie Price, co-ordinator at BioLinc, Brock’s business incubator run by the Goodman School of Business.
“For Goodman Lemonade we picked Grade 4s because it lines up well with their curriculum, everything from doing surveys, graphing the results, the math skills that it takes to be making change.”
The winning team decides what the class profits go to, said Price. Last year Power Glen donated half its winnings to a local animal shelter and the other half for a class party.
Bounding with energy, the teams of students corralled thirsty guests, each team championing the merits of their thirst quenchers.
“I’m seeing things in these kids I’ve never seen before,” said Crain-Anez.
“There’s such an excitement and energy because they see this as a real situation. This is the way math should be taught.”