By ABBY SLANKER
For the third-graders at Hilltop Elementary School, studying economics paid off in a special treat on May 16. To round out their social studies unit on economics, the school invited Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels into the classrooms to explain how the company applies economics to their business.
Jahaira Andujar, shift leader at Auntie Anne’s at the Southern Park Mall, and Nick Keller, Mike D’Amico and Don Kratofil of the Auntie Anne’s operations team, showed the students a video of the brief history of the pretzel and later asked the students what they learned and have they ever tried Auntie Anne’s pretzels.
The students were given a bag with an Auntie Anne’s paper hat, a straw and a sticker.
Kratofil asked the students to name the basic ingredients of the dough made to make the pretzels before giving each students a strip of dough to try their hand at making their own pretzel. After some instruction, and trial and error, the students were able to produce perfectly shaped pretzels.
After each student had twisted his or her own pretzel, while wearing the Auntie Anne’s hat as part of their ‘uniform,’ they were collected and taken away to be cooked in a ‘magic oven’ until they were ready for the students to eat.
Andujar returned with a box full of pretzels and asked the children to count down from 10 and then the pretzels would be ready. Each student was then given a warm pretzel to enjoy, along with a glass of Auntie Anne’s lemonade.
While studying economics, the third-grade students focused on what a business is, why there is division of labor, what are the factors of production and how to make a profit. Auntie Anne’s provided the students with a packet to take home which contained their company information, including factors of production, an example of what an Auntie Anne’s store sells in one day and the company’s division of labor.