Interdisciplinary Innovation on Wheels: A Fourth Grade Showcase

On Friday, May 2, 2025, our fourth grade students transformed the CE auditorium into a vibrant hub of creativity and entrepreneurship as they presented their food truck businesses to an audience of fellow students, faculty, administrators, and families. The event marked the culmination of an interdisciplinary unit that combined research, design, marketing, and innovation—anchored in the study of the regions of the United States.

Rooted in the social studies curriculum, the project began with each student randomly assigned a U.S. state to explore. From there, they became both scholars and entrepreneurs, diving deep into the unique agricultural, cultural, and culinary identity of their state. Guided by their teachers, students learned how to conduct academic research using reliable sources, craft outlines, and write comprehensive research papers. In library class, Mrs. Alison Madden introduced essential skills such as paraphrasing, note-taking, and using NoodleTools for proper citation—an early foundation for academic integrity and scholarly habits.

To bring authenticity to their work, the unit launched with a visit to Lu Taquería in Downtown Bethlehem. There, students heard directly from the owner about the journey of starting a food truck and transitioning to a brick-and-mortar business. Inspired by this real-world perspective, students developed signature dishes based on the agricultural products of their assigned states.

In science, the “Great Grow Along” program, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Society of Biomedical Research, gave students insight into how diet affects development. They applied this understanding to make thoughtful and nutritious menu choices for their trucks. In math, students visited Wegmans to research ingredient prices and used spreadsheets to calculate costs, quantities, and taxes—turning abstract concepts into practical applications under the guidance of Mrs. Sara Polefka.

Branding and marketing came to life with a lesson from Moravian Academy’s own Director of Marketing and Communications, Stephanie Vasta. In art class with Mr. Brian Elstein, students explored the significance of logos and the design process. Along with their logos, they crafted slogans, and color choices before creating original branding for their trucks. The logos below were designed by Gwendolyn Imel '33, Jojo Bellucci '33, Bianca Leuschner '33, and Eli Lugo '33.