Teacher Experience: “Food Truck Entrepreneur” Task for 8th Grade Students

A Defined STEM Learning Experience From:
Meagan Dimit
8 th -Grade Science and STEM teacher
Frances Xavier Warde School (IL)

Performance Task:
Food Truck Entrepreneur

Here’s What We Did:
As a STEM department, we used a handful of Defined STEM performance tasks to create our curriculum for the class. We took an in-depth look at the wide variety of tasks to choose from, and determined which tasks and products our students would enjoy and learn from the most. We created the curriculum by considering the complexity of the products and if some products could be used to complete the next product, creating a multi-step and multi-faceted project.

For each task, we started with a whole-group activity to give students a broad understanding of what they would be doing to complete the task, and to get them excited about the content. During the Food Truck Entrepreneur task, students were to determine the freshest and most economical way to get their fresh fish and food in the hands of the public. The students were to build a food truck to travel around the region. In teams, students decided what type of fish they should farm and the aquatic environment needed for the fish to grow and be healthy. Additionally, students had to develop a business plan to make the truck successful based upon the fish and foods offered, how much to sell, the goods needed for the truck, and the cost of getting the truck from place to place. For their final products, students had a choice between creating a map of their trip across the US, a mathematical calculation of the total costs involved in running a food truck, a research proposal, a monthly expense chart/analysis, or a complete food truck design.

Why Defined STEM Was the Perfect Fit:
My students really enjoy the tasks and the freedom to create their own products. They have begun relating all the products to real-world scenarios. They also thrived when we gave them opportunities to incorporate their iPad technology into the projects. Defined STEM works in my classroom to allow students to create a variety of products that allow them to take on the persona of a career.