Weaving Academic Work Into Class Projects

Those who are new to project-based learning via an emergent curriculum often wonder what it looks like in the classroom. How do teachers construct an impromptu plan for the semester based on each fresh new topic the kids choose? How do they weave academic skill-building into the project? Those who are new to project-based learning via an emergent curriculum often wonder what it looks like in the classroom. How do teachers construct an impromptu plan for the semester based on each fresh new topic the kids choose? How do they weave academic skill-building into the project?

As a case study, here is a journey the Happy Hydras, our 2nd - 3rd grade class, took with their teachers Ms. Lucy Coria and Ms. Kendra Roberts after choosing Fossils as their class project topic:

Field Trip to the Museum

When you're studying fossils, a trip to Chicago's Field Museum is a must. TCS teachers take full advantage of our proximity to the vast array of learning resources in Chicago.

In project work, our teachers view themselves as the lead learner. They learn alongside the students and need to be several steps ahead on the topic so that they can guide the way. To that end, the Hydras' lead learner, Ms. Lucy Coria, participated in the Field Museum's Field Ambassador program, so that she could meet paleontologists at the Field Museum and bring them our students' questions. She was also able to borrow specimens and items from the Museum's collection that the students could use in their final project presentation.

Hands-On Learning in the Classroom

Fossil Art: Making impressions in clay, imitating how fossils are formed. "We have been focusing on understanding the steps of fossilization and explaining the importance of each step in the process. We discovered that some animals do not get fossilized and discussed the reasons why."

Research and Classification: Identifying fossils via research, and taking notes.

Spelling and Vocabulary: Practice in decoding multisyllabic words as they learn words like trilobite. paleontologist, and stegosaurus.

Paleontology: Activities like putting together puzzles of dinosaur bones, or dusting the dirt off a trilobite with a toothbrush, give kids a chance to experience what a paleontologist might need to do on a fossil dig.

Story Writing: Students wrote narrative short stories about an imaginary fossil dig they might be part of in a future career as a paleontologist. The narratives were published in the class newsletter for families to read.

Studying Literature, Biography, and Women in Science: "We read aloud the book Stone Girl, Bone Girl, making predictions about the book using the front cover, and gathering details along the way," says Ms. Lucy.
The biographic story is based on the life of Mary Anning, one of the world's greatest fossil hunters. It's also a story of a woman following her dreams in the field of science and making history as an expert in her field.
Later, the class read The Dog that Dug for Dinosaurs, a story about Mary Anning's dog!

Show, Tell, and Share: Kids celebrated their shared interest by bringing in fossils from their own home or family collections.

Learning is More Fun when it's Relevant!

An emergent curriculum combined with project-based learning honors children's curiosity. It allows the time to go on a deeper and wider engagement with their topic of interest. As each segment builds on the next, their learning is memorable, engaging, and satisfying. It's also challenging and fun for our teachers as no two projects and no two academic years are alike.