LA CROSSE, Wis., (October 29, 2024) – In a fun twist on traditional math class, fifth-grade students at Emerson Elementary School in Lisa Stundahl’s classroom recently dove into a hands-on project that fused real-world skills with mathematical learning. The “Food Truck Project,” designed by student teacher Verena Hayes, was inspired by project-based learning principles and aimed to take math outside the usual routine.
“Watching how excited the kids have been has been the best part,” said Hayes. “They’ve been creating their own menus and making up fun specials. And they keep asking, ‘Do we get to work on our menus today?’ It’s been amazing to see their creativity shine.”
The project began with students designing their own food truck concepts, complete with unique menus featuring at least three main dishes, sides, and drinks—all with prices set by the students. From there, Hayes guided the students through practical exercises, such as calculating menu item combinations within budget constraints, and determining the best deal for a customer looking to spend a set amount of money. These exercises were crafted to help students practice adding and subtracting decimals in a practical context, showing them how math plays into real-life decisions.
“Math can be exciting, especially when it’s something that’s real-world,” added Hayes. “Our kids are seeing how the math they learn today applies to life outside of school—maybe even to running their own food trucks one day!”
The fun didn’t stop there. When students suggested making commercials to promote their food trucks, Hayes embraced the idea, letting their creativity and collaboration skills continue to build. The project wrapped up with students presenting their food truck menus and commercials to classmates, showcasing their unique ideas and applying their math skills in action.
This interactive, imaginative project deepened students’ understanding of decimals and showed them how math can be a tool for pursuing future dreams. Whether they were imagining a Chinese Food Truck, an Ice Cream Truck, or even the quirky “Two Kids Kitchen” (with a playful food poisoning warning), students left each math session inspired, and ready to learn more.
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