Popcorn Press and the Costly Choices

We wrapped up our How We Organize Ourselves economics unit.  We called the unit COSTLY CHOICES.  We learned about wants and needs, supply and demand, carbon footprint, fair-trade, going local, and quite a few other relevant topics. We wrapped rocks to honor Christo and Jeanne-Claude's Surrounded Island project, simulated an apple market, made tiny house models, created a FAIR TRADE bulletin board and a Go LOCAL bulletin board to spread the word about these important economic choices.  We toured the Mathers Museum exhibit called Hungry Planet and studied the global photography of Peter Menzel. A  dad/law professor from the university taught us about the purposes of markets through a fun candy trading activity. We also learned about the ways economic choices across time damaged the Nashua River, using Lynn Cherry's classic book, A RIVER RAN WILD.  We studied our creek and wrote creek reports.

To wrap up, we decided to research KIVA loans.  We wanted to sponsor a loan for someone whose project connected with the ideas we had been talking about.

In order to raise the money for the loan, Popcorn Press sponsored 2 Zine Read-Ins.  We invited two classes to come to Room 200, enjoy a snack and silently read zines with us. (FYI:  It's a thrill to be in a room with over fifty people, totally engaged in reading silently). Each reader signed a post it on the back of a zine when they finished reading.  I pledged 20 cents per signature, up to 100$.  The Thirdlanders proudly added up their readers.  We had a little over 450 signatures on our zines after the 2 Read Ins, so we rounded up.  We had 100$ for a Kiva Loan.

We read about many people around the globe with projects that need funding on the Kiva site.  We ended up donating to Maximilla's Group in Kenya.  Their loan will help "smallholder farmers purchase seeds and solar lanterns."  The Thirdlanders loved the idea of the solar lanterns, since we had read about reducing our carbon footprint.  They also loved that a woman was a group leader on this project, and that she lived in Kenya, since we had read about another amazing Kenyan, Wangari Maathai.  Maximilla has seven kids and profits from the project will help her send her kids to school.  After reading about this loan, The Thirdlanders were shouting, "This is it!"  "Yes!" and "This is the one!  This is the one!" One Thirdlander added wistfully, "If I had seven kids, I'd be exhausted."

It was good to re-visit our loan the next day to discover that Maximilla's Group's loan was fully funded.  We have just a few weeks left of school to work on our Sharing the Planet unit.  Excited to get started this week.