Approriate Preschool Project Topics
Rainforests vs. Baby Bunnies
What is Baby Bunnies?
After you choose a topic, what do you do?
Find out what kids know.
When do you conduct field trips/visits?
At the beginning of Phase 2.
Children have answered their question and there are no further questions.
Can you have more than one project going on at once?
Yes.
Lake Michigan vs. the Pacific Ocean
What is Lake Michigan?
Describe "Aniticipatory Planning."
Creating maps of potential avenues for the project and thinking about how they connect to our standards.
What makes a field site worthwhile?
Easily accessed: Nearby & Affordable; Can revisit; Children can explore & interact with experts; etc.
What are some examples of culminating events?
Gallery Show, Museum, Books, Performances, etc. - It's a display of learning that makes sense for the project at hand.
Is the project typically your core curriculum?
No.
Dinosaurs vs. Dogs
What is dogs?
Planning needs to be flexible in this approach, Why?
We have to follow children's interests and questions, rather than a completely preconcieved plan.
How should you prep field site experts?
Let them know a bit about the kids project work, discuss safety, let them know the kids will be asking questions, think about data collection, etc.
What types of documentation are collected?
portfolios, videos, photos, products, anecdotal notes, dictation, narratives, observation, performance progress, child reflections
What might be tricky/intimidating about the Project Approach?
The amount of work that comes along with flexible planning.
Animal Habitats: Preschool vs. Second Grade
What is second grade?
How can you teach kids to be investigators? What lessons might you create?
Questioning, observing, documenting
Data collection: Tracking, field observations/drawings, etc.
What roles do the children play in phase 3?
They create representations of what they learned; they share/describe what they learned
Does The Project Approach sound amazing?
Yes!
Water vs. Water Cycle
What is Water?
When starting phase 3, how might you help children focus in on what they have learned?
Revisit documentation/artifacts, revisit initial questions and discuss what was learned, etc.