Great Moments of Learning in Project Work

Great Moments of Learning in Project Work

By Mary Jane Elliott

The best moments of my teaching career, as well as the best moments of my students’ learning have occurred in the midst of my doing investigations based on the Project Approach.

I have taught in the United States, Germany, and in Hong Kong. I spent some years using math and language arts workbooks. Neither the children nor I enjoyed those years! Later, I broke away from this tight rein and started to develop thematic, learning-center activities, which the children responded to favorably. As I worked with various activities, I was aware of their appropriateness for young children. I thought this style of teaching was the best way to educate. Then, eight years ago, I met Lilian Katz, and I was introduced to the Project Approach. Not until I had worked closely with her on learning how to use the Project Approach in the classroom did my teaching really come alive.

What I discovered about my teaching was that I was preparing and planning all of the activities for my children. Every activity was valid and educational, but the children had no active role in deciding what they wanted to learn. Through the Project Approach I was introduced to the fact that the best curriculum for the young children should include both activities designed by the teacher and project work, which primarily focuses on the questions and ideas the children generate. Including this kind of balance in my teaching dramatically altered how I have worked with children during the past eight years.

In a time when early childhood educators are asking to be accountable for teaching particular concepts and skills, which sometimes leads to inappropriate teaching strategies, the Project Approach allows for learning to be applied in a meaningful situation. Project work is not a method one uses after the “real” teaching has occurred, but rather it is a foundational approach that enables children to be self-motivated learners equipped with the skills to do in-depth investigations.

At Hong Kong International School, the kindergarten uses a thematic approach. After introducing a theme I take an aspect of that theme and work with the children to develop it into a project. In project work children ask thoughtful questions, engage in focused investigations, use problem-solving skills effectively, discover the power of teamwork, and take ownership of what they are learning. They practice the art of communicating what they have learned. Most educators agree these are essential elements of learning.

We do projects about three or four times a year. Because project work is intensive, I do not develop a project on every theme with the children. After learning about Food and Nutrition, we work on projects such as break, milk, potatoes or apples. Following several weeks of work on Careers, we developed projects on topics such as setting up a Pizza Hut, starting a shoe shop, and establishing a hospital. Following a unit on Living in Hong Kong, our focus was a project investigating the many aspect of an apartment building.

In the midst of these projects there were always unforgettable moments of learning and discovery. The episodes reported below took place with five-year-olds unless otherwise indicated.

The shoe project

After being introduced to many careers, the children decided to explore jobs relating to shoes - how they are made, designed, repaired, sold, and polished. After the children had a demonstration on how to polish, the idea emerged to start a shoe-polishing service in the kindergarten for teachers in the school. The children brought all sorts of polishes and practiced on their own shoes. They were quite convinced that they were getting really good at it.

A small group of children went to work making posters to put up in the school asking all the teachers to bring their shoes to Room 210 for a free polish. The children decided they didn’t want to make money; they only wanted to help people and make them happy. Quite the revolutionary business group! What would happen to our society if more and more people decided to volunteer services for others? This is an excellent character trait to develop.

As a teacher I was secretly worried about mountains of shoes arriving and getting all mixed up, shoes being polished with the wrong color, and colleagues not speaking to me again. My inclination was to cancel the activity.

I was wrong.

What actually happened was that only one teacher took the poster seriously and had the courage to “entrust” his shoes to five-year-olds to polish.

The children took great care in cleaning and polishing the shoes. When the teacher returned to collect his shoes, he was astounded by the excellent job the children had done and by their enthusiasm for the work. I think as teachers we often underestimate what young children can actually do! When we support them in their efforts, the results are incredible.

The potato project

After I carefully introduced the food pyramid, the children quickly generated a long list of questions they had about potatoes. The majority of the children had never made french fries from scratch, so there was a high degree of interest in learning this process.

Whenever possible, I allow the children to direct the project. This often results in a lot of trial and error but at the same time provides periods of intense learning and problem solving. I often raise questions to enable children to think through what they are doing, but I seldom determine how things are going to be done, except when it comes to questions of safety. For instance, when it came to preparing french fries, I told the children that they would not be allowed to use the sharp kitchen knives because they might cut themselves. Only the teachers would use those knives. The children were given either table knives or plastic serrated knives to cut and chop.

Using dull knives made the task of cutting french fries quite difficult for the children. They envied me sipping away with the sharp knife. Then I cut my fingertip. Blood gushed forth. I quickly put pressure on it and continued to work cautiously, as if nothing had happened.

A half an hour later my finger was still bleeding, so I went to the school nurse. One hour later I was taken to the hospital for care. Upon my return I had a lot of soulful explaining to do to the children. What started out as a simple french fry experiment turned into quite a powerful human event. They were deeply aware that teachers are not perfect! Instead of ridiculing me for making a mistake, they sympathized with my pain. They realized that we were all trying out best and we needed to support each other.

The water project

Working on a theme about weather lead to an investigation of the uses of rainwater. One thing the children wanted to explore was using water to wash a car. We live on a small island of Hong Kong where private cares are discouraged and public transportation is encouraged. Many families don’t own a car or, if they do own a car, they are not wealthy enough to have a private driver who keeps the car clean. No child in the class had ever washed a car. In preparation for this event, the children made a list of things they would need: a car, water, buckets, rags, and soap. Since it was warm outside, they decided they would work barefooted.

We had to find a car to wash, so the children asked me if I had one. I had to respond that I didn’t own a car. They looked dejected. They asked the paraprofessional, Mrs. Draheim, if she had a car. When she responded positively, the class applauded with excitement.

The day of the great car wash approached. Mrs. Draheim drove her car to the side door of the school. The children, decked out in yellow aprons and barefooted, ventured out tot he car with rags in hand and a little bucket, only to discover that no water was available outside the car park.

They quickly decided to get a big bucket and fill it up inside at the restroom and then dip their little buckets into it. A perfect solution to a critical problem. After successfully solving a number of problems, the children begin to face these obstacles as challenges they can cope with.

Children begin to see that simple problem solving is an ongoing activity.

What ensued were 20 very active children who scrubbed and washed every inch of Mrs. Draheim’s car. Because it had been quite dirty, the results were astounding! Mrs. Draheim was thrilled. The children could hardly believe their eyes. They proudly posed for a picture with the car and informally talked about setting up a car wash business!

Later, requests came in from parents, teachers, and even the principal, all of whom wanted their cars washed by this energetic team.

Home and community project

Hong Kong is a mountainous rocky island. Due to the limited space for buildings, most people live in high-rises. We completed a quick study of where each child lived and then did an in-depth investigation of a classmate’s apartment building that was adjacent to the school.

After the project was completed, a team of 12 teachers from Hong Kong Institute of education asked to visit our school to learn more about project work. Their main concerns were how to build a project around the questions children ask and how to let children direct the development of the project. They wanted me to address these issues and tell them the “secret.”

So I asked the experts themselves, the children, to explain how the project developed. Instead of handpicking my best children, I asked for six volunteers and got eight responses. We then put the names in a hat and drew out six names. I was a bit concerned about this team of experts, but decided to trust the system.

The children used slides and took turns carefully explaining the questions they had asked and how their work had progressed. They remembered details I had forgotten! The children were confident, self-assured, and accurate because they were talking about something they had initiated and seen through to completion. They had a thorough understanding of what they had learned. Their ability to communicate so clearly astounded me.

After the children’s presentation of 20 minutes, I asked the visitors to ask questions, thinking I could clarify any misunderstandings. They did ask questions, but not to me! All questions were directed to the children!

My only jobs that afternoon were to introduce the panel of experts and to serve coffee and cookies. In the meantime I sat back in utter amazement and admired the greatness of young children.

The apple project

Three-year-olds find project work equally challenging. During summer school my class discovered many new things about apples. At snack time the children’s favorite drink was apple juice. They wanted to know if they could make their own apple juice.

I asked the children if they had any idea how to make juice. On child suggested putting apples in a bowl with holes (which turned out to be a colander) and then pouring water over the apples. The water would become apple juice.

My first inclination was to tell the class that the colander procedure would not work. But when children are involved in real investigations, it is important that they be allowed to make mistakes and in the process use their problem-solving skills to determine the next step to take.

The class followed the process and then tasted the “juice.” I feared that their vivid imaginations would overtake their rational powers and they would applaud the excellent apple juice they had made. Instead all the children agreed that their juice still tasted like water!

I asked if anyone had another idea of making apple juice. No one had an idea. So I suggested that they ask their moms and dads for help

The next day one girl came in with a suggestion. She said her mom had told her that “smashing” apples gets the juice. Using a potato masher, the children smashed a cut-up apple for more than an hour, taking turns, hoping for lots of juice. Each child tasted a few drops. Their faces lit up with big smiles and they explained, “This is apple juice.”

Through investigations, totally directed by the children and supported by the teacher, a group of three-year-olds discovered how to make apple juice. That’s quite an accomplishment. Great teamwork, problem solving, and determination made this possible. Through project work young children have the ability to learn new things and make discoveries we might initially have thought impossible.

How does corn grow?

Significant project work isn’t just for children. I discovered this after spending a week in the summer with Lilian Katz and Sylvia Chard at the University of Illinois, where we were taking a course aimed at teaching us how to implement the Project Approach in the classroom. Each participant was asked to select a project topic. I had lived the first 20 years of my life in the Midwest, surrounded by cornfields, yet knew very little about this crop. So I decided to do a project on corn, which was readily available in the fields surrounding the university. Three other women were also interested in investigating this topic.

For one week our team interviewed retired farmers and learned the methods of growing corn that have developed over the years. We were introduced to various types of hybrid-seek corn. The seeds are sometimes treated with chemicals to kill bugs that might invest them. The treated seeds are not to be touched by human hands because they might cause skin irritation. (Our forefathers would have been shocked!)

We had a tour of the granary where corn is dried and stored. Amid rows of computers tracking everything from customer accounts to market prices, we watched a new corn drier being installed. We were told that regardless of the latest technological advances, the best way to dry corn is still the old-fashioned way in the open-air corncrib. (Our forefathers would have chuckled at this insight!)

We learned that each cornstalk has two ears of corn. If, for any reason, the first ear is deficient, the second one will develop. The cornstalk has a built-in success mechanism.

In observing the individual ear, it was pointed out that each strand of corn silk is attached to a kernel of corn. The silk acts as a fallopian tube for pollen. A fully developed ear of corn means that every strand of corn silk is doing its job!

Now, whenever I drive by a cornfield I bow my head in respect. I was shocked at how little I really knew about the world around me! Taking the time to investigate a topic I was interested in was extremely rewarding. What I discovered is that project work is a natural way of learning for adults as well as for children. The skills a child learned in project work can be used throughout a lifetime.

Project work transforms everyday learning experiences into powerful human activity. It empowers the learner to take charge of the learning process and trust in the power of the team. It is built on engaging the mind in dealing with real-life issues. The project develops in incremental stages of success, so motivation remains high. What is learned is retained because active investigation of meaningful questions has been the focus. In addition, project work provides memorable moments of learning that the teacher and children will retain for years to come.

Children’s Books about Shoes

Banks, K, & M. Rosenthal. 1994. Peter and the talking shoes. Westminster, MD: Knopf.
Carlstrom, N.W., & L. McElrath-Eslick. 1993. Does God know how to tie shoes? Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Cleary, B., & D. DiSalvo-Ryan. 1987. The growing-up feet. New York: Morrow.
Hughes, S. 1986. Two shoes, new shoes. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard.
Mitgutsh, A. 1981. From cow to shoe. Minneapolis: Carolholda.
Morris, W. 1990. What if the shark wears tennis shoes? New York: Atheneum.
Myers, B. 1992. The flying shoes. New York: Lothrop.
Oppenheim, J. 1989. Left and right. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.
Patrick, D.L. 1993. Red dancing shoes. New York: Morrow.
Serfozo, M., & J.A. Smith. 1993. Benjamin Bigfoot. New York: McElderry.
Vesey, Amanda. 1993. Hector’s new sneakers. New York: Vikin
Winthrop, E., & W. Joyce. 1986. Shoes. New York: Harper & Row.

Children’s Books about Water

Alexander, L., & E.J. Keats. 1989. The king’s fountain. New York: Dutton.
Blocksma, M., & D. Blocksma. 1985. Easy-to-make water toys that really work. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Brandt, K. 1982. What makes it rain? Bergenfield, NJ: Troll.
Broekel, R. 1988. Experiments with water. Chicago: Children’s Press
Cole, J., & D. Degen. 1986. The magic school bus at the waterworks. New York: Scholastic.
Do fish drink? First questions and answers about water. 1993. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life for Children.
Graber, M. 1994. A raindrop’s journey. Creative Advantage.
Graham, J.B., & S. Scott. 1994. Splish, Splash poems. New York: Ticknor & Fields.
Koch, M. 1993. World water watch. New York: Greenwillow.
McCloskey, R. 1963. Burt Dow, deep-water man. New York: Viking
Rauzon, M., & C.O. Bix. 1994. Water, water everywhere. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books for Children.
Robinson, M., & S. Jenkins. 1993. Cock-a-doodle-doo! What does it sound like to you? Edison, NJ: Stewart, Tobari & Chang.
Wyler, R. 1989. Raindrops and rainbows. New York: Simon & Schuster.

For further reading

Bayman, A.G. 1995. An example of a small project for kindergartners that includes some 3Rs learning. Young Children 50(6): 27-31.
Booth, C. 1997. The fiber project: One teacher’s adventure toward emergent curriculum. Young Children 52 (5): 79-85.
Cartwright, S. 1988. Play can be the building blocks of learning. Young Children 43 (5): 44-47.
Cartwright, S. 1987. Group endeavor in nursery school can be valuable learning. Young Children 42 (5): 8-11.
Chard, S. 1992. The project approach: A practical guide for teachers. Alberta, Canada: University of Alberta.
Chard, S. 1994. The project approach: A second practical guide for teachers. Alberta, Canada: University of Alberta
Chard, S. 1998. The project approach: Developing the basic framework. New York: Scholastic.
DeVries, R., & B. Zan. 1995. Creating a constructivist classroom atmosphere. Young Children 51 (1): 4-14.
Dinwiddie, S.A. 1993. Playing in the gutters: Enhancing children’s cognitive and social play. Young Children 48 (6): 70-73.
Dinwiddie, S.A. 1994. The saga of Sally, Sammy, and the red pen: Facilitating children’s social problem solving. Young Children 49 (5): 13-19.
Helm, J., S. Beneke, & K. Steinheimer. 1998. Windows on learning: Document young children’s work. New York: Teachers College Press. (Available from NAEYC.)
Howell, J., & L. Corbey-Scullen. 1997. Out of the housekeeping corner and onto the stage – Extending dramatic play. Young Children 52 (6): 82-88.
Katz, L., & S. Chard. 1989. Engaging children’s minds: The Project Approach. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Planje, A. 1997. Playing with water in primary ways. Young Children 52 (2): 33-41.
Williams, K.C. 1997. “What do you wonder?” Involving children in curriculum planning. Young Children 52 (6): 78-82.

See also these Websites: