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Students take their math lessons and go shopping
June 1, 2009, Monday
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SHOPPERS at the Carrefour Xujing outlet were surprised recently when groups of grade 2 students from the Western International School of Shanghai were spotted exploring the aisles with calculators and notebooks in hand. With excited flurries of conversation the 7- and 8-year-olds were on the hunt for the best food deals in town.
Following on from their studies of mathematical concepts including money, place value and operations with numbers, students were asked to apply these concepts independently to plan and budget for a hypothetical party. The students' enthusiasm from this challenge flourished, and together with teachers, they negotiated the possibility of planning and budgeting for a collaborative grade 2 party.
After consultation with teachers and school leaders, it was agreed that WISS would fund the student initiated project which provided a party for the community based volunteer program, celebrating six months of fruitful operations. The program has seen enthusiastic students, teachers, administrators and parent volunteers come together to offer structured English language classes to local children and adults from the Xujing community.
So with budgets in hand, the grade 2 students researched product prices and considered guest numbers in planning their shopping expedition. Small groups of six students with a teacher were guided through the Carrefour shops as they applied their mathematical knowledge to estimate and calculate total prices for their groups. A buzz of excitement among students followed them through to the fruit and vegetable section where students applied knowledge of weight and mass to calculate totals for oranges and bananas.
"To see the excitement on students faces as they showed they had grasped their learning was inspiring," said grade 2 teacher Renee Peitsch. "As an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program candidate school, we encourage students to take action in their learning. In this instance we found students gained a deeper understanding of the concepts covered in class and were able to transfer their understanding in a variety of contexts."
Parents were also impressed with the program and supported their students' learning by attending the grade 2 party.
"I simply love this math approach. We realize how good our daughter has become at estimating time frames, numbers and measurements," said WISS grade 2 parent Ulrike Welschof.
"My daughter is extremely exited about this project. We were worried how to introduce her to money. In Germany her friends get their weekly pocket money. They start spending it at kiosks on their way to school. So they start to experience saving and spending. This is so much more difficult in Shanghai's environment."
Following on from their studies of mathematical concepts including money, place value and operations with numbers, students were asked to apply these concepts independently to plan and budget for a hypothetical party. The students' enthusiasm from this challenge flourished, and together with teachers, they negotiated the possibility of planning and budgeting for a collaborative grade 2 party.
After consultation with teachers and school leaders, it was agreed that WISS would fund the student initiated project which provided a party for the community based volunteer program, celebrating six months of fruitful operations. The program has seen enthusiastic students, teachers, administrators and parent volunteers come together to offer structured English language classes to local children and adults from the Xujing community.
So with budgets in hand, the grade 2 students researched product prices and considered guest numbers in planning their shopping expedition. Small groups of six students with a teacher were guided through the Carrefour shops as they applied their mathematical knowledge to estimate and calculate total prices for their groups. A buzz of excitement among students followed them through to the fruit and vegetable section where students applied knowledge of weight and mass to calculate totals for oranges and bananas.
"To see the excitement on students faces as they showed they had grasped their learning was inspiring," said grade 2 teacher Renee Peitsch. "As an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program candidate school, we encourage students to take action in their learning. In this instance we found students gained a deeper understanding of the concepts covered in class and were able to transfer their understanding in a variety of contexts."
Parents were also impressed with the program and supported their students' learning by attending the grade 2 party.
"I simply love this math approach. We realize how good our daughter has become at estimating time frames, numbers and measurements," said WISS grade 2 parent Ulrike Welschof.
"My daughter is extremely exited about this project. We were worried how to introduce her to money. In Germany her friends get their weekly pocket money. They start spending it at kiosks on their way to school. So they start to experience saving and spending. This is so much more difficult in Shanghai's environment."
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