YOUNG INVESTIGATORS

Chapter 8: Issues in Guiding Projects with Young Children The chapter 8 presents a discussion of required curriculum and other issues in implementing the project approach. It addresses the issue of using the project approach to meet required curriculum goals or academic standards. It also addresses how early literacy experiences and other academic skills can be strengthened during project work. Project work includes involving parents, employing technology, and using the project approach with specific populations, including children with special needs and second-language learners. The chapter also presents ways in which administrators can support project work. This chapter also addresses some of the main issues related to implementation of the project approach, depending on the philosophy of the school and other issues concern curriculum requirements, achievement standards, and integration of early literacy; involvement of parents in projects, and the use of technology in projects....

CHAPTER 6: The Camera Project: Preschoolers Engaged and Learning It is a detailed description of the Camera Project, which was carried out in a prekindergarten classroom. There is a list of detailed aspects related to the project; it is a very interesting experience knowing how the children were involved in a series of activities in order to find their own questions and answers about the camera. The functions of the camera, its different parts, the different kinds of cameras, the models, colors, fashion and the evolution of this invention. This chapter also describes the way parents were involved in the project and how important their contributions were. The chapter also talks about the way the teachers arranged the classroom; the planning for the activities, and the creation of a web page to organize the information. The fact that called our attention most, is how the children represented the knowledge they were acquiring: they did drawings and paintings, participated in the we...

This chapter is based on the fire hydrant project form toddlers . The main idea in this chapter is that teachers and students don't know what project are they going to do , they have to be open to any idea that children can have. In one class children were working in a fire truck project and the next classroom children began interested in firefighting. Then when the children of the firefighting project had the chance to use the fire truck, they thought in a necessary equipment for putting out the fire. Then the teacher made a web about the fire truck. A couple of months later during a walking trip to campus, they come to a fire hydrant that kept the children's attention and found out that hydrants  were something the fire fighters used, but they don't have a clear idea yet for what. Then they and their teacher made an investigation and constructed their own hydrant.The teacher brought a real truck to school and firefighters showed the students how the hydrant connects to ...

In this chapter they present a variety of methods of documentation and a framework for evaluating  the project and extending and expanding the approach in future projects. They talk about the culminations proccess, when the young investigator summarize ahet has been learnde. It is very important because students made personal this knowledge. Students can share they projects and learn from other's work. They can also visualized what did they learn duringthe phase II  and III. See Figure 5.1 Drawings of course, especially for the younger children, can be very helpful in enabling them to tell what they have learned. Students realized that they know more now. They say that a role-play could be  meaningful as a final phase or culminating event. They presented different examples of projects with different meaningful culminating activities. We found the project below interesting. They continue saying that culminating activities involve more than just the...

The first part of phase II begins with the teachers review of the list of questions that are displayed in the classroom or in the children´s web. The teacher shares with field site personnel and experts visitors. Children are learning through the project approach and the particular questions the young investigators are asking. Teachers have to do that because students or children are not able to be good readers or speakers to recall information .  Teacher some times has to add graphic representations of the questions during preparation time. See Figure 3.2 The purpose of revisiting questions is to encourage children to think greater in the topic. Sometimes revisiting and doing more questions can produce that students would like to start with other different project , and for me this must be problematic so students start with a project and finish with something different that is not appropriate. At the beginning of phase II parent involvement is more helpf...

The projects approach Chidren like to investigate and explore, they say that project work can cover all areas of curriculum and itegrate them. However a deacade ago  kindergartens were condisder  good if just students  ecnouraged play and socializationa and engagement wiht books. But not all the students didi it well. They found that 10% of the total prekindergarten through 12 grade public school had limited proficiency in English. Project wok fit into our schools today ina worild where the use of technology  is needed and help students in being successful. This is a new world  that requires that our students develop the 21st century skills and they need to feel comfortable  communicating electronically. The project approach  is started is not a new way to teach children, it started in London in the 1960s and 1970s , they found out  that working with projects(or learning by doing) is very important in the process of learning. The key ...