Third Grade Tom Thumb Food Scarcity Trip
October 18, 2023
This week, the third grade visited Tom Thumb as part of their economics unit on food scarcity. They were tasked with feeding a family of four for $13.78. They spent about an hour navigating the aisles, searching for three nonperishable meals and one snack while staying under budget. They applied their math reasoning skills, reading comprehension skills, and social studies background knowledge to problem-solve while shopping. The students discussed whether something was a necessity, whether it was a nutritious option, or whether there was a cheaper replacement. Next month, they will culminate their food scarcity unit with a food drive for Noth Texas Shared Ministries.
Leading up to the trip, students prepared in the classroom during social studies, reading, and math. In Social Studies, the food drive project is part of their economics unit and the Innovation and Exploration Project theme - Dallas Past, Present, and Future, which occurs in May. This unit focuses on the needs of Dallas and charitable giving, household budgets, and ways to save money. Students prepared for the trip by making meal shopping lists, examining a day's food for a family of four, and researching prices on the Tom Thumb website.
In math, students practiced rounding to different place values and estimating those numbers. While researching prices on the Tom Thumb website, the students began learning how to round the price to the nearest dime. Students would practice this budgeting on a recording sheet and show their work.
Students learn that reading comprehension is understanding anything they read, not just books, so reading the labels and shopping lists is a real-world application of their reading comprehension.
The third grade will conduct the food drive from November 6 through November 10. They will create posters, prepare bags to fill with food, track their daily collections with a tally chart and pictograph, sort the items by type, and deliver food to North Dallas Shared Ministries. After completing their study of the economics of need and food security, students will be drafting and publishing a personal narrative about their favorite part of their study.
