Math with Social Justice Relevance

It was a chilly day in January.

Fourth grade students and teachers went downtown to walk the streets of the busy financial district to meet food cart vendors. They were able to observe the variety of international selections that vendors were selling, and sample the delicious-smelling food.

Over 90% of the food vendors in New York City are first generation, or recent immigrants. This field trip gave students the opportunity to talk directly to the people who stood inside these carts, cooking food that reflected the cuisine of their home countries. Students were curious to hear the stories of where they immigrated from, and how they happened to enter into the business of selling food on the street. Continue reading