Colonial Store Day at Rock Canyon

Thursday, February 4, was Colonial Store Day for fifth grade students at Rock Canyon. Students buzzed from booth to booth, purchasing goods from one another with fistfuls of their mock currency.

At the beginning of the term, students studied the Colonial time period. They were told about the upcoming colonial store event and advised to save their money, or look for opportunities to earn it by completing assignments and demonstrating good behavior. The purpose of this project was to provide an engaging activity for students to learn about economics, investments and taxes.

To fully comprehend the experience, the fifth grade teachers started taxing their students for ridiculous reasons such as wearing socks. These bizarre taxes were drawn from a jar at random and the taxes kept getting worse throughout the term. Many students had come to understand quickly the frustrations that the early colonists experienced when King George III taxed them for sugar, stamps and other various items.

After the taxing ended, students were able to use their hard-earned money to celebrate their success! The Colonial Store Day was a hit and students left the day knowing more about economics and the fulfillment of hard work.