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group project where we have to choose a topic and develop a plan to implement in the daycare setting...

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Project Approach Assignment – 2016/17

Project Approach Assignment Template

Student A Darina Ermakova, #100999169

Student B Patience Adesuyi, #101045676

Students’ Section: C100-E

Project Topic: Insects and their Homes

Age Group: Preschool

Curriculum Theory faculty: Ki mb e r l yBe z a i r e

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Project Approach Assignment – 2016/17

Phase One: Due In-Class Week 7 (Semester 1) Question 1 Identify which Play Episode/Topic you’ve chosen, and discuss how this project would be “meaningful and relevant” to the children, and how the children would “gain direct experience with the topic of the project” (George Brown College, 2016, p. 2). We choose Insects and their Homes as our topic. The topic is “meaningful and relevant” (George Brown, 2016, p.2) to the children because insects are a part of animal world. Moreover, it is the most common creature to see for urban children. The topic is not mythical, prehistoric, or fantasy themed (George Brown, 2016). The children would “gain direct experience with of the project” (George Brown, 2016, p.2) by visiting Royal Ontario Museum Insect’s exhibition. Accordingly to How Does Learning Happen, “When children are able to explore the world around them with their natural curiosity and exuberance, they are fully engaged. Through this type of play and inquiry, they develop skills such as problem solving, creative thinking, and innovating, which are essential for learning and success in school and beyond” (How Does Learning Happen, 2014, p.7). When visiting the Royal Ontario Museum Insect exhibition, children will get an opportunity for hands-on and intrinsically based exploration, which would support the learning of the chosen topic. Advice & Tips for Success 

Use quotations from the Project Approach Handout (2016) and How Does Learning Happen? (2014) to

explain how to plan meaningful curriculum. 

Describe an example from Phase One of your project to make your answer clear.

Building a Base of Common Knowledge During Phase One, Early Childhood Educators build a basis of common knowledge among the children. It assures that all children have the knowledge base and prior learning necessary to benefit from the in depth investigation of Phase Two. Question 2

 Identify examples of how common knowledge of the project topic would be embedded within

daily curriculum in Phase One (before Phase Two begins).

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Project Approach Assignment – 2016/17

a) Basic Vocabulary: List 15-20 new words that children could learn from shared reading, exploring website & sharing artifacts. 1.

Species

9.

Host

2.

Caterpillar

10.

Abdomen

3.

Wings

11.

Sting

4.

Pest

12.

Segments

5.

Tunneling

13.

Tentacles

6.

Antenna

14.

Predator

7.

Shells

15.

Hunt

8.

Jaws Advice & Tips for Success Use your research materials to identify key words & phrases related to the topic.

b) Representational Materials: List 5-10 representational materials you would provide to support the children’s initial inquiry into the topic (i.e, books, play props, creative materials). 1. Book “Insect Detective” by S. Voake and C. Voake 2.

Props of insects

3. Handmade replica of insect’s homes 4.

Pictures of insects and their homes

5.

Real insects and their homes

6.

Art materials (insect’s printing tools)

c) Write an Anecdotal Observation, describing how a small group of children would use the play materials and vocabulary in Phase 1 of the project. GH, HB, and DC were in the dramatic area in the preschool room. GH came to the table and took an insect. He said, “Look, it has an antenna!” HB came closer and said, “And it says ghhh”. DC took a caterpillar from

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Project Approach Assignment – 2016/17

the table and said, “Look, and this one is caterpillar! And it is green!” Then, DC started to make waving movements with the hand, which held the caterpillar on the table. Question 3 Draw a “What We Know” web. Write the topic in the centre and add four (4) strands with examples of what children know at the beginning of the project. Sp i d e r sma k ewe b s

Wo r m’ sh o us ei si nt h eg r o u n d Wha twe kno w

Be e sg i v eh o n e y

Ca t e r p i l l a re a t sl e a v e s

Advice & Tips for Success  Ensure that the web has age appropriate facts that children may know at the beginning of the project.  Re-read the Topic description for your project to start thinking about what children might know about the t o p i ca st h ep r o j e c tg e t su n de rwa y

Question 4

 Draw an “Our Questions” web. Write the topic in the centre and add four (4) strands with

questions that children want to investigate. These four (4) questions will guide your curriculum planning. Ho wa r es p i de r s b u i l d i n gt h e i rh o us e ?

Our Que s t i o ns

Ho wd ob e e sma k e h o ne y ?

Ho wd owo r msmo v eu n d e rt h e gr ou n d ? Wh a te l s ed o e sc a t e r p i l l a re a t ?

Advice & Tips for Success 

Ensure that the questions are age appropriate and will guide the investigation and children’s learning.



Avoid yes/no response questions.



Questions need to have a logical connection to the facts on the “What We Know” web.

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Project Approach Assignment – 2016/17

Phase Two: Due Semester 2 Main Features of Phase Two are: 

Preparation for the field trip



Field trip



Major Construction



Expert Visitor to help children with their Major Construction



Activities to document project questions & new knowledge

Question 5

 Identify the Field Trip Site and describe the Field site host who will answer the children’s

questions & allow them to explore. (Approximately 2 paragraphs). For a field trip we choose the Royal Ontario Museum “Insects” exhibition. We choose this exhibition because it offers a variety of types of insects as well as their habitats. Also, the museum is located within the community of the childcare centre, and it is accessible for children and their parents. During the visit, a professional curator from the museum would explore the world of insects with children. During the field trip we would write down all children’s new questions. Finally, at the end of the visit, we would give children an opportunity to create their own representations of what they saw during the field trip by providing them with paper and color pencils. Question 6  Using your previous ‘Our Questions’ web, add three (3) Field Trip Questions which the children will ask during the field trip. Ho wa r es p i d e r sb u i l d i n g t h e i rh o u s e ?

OurQue s t i o ns

Ho wd obe e sma k eh on e y ?

Wh ya r es p i d e r sma ki n ga we b ?

Ho wdowo r msmo v eun d e rt h e g r o u nd ? Wh a te l s ed o e sc a t e r p i l l a re a t ?

Wh yd ob e e sl i v eo n t het r e e s ?

Ho wd o e sc a t e r p i l l a rb e c o mea b u t t e r fly ?

Project Approach Assignment – 2016/17

Question 7

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 Describe in detail how you and the children will represent, collect information and document

during the Field Trip. a) The children will represent what they saw during the Field Trip by drawing with pencils on the paper and imitating the movements of the insects they saw. b) The Educators will document children’s exploration and learning by writing down all the arising questions during the museum visit. They will take pictures of the exhibition and the children engaged in exploration. Finally, the educators will create a learning story based on the Field Trip to share with parents. Question 8

 In the days and weeks following the Field Trip, the children will design and build a major

construction. Describe their design materials and building process. (Approximately 2 paragraphs). After the Field trip we will discuss more deeply the process of spider’s web creation. After that we will provide children with a big hula-hoop, white yarn, and play props of insects that spiders can usually catch in their net. Children would thread, lace, and design a spider web cooperatively. We would tie a knot to start the string, and then we would tie the final knot, as the preschoolers are still working on tying knots by themselves. Other than that, we would just let children to engage in the activity and observe their play. After the web is done, we would assist children in making a spider from the newspaper (children will crumple paper in small balls, glue it, and then paint it in black). Advice & Tips for Success 

A major construction is a large construction logically connected to the project topic that is completed by a group of children over time and requires collaboration. For example, if the project topic is FIRE TRUCK, a major construction would be building a large fire truck from appliance boxes.



The large size of the major construction and the extended length of time that it takes to build it involve many skills and opportunities for problem solving and collaboration.



A food experience is not a major construction.



A small 3D model is not a major construction

Project Approach Assignment – 2016/17

Question 9

 During major construction projects, children encounter many design challenges & interesting

problems. Using a Learning Story template, describe construction play that includes one (1) mathematical/spatial design problem, and how you would guide the children in brainstorming & trying multiple solutions. Play Episode: Insects and their homes is a continuous interest in the preschool room. After the visit to the Royal Ontario Museum Insects exhibition, children started working on the creation of the spider’s web. At that particular day, NM, SP, CL, TM, and FG were working on the project. They were standing in front of the hula-hoop, used as the base of the web. SP was holding the yarn, when NM said, “We need to share the yarn, so that everyone gets the same”. TM said, “Yeah, I want it too!” SP gave each child one stripe of the yarn. CL told to SP immediately, “You have more!” ECE, who were standing nearby, came closer and said, “How can you share it equally?” FG said, “We need to count it!” TM said, “I can count, give it to me” Then, TM counted it with the assistance of ECE. After counting, ECE said, “So, we have 15 stripes. How many should everyone get?” FG said, “Three!”, and NM proposed four stripes. ECE said, “Hmm, how did you decide that we need to divide them in four or three?” Children looked at ECE silently. ECE continued, “Maybe we can divide them into 5 piles?” All children nodded their heads. ECE put 5 stripes of the yarn separately, and then passed the yarn to FG. ECE said, “Now you can try to divide the yarn by yourself”. FG divided the yarn left into 5 piles. Then, she passed the yarn to each child and took one pile to herself. ECE said, “Good job, guys! Now everybody will get a chance to work on our web!” Cognitive Skill: During the play episode children demonstrated the Completing Simple Number Operations skill (Cognition, 4.20) by counting objects and sharing them equally among 5 groups. Advice & Tips for Success  The problem must relate to the major construction.  Identify Cognitive skills from the Continuum of Development or Mathematics Expectations from the Kindergarten Program.

Question 10  Identify an Expert Visitor who would assist in the project and offer advice on the major construction. Identify two (2) materials/artifacts that s/he could bring in for children's exploration. Explain how

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Project Approach Assignment – 2016/17

this Expert Visitor and materials contribute to children's investigation and the creation of the major construction. (1 paragraph) We would invite our friend, who is working as a biologist in a university. We would ask him to bring a spider in a cage and a video of the spider building a web. Our expert would explain how spiders are creating the web’s using the video in order to give children better understanding of how they can build a web. He would talk about spider’s way of life and the different types of spiders (poisonous/non-poisonous, common/uncommon). He would also spend some time with children observing the spider and explaining his actions in order to give children better understanding of the spider itself and his lifestyle. Finally, the expert would help children with the construction by answering their questions about building a web and giving advice on how they can create it. Advice & Tips for Success  Ensure that the materials/artifacts can be used by children to further their investigation.  Ensure that you tell how the parent / expert and the materials contribute to children's problem solving and inquiry.

Question 11  Using your previous “What We Know” web and add four (4) new items that the children would have learned during Phase Two of their project.

Wo r m’ sh o u s ei si nt h eg r o u n d

Sp i d e r sma k ewe b s

Ca t e r p i l l a rt ur n si n t oab u t t e r fly a f t e rb e i n gi nac o c o o n

Be e sg i v eh o n e y Wha twe kno w Be e sma k eh o ne yb y vi s i t i n gflo we r s

Wor mst r a v e lu n d e r gr ou n db y us i n gt he i rb r i s t l e sa sa nc h o r s Sp i d e r su s ewe b s t o c a t c h I n s e c t s c o met oo u rh o us e sa tf a l l i n s e c t s b e c a u s ei ti swa r m

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Project Approach Assignment – 2016/17

Advice & Tips for Success  Ensure that the items listed are a result of learning in Phase Two and that they are logically connected to your project, specifically the questions listed on the “Our Questions” web  Logical connections between the four new items and the existing items on the “What We Know” web should be clear.

Phase Three: Due Semester 2 Mai nFe a t ur e so fPha s eThr e e 

personalizing new knowledge



reviewing the outcomes of the project both representations and documentation, evaluating these and choosing which will be included in the culminating event



choosing a form for the culminating event



organizing/preparing the environment/ rehearsing for the culminating event



the culminating event & activities

Po s s i bl eCul mi na t i ngEv e nt sa ndc o mpo ne nt si nc l ude : 

exhibits



role-play in play environment



history of the project presentations presented in different ways



reports presented in different ways



plays, dramas, music



individual scrapbooks presented in different ways



presentations of important elements and personally meaningful aspects of the project



open house for parents and other community members e.g. museum

Project Approach Assignment – 2016/17



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logically connected events, for example, after a project on bakeries the culminating event could include a bake sale where the processes go to a local food bank and children lead a food activity and serve the event guests

Question 12  Choose and describe a Culminating Event that best suits the topic of your project, celebrating the children’s inquiry & learning. It may include a number of different components that allow children to share their learning and represent personally meaningful parts of the project topic. (2 paragraphs) We would organize a field trip to the local park and invite parents to join us. As we arrive there, children would get an opportunity to explore the nature and look for different insects and their homes. They would also get an opportunity to draw what they saw, as we will provide them with notebooks and pencils. We would use a video camera to record children’s exploration and share the film with families who cannot attend. Children can take a lead by actively exploring the park in the way they want it and looking for what they want. Adults would not intervene into children’s exploration unless they are invited to. They will supervise children’s safety and play from a distance, allowing children to explore independently. Advice & Tips for Success  Ensure you describe an event  A food activity is not a culminating event.  Include how you can use technology to share with families who attend the Event, and families who can’t attend.  Consider how children can take a lead. Question 13  Describe a Community Display for the project which will ‘make visible’ children’s learning. This is an opportunity for you to act as an advocate, and inform members of the community on the importance of play-based curriculum. a) A description of the location and appearance of the display We would post our project board on the community board located on the territory of the park we visited during our field trip. We would use a big white foam board as the base of our project board. b) A list of representations created by the children

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Project Approach Assignment – 2016/17

We will use the representations of insects and their homes created by children as part of the project board. We would also include what the child said about his/her representation. c) A description of the Early Childhood Educator's documentation (What play and learning would you specifically highlight?) We will create a Learning Story about the Field Trip to the museum, our construction of the web, and the Field Trip to the park and post it on the project board. We will also print out and use pictures taken during those three events. Advice & Tips for Success  The community display is not placed in the child care centre. It is placed in the community where your project took place, most likely at the site of the Field Trip.  Examples of displays are: a project board, a documentation panel or a book  A well-designed display communicates the childcare centre’s presence in the community and the children’s learning. A project develops Habits of Mind, such as: 

making sense of experience



finding out



theorizing (formulating ideas)



striving for accuracy



analyzing (examining the parts in relationship



being empirical (based on observation and

to each other and the whole) 



experimentation)

hypothesizing (prediction or tentative



grasping the consequences of actions

explanation for an event)



persisting in seeking solutions to problems

synthesizing (combining ideas or material into



exploring cause and effect relationships

an new whole)



predicting others' wishes and feelings

Question 14  In reality, children are practicing these ‘Habits of Mind’ in complex ways ...