Project Plan 12 pages

Inquiry-Based Project Plan & Rationale

1. Kindergarten.

2. Arctic Animals.

3. My class of students will consist of kindergarteners. Kindergartens have a general awareness of various types of animals. However, they have limited knowledge on why certain animals live in specific areas while others live in completely different regions. They might have visited the normal zoos that have animals that live in tropical areas but do not understand why they do not have arctic animals that they might have seen on television, for instance, polar bears and arctic foxes. They do not understand how such animals survive in very cold areas characterized by snow. Also, they do not understand how national parks are operated and the way security is afforded to the animals that live in them. Therefore, I intend to teach them about how national parks operate, how the animals survive in the cold, and the diverse personnel that are responsible for the management of a national park. From penguins, to harp seals, to arctic foxes, and polar bears. I believe that teaching my students about the various animals that populate the arctic or polar areas can extend each if their learning into multiple and diverse content areas. Although lessons, which focus on arctic animals, might appear as only falling under the discipline of science, such forms of nature based activities might also entail creative movement, art, and literacy. Rather than only dealing with only one content realm, I will utilize the arctic animals into study areas that encourage creative and critical thought.

4. While observing my students, I noticed that during their play time, they sometimes mimic animals that they observe in television or zoos. However, their knowledge on the various types of animals with regards to climate is inhibited by their experience and age. Especially for the arctic animals, they have limited knowledge on why they live in polar areas and how they survive the cold. As for national parks, they also have limited knowledge on their mode of operation. With this regard, I will commence my project plan by organizing a trip for the students to Wapusk National Park.

When we get to the national park, the students will learn that there are various animals live in this national park. We will then explore these animals including penguins, harp seals, arctic foxes, and polar bears. This visit will be to offer the children a real life experience on how these animals live in the cold region. At the park, they will be curious about the various people that work at the national park. They will first meet the tour guide in his/ her office. I will explain to them that this is the individual who is responsible for guiding us through the park and telling us about the diverse animals that we will see in the park, in addition to the historical data about the park. The children may ask me about how the tour guide gathers all this information. This will make us visit the historians' office. The students will learn the historians' work that is responsible for compiling reports on the history of the park. Also, the zoologist, who are responsible for providing information about the diverse types of animals. As we tour the park, the children will ask me about what would happen in case we got attacked by some of the wild animals. I will then take them to the park rangers’ office so that they can gain valuable insight of how park rangers help people. Also, I will inform the students that these rangers are not only responsible for the protection of the visitors to the park against any harm, but also for ensuring that the animals are protected against poachers. I will go further ahead and given them the meaning of poachers as people who kill the animals so as to sell part of their bodies. I will ensure that they are aware this is an illegal act that lands people in jail. When they see the water bodies in the park, they may ask me if there are life guards similar to what they are used to in swimming pools. I will take them to the lifeguards' office to know their job. So, the lifeguards will explain that their mission is nobody drowns in the lakes or gets attacked by any wild animals in the area.

The children will also be carious and interested to know how these arctic animals survive the cold without the need for any source of warmth such as the way humans rely on warm clothing or heaters in their homes. After we return to school from the national park, I will then give them a hand on lesson as to how they survive. Rather than just talk and give them a theoretical explanation, I will incorporate the use of a blubber glove. This will be used to teach them about the animals that utilize blubber for the purpose of keeping warm. I will use an ice experiment so as to show them the manner in which blubber works. I will offer them plastic gloves so as to protect their hands, then instruct them to place their gloved hands into bags filled with shortening. In this case, the shortening will be a representation of the blubber. Their other hands will then be placed into plain and unfilled bags. Thereafter each of them will submerge their hands into a prepared ice bath for the purpose of comparing which of their hands is warmer as compared to the other. This exercise will be essential in aiding them understand the reason why most arctic animals have an added layer of fat in their bodies and how it offers them protection from the cold. After this experiment, children would ask me about how people survived in the cold weather in the past. This question will lead me to create a trip to a museum. So, children will learn how people can protect themselves from the cold by seeing their shelter and the heater machine in the past.

The students might then be interested in drawing what they saw during art class. For this, I will incorporate the use of arctic art in the classroom. I will hang diverse pictures of the arctic animals on the classroom wall and ask the students to identify each of them. Then the students will be required to draw their own versions and any other things that they remembered about the trips. They will have to use markers or crayons onto construction paper. During play time, the students might feel like modeling the things that they saw on the trip to the national park. I will help the children construct small models of the arctic animals they saw in the park, in addition to other things such as the tour guides, lifeguards, and park rangers. I will complete the craft by asking them to add habitat components, and help them to form shoe-box dioramas. Each student can be invited to paint the desired polar scenes on the insides of shoe box bottoms through the use of blue and white temperas. After the paint dries out, the students will be allowed to add their sculptures on to the three-dimension project.

The children might ask me to read to them stories about arctic animals. Therefore, I will incorporate literacy learning, and I will let them choose relevant picture books, which feature arctic animals. I will explore polar bears with the students through the use of Where Do Polar Bears Live by Sarah Thompson or alternatively, I will aid them in discovering different creatures through the use of Animal Survivors of the Arctic by Somerville Barbara. The vocabulary of the students during literacy learning can be enhanced through the creation of a word wall based on the various books that will be used or from the class discussions that will feature the arctic animals explored. During recreation time, the students might feel like re-enacting what they saw at the park. Based on their interest, acting can be incorporated into learning in which the students will have to get creative with respect to the arctic animals seen and their behaviors. After the visit to the national park and the discussions and activities carried out in class, I will have the students act or behave similarly to the way the arctic animals do. For instance, students can dash around swiftly similarly to the arctic fox or simply get down on all fours and then lumber around like the way the polar bear does. Moreover, the children can incorporate the arctic animal noises that they remember or simply act out scenes that are realistic and feature the polar animals gently frolicking in the snow. To make it more interesting, I will invite the parents to see their children while they mimic the arctic animals and the national park employees. Also, the parents will get an opportunity to see their children's drawing and the three-dimensional objects.

5. National Park Components

· Wildlife habitat

· Lakes and springs

· Tour guide's office

· The historians' office

· The park rangers’ office

· Lifeguards' office

· Food court.

Animals

· Penguins

· Polar bears

· Arctic foxes

· Harp seals

· Peregrine falcons

· Snow geese

National Park Employees

· Tour guides

· Lifeguards

· Park rangers

· Historians

· Zoologists

6.

1) Papers: these will be utilized for drawing purposes so that the students can illustrate what they saw of the arctic animals at the national park.

2) Markers and crayons: these will be utilized to color and emphasize the features of the drawings.

3) Books about arctic animals: these will be utilized in the classroom to get more in-depth information about the arctic animals.

4) Pictures: there will be various pictures of the arctic animals and other features seen at the national park to be used in the classroom to jog the students’ memories.

5) Plastic gloves, shortening, and bucket of ice: these will be utilized for the experiment of how blubber is used by animals in the arctic to protect themselves against the cold.

6) Shoe-box dioramas and blue and white temperas: these will be used for the creation of the three dimensional project.

7) Animal costumes: these will be worn by the students when they are mimicking the arctic animals seen at the national park.

8) Props: these will be sued by the students to emphasize the acting plays when mimicking the arctic animals seen at the national parks.

9) Computers: these can be used by the children to search for some of the answers to their queries with the help of the teacher.

10) National park employees’ costumes: these will be used by the children to mimic the tour guides, lifeguards, and park rangers.

7.

1) Field trip to Wapusk National Park: the students will go to the national park and explore the arctic animals and other diverse aspects of the park.

Knowledge: The students will learn about the habitat of the national park including the animals, employees, and other aspects such as lakes and trees.

Skill: The students will get the opportunity to enhance their communication skills since they will be asking questions to the teacher and the tour guide.

Emotion: The students will enjoy their visit to the national park and get a sense of fulfillment from seeing all the arctic animals and other things on show.

2) Create a play and act out the diverse aspects of the national park: the children will mimic both the arctic animals and the employees of the park so as to re-animate what they saw.

Knowledge: The students will be able to retain most of the information that they learnt from visiting the park in a fun way.

Skill: The children will gain important motor skills through the use of the given costumes and props.

Emotion: The children will get excited as they act out and mimic the arctic animals

3) Draw pictures of the arctic animals and others aspects of the national park: the students will illustrate whatever they saw on paper by using markers and crayons.

Knowledge: The students will be able to illustrate what is in their mind onto paper and in doing so aid in retaining the learnt information.

Skill: The students will gain fine motor skills from the utilization of markers and crayons.

Emotion: The students will thoroughly enjoy the exercise of drawing on paper without any major restrictions.

4) Carry out an experiment: the students will perform a procedure to find out how the arctic animals protect themselves from the cold.

Knowledge: The students will gain pertinent information on how animals in the Polar Regions are able to withstand and survive the cold.

Skill: The students will gain valuable hands on experience and learn how to experiment to test out problems.

Emotion: The students will be excited as they will be learning pertinent knowledge practically rather than theoretically.

5) Carry out a literacy learning session: in addition to learning about science aspects, the children will also use the opportunity to enhance their vocabulary.

Knowledge: The students will learn more aspects of the survival of the animals in arctic regions, in addition to what they already saw at the park.

Skill: The children will learn communication skills by asking questions, in addition to learning new words.

Emotion: The children will be interested in gaining more information to the one that they already have.

6) Crafting of three dimensional objects: the students will get an opportunity to create models of the arctic animals and employees seen at the park.

Knowledge: The children will get a practical experience of crafting the aspects that they saw at the park, which might aid in the retaining of information.

Skill: The children will gain fine motor skills as the create models of the aspects seen at the park.

Emotion: The children will be very excited to create models on their own with minimal supervision.

8.

1) Where Do Polar Bears Live by Sarah Thompson. I will use this book to help the children understand how polar bears live in the arctic areas.

2) Arctic Tundra Habitats by Michael H. Forman. This book offers a realistic insight on the living conditions of the polar or arctic areas. I will divide this book into some parts. Then, I will let each student to read one part loudly to their friends.

3) Animal Survivors of the Arctic by Somerville Barbara. I will read this book out loud to the children so that they can know about the diverse animals that live in the cold snowy areas.

4) Amazing Arctic Animals by Jackie Glassman. This is another book that will offer more insight on the types of inhabitants of the polar areas. I will leave this book in the library section. So, children can use it when they want to read.

5) Arctic Tundra by Donald M. Silver. This book will give an emphasis on the living conditions of the polar animals. Firstly, I will let the students see just the illustration of the book. Secondly, we will figure out the name of the natural scenes and the animals without seeing the text. Finally, I will read the story to them.

9.

· A museum: To learn about how people in the past survived in the cold.

· The historians' office: To see historians' resources and tools that they use them to compile reports on the history of the park.

· The park rangers' office: To gain valuable insight about their job.

10. Habit goal: Children will get more in the habit of asking questions about things that they do not understand.

11. Three part assessment plan for the habit goal:

a) I will record on the calendar the number of times that each child asks a question regarding things that she or he does not understand (without reminders). These notes will be made in the first week of the project and the last week of the project, and then I will make a comparison on the frequency through which each student asks questions.

b) If a particular student asked more questions in the last full week of the project as compared to what he/she did in the first full week of the project, then I will know he/she has improved on this habit.

c) If a particular student asked fewer questions in the last full week of the project as compared to what he/she did in the first full week of the project, then I will know he/she has not improved on this habit.

12. Complex performance: Children will be getting better at working with others.

13. Three part assessment plan for the complex performance goal:

a) I will monitor the children during the first week of the project and the first week after the project. During both months, I will make a note of how often the children do their work and let the others contribute, how often they explain their work by telling how and why they did it, how they help others if they need, and how often they share their ideas and listen to other thoughts. I will compare the results from the two months data collection.

b) The evidence that will show that a student has improved on this complex performance goal will be based on the child getting better in the second month than was in the first month on more of the following indicators than was worse on:

· The frequency of doing his/her work or turn and letting the others contribute, and/or

· The frequency of explaining her/his work by telling others how and why she/he did it, and/or

· The frequency of helping others, and/or

· The frequency of sharing her/his idea and listening to other thoughts.

c) The evidence that will show that a student has not improved on this complex performance if she/he did not improve on the following indicators from the first month to the second month or if she/he was worse in the second month than was in the first month on more of the following indicators than she/he was better on:

· The frequency of doing his/her work or turn and letting the others contribute, and/or

· The frequency of explaining her/his work by telling others how and why she/he did it, and/or

· The frequency of helping others, and/or

· The frequency of sharing her/his idea and listening to other thoughts.

14. Generalization: The students will learn that living things usually adapt to the conditions under which they live in to survive.

15. Three part assessment plan for the generalization:

a) I will interact with the students and notice of what they say and write throughout the trip to the national park, in addition to their class activities related to this project.

b) If the children say the generalization, which is living things usually adapt to the conditions under which they live in to survive, that’s evidence they got it.

c) If the children will not say the generalization, which is living things usually adapt to the conditions under which they live in to survive, they have not learned it.

16. In general, projects are one type of effective curriculum for young children. I think that project-based learning is likely to be beneficial because it offers a hand on approach to solving problems as compared to the normal theoretical teaching. Both the students and the teacher become actively involved in the learning process. More so, there is the utilization of fun exercises such as going for field trips, acting, and modeling, which engage the students to learn more effectively.

There are several research-based benefits or positive child outcomes, which have resulted from project-based curriculum in past studies. Firstly, a study carried out by Chang (2001) on earth science students from tenth-grade discovered that the children who underwent project-based learning earned higher scores as compared to those who received traditional instruction with respect to a standardized achievement test. Secondly, a study carried out in 11 Tennessee school districts for 700 students by Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1992). They found that students who had extensive use of underwent project-based learning performed better in planning capabilities, word problems, and basic math as compared to those who did not.

Thirdly, Drake and Long (2009) compared fourth graders undergoing project-based learning in science with another group that was receiving similar teacher instructions but in thematic form. The findings were that the students subjected to project-based learning were able to come up with more problem-solving strategies as compared to the other group of students. Fourthly, Finkelstein, Hanson, Huang, Hirschman, & Huang (2010) conducted a study on 76 teachers and 7 000 twelfth graders in 66 high schools on the impacts of project-based economics curriculum on problem solving skills and student learning. They found out that both the teachers and students benefited from the project-based learning curriculum with such students outscoring those that underwent the traditional instruction on a test that had been standardized.

Fifthly, Gallagher and Stepien (1996) conducted a study on secondary students that used project-based learning in American studies. They concluded that such students performed much better and showcased deeper content knowledge as compared to those who received the conventional instruction model. Sixthly, Geier et al. (2008) carried out research 7th and 8th graders from 18 middle schools on the effect of project-based learning. The conclusion was that project-based learning is highly developed, specified, and aligned with administrative support and professional development. Moreover, it results in standardized achievement test gains.

Seventhly, Kolodner et al. (2003) conducted a study on 240 middle school students to seek the impact of project based learning. The conclusion was that there was a better performance among students subjected to project based learning as compared to those who used traditional learning methods with respect to science skills, metacognitive skills, and collaboration skills. Finally, Maxwell, Mergendoller, and Bellisimo (2005) conducted a study on 252 economic students from 11 high schools with respect to the effect of project based learning. The findings indicated that student learning is generally improved with the use of project based curricula especially if the teachers receive training on the same.

17. Based on five major areas, at least two grade level indicators or benchmarks can be listed, which might be met or that the children might come closer to meeting through this project.

Science:

1) The students will have the capability of carrying out practical experiments to test the things that they learn theoretically.

2) The students will engage more with nature and understand basic facts about the inhabitants within it.

Life Skills

1) Students gain the ability to carry out deductive reasoning to solve simple life problems.

2) The students learn basic skills to aid them survive in the environment.

Language Arts

1) Students can have the ability to reconstruct a given setting and act out the events from memory.

2) Important communication skills can be enhanced through question and answer sessions.

Motivation

1) Students get motivated to learn more about their surroundings.

2) Students get encouraged to learn due to the use of fun activities rather than conventional learning environments.

Emotions

1) Students get happy with learning since fun activities are incorporated into their curriculum.

2) Students get excited whenever faced with a problem that can be solved experimentally.

References

Chang, C. (2001). Comparing the impacts of problem-based computer-assisted instruction and the direct-interactive teaching method on student science achievement. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 10(2):147-53.

Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1992). The Jasper series as an example of anchored instruction: Theory, program description, and assessment data. Educational Psychologist, 27(3), 291-315.

Drake, K. N., & Long, D. (2009). Rebecca’s in the dark: A comparative study of problem-based learning and direct instruction/experiential learning in two 4th-grade classrooms. Journal of Elementary Science Education, 21(1), 1-16.

Finkelstein, N., Hanson, T., Huang, C. W., Hirschman, B., & Huang, M. (2010). Effects of Problem Based Economics on High School Economics Instruction. Final Report. NCEE 2010-4002. National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance.

Gallagher, S. A., & Stepien, W. J. (1996). Content acquisition in problem-based learning: Depth versus breadth in American studies. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 19(3), 257- 275.

Geier, R., Blumenfeld, P. C., Marx, R. W., Krajcik, J. S., Fishman, B., Soloway, E., & Clay- Chambers, J. (2008). Standardized test outcomes for students engaged in inquiry-based science curricula in the context of urban reform. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45(8), 922-939.

Kolodner, J. L., Camp, P. J., Crismond, D., Fasse, B., Gray, J., Holbrook, J., Puntambekar, S., & Ryan, M. (2003). Problem-based learning meets case-based reasoning in the middle- school science classroom: Putting Learning by Design into practice. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 12(4), 495- 547.

Maxwell, N., Mergendoller, J. R., & Bellisimo, Y. (2005). Problem-based learning and high school macroeconomics: A comparative study of instructional methods. The Journal of Economic Education, 36(4), 315-331.