BIG BUSINESS IN FOURTH GRADE

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February 10, 2026

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Fourth graders turn classroom learning into a real-world marketplace through hands-on economics, creativity and collaboration.

Colorful signs, catchy slogans and creative products filled the fourth-grade classrooms at Notre Dame Prep’s lower school this week as students opened for business during the annual “Fourth Grade Store Sale.”

The pop-up marketplace is the culminating experience of the fourth grade’s economics unit, where students learn firsthand what it takes to bring a product to market. Throughout the week, students planned, produced, advertised and sold their goods to classmates, teachers and even parents.

“The fourth-grade stores activity is our summative assessment for our International Baccalaureate unit of inquiry, How We Organize Ourselves,” said fourth-grade teacher Caitlin LaPratt. “Students explored how a market economy works in the United States by asking questions about supply, demand and consumer needs — and then applying that learning in a very real way.”

Families interested in learning more about Notre Dame Prep’s lower school and its IB Primary Years Program are encouraged to attend the Lower School Admissions Preview on Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Click here to register.

Working in small teams, students brainstormed ideas for products and services, conducted market surveys to gauge interest and calculated costs before settling on their final offerings. They then designed posters and advertisements featuring logos, slogans and pricing strategies to attract customers.

Along the way, students also tracked expenses, monitored inventory and evaluated profits, learning that running a business requires more than just a great idea.

“They’re keeping track of how much they spent, how much they made and whether they need to adjust their inventory or production,” LaPratt said. “It’s amazing to see how thoughtfully they approach these decisions.”

The results were as imaginative as they were entrepreneurial. This year’s offerings included ice cream floats, sundaes, bracelets, slime, hot chocolate bombs, chocolate-covered strawberries, surprise bags, 3-D printed dragons, selfie stations with sticker photos and more.

LaPratt said one thing that impressed her most was seeing her students connect themes from both lessons in economics and mathematics.

“This year they really incorporated what they learned using probability and graphs. I saw a lot of kids take those lessons into consideration with offerings like a prize wheel or dice games,” she said.

Fourth grader Finn Kosin decided he was going to sell ice cream floats made with Faygo Rock & Rye, root beer and Vernors.

“The floats were my idea and I think they will sell quickly because they’re refreshing and really good,” he said confidently.

Classmate Briella Renard also found success in the ice cream dessert category, after spotting a gap in the market.

“Every year when I came to the fourth-grade stores, I wanted to buy something like this and no one was selling it,” she said. “So, I think I found a market need. We’ve already made one sale and the week is just starting, so I expect to make a profit.”

At the end of the sale, students will decide together how to use their profits — whether supporting a cause, contributing to the school, or funding a shared project — bringing the lesson full circle.

For these fourth graders, the store sale isn’t just fun, it’s a hands-on lesson in creativity, collaboration and real-world consumer habits.

Families interested in learning more about Notre Dame Prep’s lower school and its IB Primary Years Program are encouraged to attend the Lower School Admissions Preview on Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Click here to register.

 

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.