We took another $3 field trip today. Each fifth grader had $3 to spend at a store on Washington street. We are thinking about making healthy choices with our money.
Fifth graders chose nuts, pomegranate seeds, apples, bananas, sandwiches, and apple cider. Some fifth graders combined their money with other friends and created a healthy snack with variety.
This time fourth and fifth graders also had the challenge of selecting food that did not have sugar, sucrose, or corn syrup listed in the first three ingredients. This challenge led to some fifth graders choosing diet soda.
Diet soda was not what we intended students to choose, but the drinks had been paid for by the time this came to my attention. Students were not allowed to drink their soda at school. In our class we discussed the option of drinking the soda at home IF parents said it was ok. We talked through the fact that we might have to pour our soda out and recycle the bottle if our parents said that we couldn't drink the diet soda. Fifth graders know they are not supposed to cry about this or make a big deal over letting go of the soda.
Tomorrow we will follow up with more conversations about diet soda. Why do some people think it is ok? Why do other people think children (or adults) shouldn't drink it? We will also talk about moderation. Is there a difference between drinking lots everyday and a little once in a while?
Overall, fifth graders had a great trip. They were careful about their selections and mostly chose healthy food and drinks. They continued to be polite to store workers and other customers. The shops we visited spoke highly of our students and their manners after our last trip, and we expect to hear the same after today's trip. Fifth graders are demonstrating independence and common sense.
