Mathematics and Career Education in the ElementarySchools

Lola J. MayMathematics Consultant

The Wmnetka Public Scfwols520 Glendale Ave.

Winnetka, Illinois 60093

Many a child, as he munches on a hot dog or hamburger at hisfavorite spot, has thought that someday he would like to operatea restaurant. Children in the third and fourth grades in Hubbard WoodsSchool in Winnetka Public Schools had the opportunity to find outwhat it is like to operate a restaurant. After some discussion withthe teachers about starting the restaurant, a committee went downto the village courthouse to inquire how to go about starting a business.They were informed they needed a permit, which costs money, andthey needed to pass the health regulations. They were told thatinspectors will come to see that all health codes are obeyed beforethey can open the restaurant.While this group was pondering how to get the permit and worrying

about health codes, another group was out pricing food and othermaterials needed for the restaurant. They decided to serve refreshmentseach afternoon for two weeks. They would need money for food,menus, paper napkins, paper plates, and paper cups. This meant anothercommittee had to go to the bank to see if they could get a loanand also open a checking account so they could pay their bills.As each committee gathered information it reported back to the

whole group. Finally, with the guidance of the teachers and the helpof the city fathers, the students were ready to start to work. Somewere assigned the chore of baking cookies, cakes and banana bread.Others were assigned to making punch and getting milk. Then therewas the need for waiters, a clean-up crew, and last, those who knewenough arithmetic to be the cashiers. Since different items were solda new menu had to be printed each day. The cost had to be figuredout so they could attempt to make a profit. Job assignments changedevery few days so all had a chance to experience every activity.

Before the first cookie was sold someone decided that the mostimportant item had not been discussed�how much would they getpaid for all their work. The students decided on one dollar an hour,but they realized that this would only be paper money they wouldput into an account of their own. As one student said, "It is funto think about what we would have made if this was the real thing."Mathematics was happening in every corner. Fractions appeared

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in the recipes. Writing checks involved the writing and reading ofnumerals that did not seem to make much sense in the mathematicsbooks. One of the cashiers made a mistake on the job so makingchange became an important topic to review. Graphs were made fromthe data gathered about the number of items sold each day and theamount of money that was made in selling each item. One groupof boys could not believe at first that they could not make a graphthat had three variables. Large graphs were made and displayed inthe halls so all could see the progress of the project. Students becameinvolved in helping others add columns of figures and subtractingwas done in earnest because the answer had to make sense. Oneboy remarked, "A hand calculator sure would come in handy."When the project was completed almost everyone agreed that being

in the restaurant business is not all fun. It really is hard work waitingon tables, making food, cleaning up, and paying bills. There is arisk in not knowing what food people will like and if they will behungry that day. Without a doubt every student felt the need forbetter arithmetic skills and the knowledge of estimation.A group of students had been studying the life of the pioneers,

when they decided they would like to make a model village for theirproject. Others were making homemade soap. Some were weaving.Some were making handmade candles. But one group wanted to makea model village. The project was started with the help of a studentteacher. Students first had to learn to make scale drawings. Justusing the ruler as a straight edge on the graph paper was a challengein the beginning. Then they had to learn to measure the wood anduse tools to construct the buildings. The students worked in pairsand learned to cooperate by holding material for each other whenpounding and sawing was required. One boy said, "This is the firsttime those little marks on the ruler have ever made any sense."Since the model village project, some students have built bird houses.Some learned to make frames for pictures they had created in art.Others just wanted to learn to build some object. Hardly a day goesby that someone doesn’t want to spend time in the corner shop.You learn to measure by measuring and these students were havingfirst hand experience. They also were gaining an appreciation forthe work of those who use their hands.

Students in a middle school have formed cooperatives. At thebeginning of the school year they choose which cooperative theywish to join. The following choices are offered: school bank, green-house, photography, home economics, printing, newspaper, animalsand insects, art projects, and shop projects. Each group, except forthe school bank, sells shares of stock in their coop and no studentin the school can buy more than five shares of stock in any one

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coop. The money is deposited in the school bank and a committeehandles all the money for the coops during the school year. Studentsmake their deposits and withdraw money as it is needed. Depositslips are required and checks are written on the bank. With the moneyearned from the sale of the stock, the coops are able to buy thematerials they need to complete their projects.The Greenhouse coop buys plants and takes care of them all winter.

They have to pay for the plants, soil, and other materials. Theywater them, spray them, and watch the temperature to make surethey have ideal conditions for growth. On the Friday before MothersDay they sell the plants. After the sale they figure out their expensesand they figure their profit. The stockholders will receive their originalmoney at that time, plus their part of the profit. For example, ifthe greenhouse coop made $20.00 profit and they sold 100 shares,then each shareholder would receive 200 profit on each share. Some-times there is a disaster as happened one year when the plants allfroze over a weekend. The coop had to buy new plants and thatyear there wasn’t any profit. The next year the greenhouse coopcharged more for their shares because they had a greater risk. Butin good years they made more profits than other coop.So the shareholders had to decide if they wanted to take the risk.The Photography coop takes pictures at all school events and sells

the pictures to the people who were in the events. They soon learnwhich events are the most popular with their customers. Their expensesinvolve film, printing equipment, and keeping up the equipment.The Newspaper coop has a monthly paper. They pay non-members

for articles if they print them. Many students sell their creative shortstories or short poems. Some of the mathematics students sell puzzlesor logic problems. Their other expenses are paper and paying theoffice to duplicate the paper for them.The Animal and Insect coop operates out of the Science Department.

They raise insects and some animals to be sold to classes for scienceexperiments. In fact, one year they had a big profit on white mice.Fruit flies are always a good item; however, the snails prove to berisky. Their expenses include food and sometimes they buy animals.The Art coop makes projects for sale. They have two big sales

a year; one before Christmas and one in the Spring. Their expensesinvolve the materials they use. They also need to figure their profitfor the time they spend.The Shop coop makes objects out of wood. They make items on

order such as bookends, birdhouses, animal cages, etc. Their expensesinclude materials and the upkeep of their equipment. They, too, needto figure profit for their time.The Printing coop also makes items on order. They print stationery,

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notepaper, bulletins, etc. Their expenses include paper and ink.The Home Economics coop makes refreshments for school events.

They have to buy the food, read recipes and figure out the costso they make a profit.At the end of the year the school newspaper issues a special edition

that tells the story about all the coops. Their financial picture isrevealed and the stockholders know the good or bad news. Thenat the end of the year all stockholders are paid dividends.

In the primary grades field trips children have taken have giventhem a feeling for career education. The children who go to the appleorchard in the fall not only have the fun of picking and eating apples,but of hearing the owner tell about the work that is involved. Natureplays a great part in determining if there will be a profit or a lossfor the year. Trees need care each year and some must be replaced.All of this causes expense. The idea of a bushel and a half-bushelbecomes very clear as children see the difference. "It takes a lotof apples to fill a bushel and it is so heavy I can’t move it afterit is full" was a remark made by one stout child.The trip to the firehouse in the neighborhood is fun because the

children can touch the engines and maybe even slide down the pole.The firefighters show you where they live because the job requiresthem to stay at the firehouse every other day for 24 hours. Howlong is a minute? A very short time when the alarm comes in andfirefighters have to get on the trucks and engines and be off in aflash. Records have to be kept. It is hard work to keep the equipmentin shape, to administer first aid and to learn how to protect othersas well as yourself. Time is hard to learn when you are little butsome careers depend on time a great deal. If you want to be a firefighteryou need to be able to tell time.The trip to the bakery in town includes finding out how many

hours the baker works in a day. You should see the eyes get bigwhen the baker tells them the hour he has to start work. They seethe large quantities of materials such as flour and butter. Then theysee the clerks selling and making change. One needs to see howhard it is to make bread before you can appreciate the bread youeat. One child said, "After a trip to the bakery I guess you reallyhave to know how to read those scales if you want the browniesto come out yummy."The field trips are important and the discussion after the trip brings

out all the skills you need to do the work. How many think thebaker knows how many cups make a quart? Do you think you couldmake change good enough to work as a clerk? Who can tell timeso you could write the report for the firefighter? Yes, all you learnin mathematics each day is used in the world of work.

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"Everyone teaches!" is a true statement. Volunteers are a vitalpart of the life of a school today. A boy in the upper grades wantedto make a go-cart. He was told by the teacher that she had nevermade a go-cart in her life but she would find someone that couldhelp. The someone was the young man that works in the filling stationin the center of town. He came out and taught several boys howto construct go-carts. From this a friendship developed. After schooland on Saturday most of the fellows can be found over at the gasstation learning about repairing cars and putting gas in tanks of cars.

Students that were having difficulty with mathematics found thatbeing a ham radio operator required mathematics. Some who workedwith a local ham operator decided to learn the skills they had notlearned before and ended up doing better in their mathematics classthan most of their peers.

Career Day is one day when the children get a chance to showoff their parents. A newspaper reporter shows up and it is Susie’smother and she doesn’t smoke a cigar or wear a green shade onher forehead. She tells how you go about getting a story and thenhow you write it so it will appeal to the reader. Jimmy’s father doesdecorating and he tells how you make estimates and how you haveto figure labor and materials. They all come in�the banker, stock-broker, lawyer and engineer to tell how they do their daily work.The professional in sports draws a large crowd but he tells how youneed to train, and the importance of having a good manager to helpwith contracts.One of the children had a mother who had invented some games

that are sold in all the large stores. She told how you make up games,and then sell them to companies. Mike’s father is a computer program-mer and he told how computers can be used in many aspects ofwork.

All these people live in the community and are happy to comeand tell about their occupation. Those who love their work wantothers to know. After one Career Day the Resource Director in oneschool had many requests from students for some mini-courses. Agroup wanted the lady game inventor to return and show them howto really make games. Another group wanted to hear more from theman that reports sports on the television station. Once the interestis aroused then the right people can be found to keep the fire glowing.

It is hard to name an occupation today that does not involve someaspects of mathematics. The common language of the Western Worldis mathematics. All humans need to know more mathematics thanever before in the history of man. As students are exposed to manycareers they will be motivated to learn more about mathematics andscience.