Phase One

The Project Applying an Inquiry Approach

Teacher: Maria Roberts Class: ECEP-229 Student: Cassandra Coote

Children want to learn about cars

Based on
y y y y Observations Questions Webs KWH. Chart

Possible ways to explore: y Pictures of cars from different countries y label parts inside a car y Visit an auto-shop y Read books on cars y Watch a video- Mighty Machines

Observations and Analysis

Age of children: 3 to5 years old Preschoolers Date: September 14, 2011 Children: Johnny Z and Ryan S Permission forms attached Location: The Sunshine room in the daycare centre Observation #1 Observation:

I n the classroom, Johnny was playing on the carpet with a car in both of his hands. He was making car sounds, broom, broom. Ryan sat down beside Johnny and began playing with a school bus. She looked in to the car bucket and reached in with her right hand, she grasps a wooden stop sign and she places the wooden stop sign in the middle of the playing area. Johnny drove his toy cars over to the stop sign and he said STOP! Ryan drove her toy School bus, over to the stop sign and said Everybody out! Time for school. Johnny drives his toy car over to the toy gas station. Ryan picks up two other cars, one black and one red. She drives her two toy cars to the car slide. She puts the cars on top of the slide with

her left hand. She pushes the car down the ramp with her left hand. She follows the car as it slides down the ramp with her eyes.
Analysis:

Based on my observations, Johnny Z and Ryan S are interested in cars because they seem to be very much involved in learning street signs and car sounds, for example Johnny says Broom, Broom, while he plays with his car while Ryan plays with her school bus and obeys the street toy stop sign. The children are expressing their l learning through play, for example, Johnny drives his toy car over to the toy gas station. Johnny role-plays his experience at the gas station. Ryan races her two cars down a ramp. She seems to be watching closely as the cars race down the ramp.
Observation #2 Date: September 29, 2011 Child: Matteo Permission form attached. Location: The Sunshine Room in the daycare centre

Observation:

Matteo sits at the drawing table with a marker in his right hand I m drawing a race car Matteo picked up his paper and turned to towards me and said It can drive over cars and big mountain s, I saw it at the monster truck show with my dad. Matteo placed his paper on to the table in front of him. He picked up a blue marker and began drawing again. Matteo uses scissors in his right hand, he cuts paper and follows the lines he drew on the paper. What are you cutting, Matteo? I ask him. I m cutting a road, I m going to tape the pieces together for my cars that I ve cut out and take it home .

Analysis:

Based on my observations, Matteo is interested in art and cars because almost every day Matteo is at the drawing table drawing a monster truck or designing a road for his paper cars to drive on. Matteo also enjoys drawing cars and monster trucks, for example, he drew his experience at the monster truck show with his dad, and he drew what he saw and his favourite part of the event.

List of questions to explore with children

y Do all cars have 4 wheels? y How do cars move and stop? y Why are seatbelts important? y Why do police cars, ambulance and fire trucks use sirens? y Why are there street signs on the road? y What is an Auto-shop? y What does an Auto-shop do? y What happens at a car wash? y What do cars look like in other countries?

y Before cars were built, what did we use to travel? y Do you drive to school? How do you get to school? y Where can you buy a car?

Common experience:

At gathering time before snack, I sat the children on the carpet to discuss what many of the children were playing with in the morning. We talked about how the children got to school that day and how they get home. We talked about who has been on the bus and who has been in a taxi cab. We shared experiences with each other based on transportation. I reminded the children of how many of them play with the bucket of cars, and how many children enjoy drawing cars. I also noticed that many of the children have their own trucks and cars in their cubbies. Then I suggested that we learn more about cars and about the car parts and different cars in different countries. The children were excited and were asking more questions of which I will put into experiments so we all learn the answers together.

K WHL Chart

Topic: Cars
K Cars have wheels W How many wheels do cars have? H Counting the wheels on different types of cars L

Cars have engines

What sound does the engine make?

Listen to the starting sound of a car and repeat the sound.

Police car s have sirens

What does the ambulance car do?

Explore the ambulance and ask questions

Cars have seatbelts

Why do passengers wear seatbelt?

Read books about car safety and seatbelts Play, red light green light game. Different cars and different size and looks

Cars are fast

How do cars move and stop?

Cars are big

Are cars all the same sizes?

My possible Experiences

1) Car in a bubble Science 2) Making car tracks (Paint on paper and drive Toy car trough the paint)- Art 3) Reading books on cars, street signs - literacy 4) Ambulance visit to the daycare centre - Social studies 5) Design the centre as an Auto shop, with children s tools, real objects of containers (properly sealed), 2 Cardboard steering wheels, Dramatic Play 6) Sorting the number of wheels cars have Math

Documentation of experience

y Collage y Newsletter y Photographs

y Journal of the process y Designing KWHL chart

Rationale: Afte observing the children and speaking with them at circle time I discovered that they are interested in Cars. For example, the children enjoy reading books, drawing pictures and playing with cars. Many children enjoy playing with the toy cars and the car station in the classroom. During the time that I am at the centre, I will be planning several experience for the preschool children at Vradenburg Community Childcare Centre. During this time ,the children will be exploring the parts of cars through pictures and puzzles. Children will also be able to explore an ambulance vehicle as I have assigned a display ambulance for the children to explore and ask questions to a paramedic.

We will be posting evidence and samples of our discovery of cars. Please feel free to join us on our Ambulance visit on the date to be announced. Please feel free to admire your children s learning through art on the walls and our experiments of which will be displayed in the classroom aswell.

Thank you.

Cassandra Coote

Web

Cars have engines Explore what else a car has Explore the dramtic centr(Auto shop)

Cars are fast Race cars Build ramps make street signs "stop" "speed limit"

Police cars have a siren Read books on emergency vehicles Visit an ambulance

Cars
Cars are big Draw a car Paint a picture Cars have seatbelts picture seek and find book Puzzels Cars have wheels Cars in dirt, sand, water, Bubbles

Phase two and three

The Project Applying an Inquiry Approach

Teacher: Maria Roberts

Class: ECEP-229 Student: Cassandra Coote

Concluding the Project: K WHL Chart

Topic: Cars K Cars have wheels W How many wheels do cars have? H Counting the wheels on different types of cars. L
Children learned that cars have many wheels and different size wheels for different size of cars. Children counted the many different wheels, on pictures, outside, and past experience.

Cars have engines

What sound does the engine make?

Listen to the starting sound of a car and repeat the sound.

Children learned the sound of a healthy car compared to a non healthy car, by listening to interactive book with sounds. Children learned the sound of an ambulance and listening to the fire truck sirens. We sang the fire struck song

Police car s have sirens

What does the ambulance car do?

Explore the ambulance and ask questions

Cars have seatbelts

Why do passengers wear seatbelt?

Read books about car safety and seatbelts

Children learned the safety when riding in a car: child

seats, Seat belts keep you safe. Also It s the law.

Cars are fast

How do cars move and stop?

Play, red light green light game.

Children learned why cars need to stop before going again. Safety reasons, stop sign,
red lights

Cars are big

Are cars all the same sizes?

Different cars and different size and looks

Children learned that cars come in different sizes: large,

giant and small.

Summary: This experience, working with children and discovering cars, has enlightened the children with knowledge and curiosity to guide them through their interests and lets them open their eyes to the world. For example, our Social studies had filled our minds with great expectations of what auto mechanics do and what Auto shops are used for. We discovered why cars need fixing and where cars originally came from. I have learned a great deal with the children as well. Some questions they asked me, I didn t know the answer so we investigated together about certain questions, we read books, we role-played, and we looked at pictures from what the cars use to look like about 90 years ago compared to the cars now, for instance a Smart car. We also talked about car safety, and the reason for why we need seat belts. I enjoyed working with the children in a creative and educational way. Cars have been a great curriculum to explore with the children and the children enjoyed learning about cars as well. A few things that I planed with the children were one very special social studies experience but unfortunately the paramedic team no longer does visits because their wasn t enough members to drive the ambulance to display.

What can come next in our Collaborative web?

Social studies: Trip to EMS station, Fire station or quest visitor