THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 27, 1994 TAG: 9407260118
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALLISON T. WILLIAMS
STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WINDSOR LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
This summer, Amber Pearson learned the four ``Rs'': reading, 'riting, 'rithmetic and restauranting.
Amber, 12, devised plans to open her own make-believe restaurant, The Golden Sea, during summer school at Windsor Elementary School. She shared her budding business project with parents and visitors at the open house that concluded summer school recently.
Each student in Shelia Lawrence's fifth-grade language arts class operated a fictitious restaurant. This was one of several hands-on projects she and other teachers used to strengthen traditional classroom instruction for students.
The assignment began with students signing ``contracts'' authorizing them to open restaurants.
Students were also responsible for designing a building, making an advertising sign, preparing menus, establishing prices and writing an employment application.
``It was fun,'' said Amber. ``It was helpful because if I decide to open a restaurant, I would know how to run my own business.''
According to Lawrence, the project had many important though perhaps less obvious benefits.
``It also developed students' creativity and challenged their critical thinking and decision-making skills,'' Lawrence said. ``It gave them the opportunity to use what they learned in the textbook.''
Windsor Elementary's summer school curriculum focused on providing students with basic and remedial skills, said Ron Reese, director of summer school at Windsor Elementary.
The open house was held to give students and teachers the chance to share the summer's academic accomplishments with parents, he added.
``It is important for us to stay in touch with parents,'' Reese said. ``They need to know what their children are doing in school.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Sharon Drake, left, and Tonica Scott look over some of the project
reports at Windsor Elementary School.
by CNB