by student writer Aiden Bolton
On May 17th, an exciting field trip took place for the 5th graders of Dogwood Elementary. On this field trip 5th graders got to act like an adult and have a full time job. This was a fun and important field trip because kids got to see what life with a job is like and how to handle money. Biztown has a lot of rooms that imitate the buildings of real companies, many of which are Memphis-based. Autozone, Fedex, International paper, and Amazon are just some of the big companies that are represented.
Biztown is an incredible learning experience for students. Each student is assigned a job and also has a set salary, which allows them to buy items from all companies at Biztown. Each student had a different role in his or her business. For example, I was a CEO of International Paper. My job was to run the business. I gave a speech to the citizens of Biztown (aka the 5th grade Dogwood students) telling them about International Paper and the products we offer. I also worked with the sales manager to raise and lower prices of our inventory as demand changed. Thanks to the hard work of the employees of International Paper, we were able to reach our ultimate goal of paying off our loan.
“I like how everyone gets to have a real experience with a job at Biztown,” fifth grader Josiah Wolford said. He was excited to role play his part in the town.
“Biztown is a good opportunity for kids to experience what life with a job is like,” fifth grade teacher Laura Coleman said.
Dogwood students enjoyed the Biztown experience, and they learned a lot about what it takes to be a part of a town.