Piperville
As a supplement to our Social Studies curriculum, the entire third grade will be transforming into “Piperville,” a community that will be completely run by the citizens (students). There will be six businesses per class, running simultaneously: Government, Ohlone Trading Post, Pioneer Store, Newspaper, Tavern, and the Bank.
Piperville sessions will be held every other Friday, beginning at the end of September and will run throughout the year. Specific dates will be listed on the third grade website and through student planners. Students will apply for a job in class, although government jobs are elected positions. They will have the opportunity to work in two or three different Piperville businesses during the course of the year.
Each business is unique in both the job training required and the daily tasks they will tend to. A brief list of descriptions is at the bottom of the page. Please be aware that some jobs may require help at home, although most do not.
We believe it is important to incorporate authentic learning opportunities, and Piperville is the perfect outlet to do so. Some of the key social studies concepts focused on during our simulation include: citizenship, Ohlone/Pioneer community life, government, production & sale of goods/services, money/time management, and also team building skills.
Here is a short list of job descriptions:
Government
-Consists of three students (Mayor, Police Chief and Judge)
-Main duties: create/uphold Piperville laws, patrol the streets, collect taxes and hold town hall meetings.
Ohlone Trading Post
-Consists of 4-5 students
-Main Duties: learn about Native Californians, create/sell crafts, record daily earnings, pay business taxes and split earnings evenly among workers.
Pioneer Store
-Consists of 4-5 students
-Main Duties: learn about early California pioneers, create/sell crafts, record daily earnings, pay business taxes and split earnings evenly among workers.
Newspaper
-Consists of 3-4 students
-Main duties: write articles about Piperville happenings through interviews and observations, sell newspapers, record daily earnings, pay business taxes and split earnings evenly among workers.
Tavern
-Consists of 4-5 students
-Main duties: sell/serve food and drinks to the Piperville citizens, pay business taxes, record daily earnings and split evenly among workers. Food is brought from home, so permission is required if your child wants to work here. Suggested food items can be found below.
Bank
-Consists of 4-5 students
-Main duties: keep track of citizens’ deposits/withdrawals, collect bank service fees and split earnings among workers.