Name: Catherine Hawkins
School: Conway Elementary
Grade Level: K-6
Work phone: 603 447-3369

Location of Externship: Country Pleasures Florist

Lesson Description: Students will learn to make "corsages" which can be ordered through the school store or special Friday lunch program. Students will be responsible for ad enticing their product, producing it, taking orders and collecting money, as well as deciding what to do with any money earned.

Subject Areas: Math, Language Arts

Standards Addressed:

Math: la Students will use problem solving strategies to investigate and understand increasingly complex mathematical content. -3a Students will develop number sense and an understanding of our numeration system.
-3b Students will understand the concepts of number operations.
-3c Students will compute.

Language Arts: Curriculum Standard 1 Students will demonstrate the interest and ability to read age-appropriate materials fluently, with understanding and appreciation.

-Curriculum Standard 2 Students will demonstrate the interest and ability to write effectively for a variety of purposes, (i.e. Writing "ad," taking orders, etc.)

-Curriculum Standard 3 Students will demonstrate the interest and ability to speak purposefully and listen and view attentively.

Resources Needed: -flowers (either real or "tissue paper" flower buds)
-ferns or leaves (paper or real)
-florist wire
-floral tape
-ribbon or tulle
-corsage pins

This could be a fine-motor activity in and of itself, or expanded into a long term project if students enjoyed the process and were interested.

How to make a corsage should be modeled step-by-step, with written and graphic instructions as back-up.

1. Select a foreword; cut stem to about 5 inches.

2. Insert florist wire (about 5 inches long) into base of flower, so it runs along stem.

3. Repeat, with 2 other flowers (or more for a bigger corsage)

4. Select a fern or leaves for greenery.

5. Bunch flowers together and place greener behind them.

6. Hold all together and wrap florist tape around the stems tightly.

7. Wrap a separate piece of florist tape around the bottom so no wires poke through.

8. Insert a corsage pin through the stems.

9. Tie a bow (tulle is easiest) around corsage.

These could be sold through a school store and/or orders could be taken ahead of time for special occasions (i.e. a teacher's birthday, student awards assembly, secretaries day, etc.) Students would have many opportunities to practice math and language skills (advertising, taking orders, counting money, budgeting, etc.) as well as being responsible for producing something on time (reliability). They would participate in decision-making by deciding what to do with any money made (i.e. use it to purchase more materials; use it to buy something for the school or classroom; use it for a party, etc.). Students could assess the project by determining the actual outcome: were they pleased with the product and did they enjoy and learn from the process; were others pleased with the product and would they continue to place orders; was the project cost and time effective?