EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROJECT APPROACH PLANNING
Age of Students: 5-6
Topic: Simple Machines– Wheels, Pulleys, and Ramps
Core Objective/s:
1. Observe simple machines in use in multiple locations throughout the school building and
neighborhood.
2. Understand how simple machines can be used individually to make it easier to move
objects.
3. Understand how simple machines can be combined or used together to make work easier.
4. Implement simple machines in the classroom for simple tasks.
Discussion Field Work
Representation
Investigation Display
Phase I:
Beginning a
Project
Web question:
What do you
know about
wheels?
What do you
know about
pulleys?
What do you
know about
ramps?
Have you ever
used a wheel,
pulley, or ramp
before? If yes,
what did you use
it for?
Have you noticed
any wheels,
pulleys, or ramps
in our school
building? Have
you noticed any
wheels, pulleys, or
ramps in our
neighborhood?
We will use a
KWL chart to
document what
we know, want to
learn and have
learned
throughout the
project.
Children will
explore and
investigate simple
machines. They
will observe
simple machines
in our school
building—the
wheelchair/stroller
ramps at the
entrances, the
pulley on the flag
pole, the wheels
on the
bookmobile, etc.
We will explore
what other simple
machines there are
throughout the
neighborhood. I
will take photos to
document simple
machines that we
find. I will also
encourage the
children to draw
their findings.
The children will
be provided with a
variety of objects
with which they
can create simple
machines—
cardboard, poster
paper, string,
rope, thread,
spools, paper
tubes, PVC pipe
tubes, etc. The
children can also
form wheels from
clay and
modelling dough.
The children will
load a backpack
with books and
carry it from one
end of the
playground to the
other. They will
then load the
books in an
wheelbarrow and
push the books
from one end of
the playground to
the other. They
will then answer
the question
Which method felt
lighter? Which
was faster? Which
felt easier? Why
do you think that
occurred?
They will
investigate a
pulley by using
the “fireman’s
pole” on our
playground set.
They will climb
with a flag and
place it at the top
of the pole. They
will then lift the
flag using a pulley
to the top of the
The photos from
the school simple
machine search
and the
neighborhood
simple machine
search will be on
display. The KWL
chart will be on
display. Also the
children’s own
drawings of their
finding will be
hung in the circle
time area of the
room. Books on
simple machines
will also be on
display in the
library area, block
building area, and
science area.
pole. They will
reflect on similar
questions (Which
method felt
easier? Which
method worked
the fastest?)
Lastly, they will
pull a pull-toy up
a flight of stairs.
Then pull the pull
toy up a ramp.
And they will
reflect on similar
questions
Phase II:
Developing
the Project
Guided discussion
topics:
Why do you think
we use simple
machines? What
you think would
happen if we did
not have ramps at
the entrances?
What do you think
would happen if
we did not have a
pulley on the
flagpole? Where
else in the school
would wheels be
useful to have?
Experts/Surveys/
Home Connections
We will bring in
an expert on
simple machines
(a mechanic to
talk about and
show wheels/tires)
and sailor to talk
about the mast and
the sails on a ship
that use pulleys
and to
demonstrate
hoisting the sails,
and a construction
worker to talk
about the use of
ramps and wheel
barrows on a
construction site.
The children will
survey how many
simple machines
are used in their
home and we will
chart their
findings when
they return to
class.
Center Activities:
We will add
strollers and
shopping carts
(wheels) to the
dramatic play
center,
wheelbarrows and
ramps to the block
building center.
We will add water
wheels to the
sensory center and
spinners to the
manipulatives &
games center.
We will also tie in
literacy with
books about
simple machine,
architecture
(blueprint) paper
and pencils.
Book list:
Simple
Machines:
Wheels,
Levers, and
Pulleysby
David A. Adler
and illustrated
by Anna Raff
Pull, Lift, and
Lower: A Book
About
Pulleysby
Michael Dahl
and illustrated
by Denise
Shea
Simple
Machines by
D. J. Ward and
illustrated by
Mike Lowery
Pulleys(Simpl
e Machines)
by Martha
Elizabeth
Hillman
Rustad
We will display
the children’s
drawings in
response to each
of the expert
visits. We will
also continue to
display the KWL
chart.
Describe the
planned concluding
activity/celebration:
The children will
The children will
experiment with
various simple
Reflection: We
will add the L
section to our
Assessment:
The children will
identify the three
Display: We will
display the
completed KWL
Phase III:
Concluding
the Project
create a simple
machine to use in
our classroom. They
will collaborate to
decide which of the
three simple
machines we
studied would be
helpful in our
classroom.
They will then
create a
recommendation for
a simple machine to
be added
somewhere in our
school. They will
decide upon how to
present their
recommendation
(poster, petition,
discussion, etc.) to
the principal.
machines in our
classroom. They
will then present
the use of the
simple machine to
other teachers in
the building.
KWL chart and
students will
reflect on their
own personal used
of simple
machines, both in
and outside of the
classroom
simple machines
we studied from
pictures. They will
also propose a
simple machine to
solve a sample
problem.
I have a heavy
load to carry down
the street, What
might I use? I
want to get down
from the third
floor to the second
floor without
using the stairs.
What else can I
use? I need to get
a dinner plate up
to the treehouse.
What might I use?
chart. We will
also display the
children’s simple
machine for our
classroom. We
will continue to
display their
drawings from the
course of this
project.
Adapted from The Project Approach: A Second Practical Guide for Teachers by Sylvia Chard.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROJECT REFLECTION
I chose simple machines as the topic for this investigation because simple machines are
an integral part of our everyday lives that often go without notice. I appreciate that simple
machines give a lot to explore and that they incorporate early childhood science standards.
Furthermore, science explorations lend themselves well to The Project Approach. “Although The
Project Approach is not exclusive to science in early childhood education, it provides a
framework to embed many of the science and engineering practices identified by Next
Generation Science Standards (NGSS).” (Baldwin & Wilson, 2020, p. 74)
After deciding upon a science theme of simple machines, in organizing this project, I first
considered the definition as laid out in our text. “A project is an in-depth investigation of a topic
worth learning more about, usually involving a small group but occasionally the whole class. The
key feature of a project is that it is a research effort focused on finding answers to questions
posed by the children, the teacher, or the teacher working with the children” (Bredekamp, 2019,
p. 350) “The project approach is not a curriculum; rather, it is a way of engaging children’s
minds with curriculum content and processes” (Bredekamp, 2019, p. 350) I considered what
would allow research questions and exploration of the world around them. I decided to think of
the end results desired – that children would understand the use and purpose of simple machines
in our daily lives. I then employed backwards design to work towards those goals.
My goal throughout the stages of this project was to give multiple opportunities for the
children to respond to their learning and to produce their own documentation of their findings.
“In the project approach, teachers guide children through in-depth studies of real-world topics of
interest to children. When teachers implement the project approach well, children can be highly
motivated, feel actively involved in their own learning, and produce high-quality work.
(Bredekamp, 2019, p. 350) Furthermore considering the display column for each phase of the
project was helpful for me to think through how the children and I could document the learning
and response to the research. “The roots of pedagogical documentation can be traced back to the
philosophy of Reggio Emilia and it can be viewed as a tool for continuous reflection, which
makes learning visible to teachers, parents, and members of the community. Moreover,
documentation allows children to see their own learning and meaning is constructed.” (Alcam &
Ogan, 2021, p. 173) Documenting and putting that documentation on display was therefore an
important part of the project. Display of the KWL chart and the drawings throughout the project
was another means for the children to explore and think about simple machines and to construct
meaning and knowledge about ramps, wheels and pulleys.
Lastly, I particularly admire the Reggio approach to learning. The use of nature and art,
community emphasis (incorporating parents and ateliers, local artists) is intriguing to me. For
example, “short-and long-term projects are a major teaching and learning strategy in Reggio
schools. Facilitated by teachers, children work in small groups on a topic or a problem of interest
to them. Ideas for projects great and small grow out of children’s experiences or chance
encounters. An invitation from the town to design a theater curtain for the opera house led to a
lengthy project that included generating artistic designs, making computer models, painting large
murals, and exploring cloth production. The project culminated in a celebratory unveiling”
(Bredekamp, 2019, p. 359). Therefore, I wanted this project to have a community aspect and also
to incorporate the outdoors somehow. I decided to use an exploration of the neighborhood and
the school building as getting children outdoors. Also, the use of a presentation of some sort to
recommend another use of a simple machine in the school building is also a way to incorporate
our community – the school community.
Overall, this was a fun assignment for me to think through The Project Approach. This
gave me the opportunity to focus on ways for children to interact with the outdoors and with
their community. Furthermore, this assignment facilitated my thought process through how
documentation weaves into proper teaching in early childhood education.
References
Alcam, M. & Olgan, R. (2021). Pedagogical documentation in early childhood education: A systematic
review of the literature. Elementary Education Online, 2021; 20 (1): pp. 172-191 doi:
10.17051/ilkonline.2021.01.021
Baldwin, K., & Wilson, A. (2020). Teaching teachers: Early childhood engineering and natural
resources preservice teachers utilize the project approach for planning, reflection, and practice.
Science and Children, 57(9), 74–79. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27045281
Bredekamp, S. (2019). Effective practices in early childhood education (4th ed.). Pearson Education
(US). https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9780135179918
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
