Pre & Primary Teacher Training

Phase–1

Principles and Approaches to Early Childhood Education

Principles and approaches to teaching young learners relate teaching to learning.

Teaching facilitates learning by promoting, nurturing a culture of learning and
building connections with knowledge. Teaching should facilitate the construction of
meaning, promote understanding, and bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Learning is commonly defined as a process that brings together cognitive, emotional,

and environmental influences. It leads to experiences for acquiring, enhancing, or
making changes in one's knowledge, skills, values, and world views (Illeris, 2000;
Ormorod, 1995). Learning as a process focuses on what happens when the learning
takes place. Explanations of what happens constitute learning theories. A learning
theory is an attempt to describe how people and animals learn, thereby helping us to
understand the inherently complex process of learning. Learning theories have two
chief values according to Hill (2002). One is in providing us with vocabulary and a
conceptual framework for interpreting the examples of learning that we observe. The
other is in suggesting where to look for solutions to practical problems. The theories
do not give us solutions, but they do direct our attention to those variables that are
crucial in finding solutions.

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Maria Montessori

We begin with the Montessori approach to teaching:

Maria Montessori (picture to the left) was, in many ways,
ahead of her time. Born in the town of Chiaravalle, in the
province of Ancona, Italy, in 1870, she became the first
female physician in Italy after her graduation from medical
school in 1896. In her medical practice, her clinical observations led her to analyze
how children learn, and she concluded that they build themselves from what they find
in their environment. What ultimately became was the Montessori Method of
education, based upon Montessori's scientific observations of these children's almost
effortless ability to absorb knowledge from their surroundings, as well as their tireless
interest in manipulating materials. Every piece of equipment, every exercise, every
method Montessori developed was based on what she observed children to do
"naturally," by themselves, unassisted by adults.

Children teach themselves. This simple but profound truth inspired Montessori's
lifelong pursuit of educational reform, methodology, psychology, teaching, and
teacher training—all based on her dedication to furthering the self-creating process of
the child.

Maria Montessori died in Noordwijk, Holland, in 1952, but her work lives on through
the Association Montessori International (AMI), the organization she founded in
Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 1929 to carry on her work.

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Principles of Montessori Method

The Montessori Method is based on several principles. Montessori believed that

learning is a “natural, self-directed process” that follows several fundamental laws
of human nature. According to Montessori principles, a child will naturally become in
harmony with his or her environment during the learning process as long as the
environment is properly prepared and maintained. The role of the adult in the child‘s
learning process is to simply prepare the environment and to make sure this
environment remains intact. Montessori‘s principles state that the adult who is
preparing the environment needs to be committed to several things: observation,
individual liberty, and sufficient preparation. Montessori believed that as long as the
adults involved in the learning process follow these guidelines the children will
engage themselves in their own learning process.

The teaching methods used in the Montessori

classroom (picture to the left) are very
specific. The Montessori teacher must be sure
to include work tasks and activities that involve
all of the individual intelligences. These
intelligences include musical, kinesthetic,
spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, intuitive,
linguistic, and logical. Children are given the
opportunity to explore different activities that
address these different areas of knowledge.

A Montessori class usually consists of 30 to 35 students and one or two

teachers. Children are grouped in three-year spans, which allow the children to
remain with the same teacher for three to six years. The classroom is usually divided
into center stations. The center stations are grouped into categories such as daily

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living materials (washing station, cleaning supplies, etc.), sensorial materials (sand,
sound cylinders, etc.), academic materials (books, pencils, etc.), and cultural/artistic
materials (paints, crayons, markers, etc.). The materials found in each station are
carefully organized and usually remain in the same location throughout the entire
school year.

The materials used in the classroom are also important aspects of the Montessori
school system. The materials used are specific to the Montessori school and each
serve a very specific purpose. When a new material is introduced into the classroom
the teacher carefully demonstrates to the children exactly how the material should
be used. After this demonstration the children are expected to only use the material
the way it is supposed to be used. If the teacher observes the child using the material
in a different way he or she will demonstrate the proper use of the material once
again. An example of such a material is the dried pea work task. The child is given a
bowl of dried peas along with a spoon and an empty bowl. The teacher demonstrates
to the child how to spoon the dried peas into the empty bowl. The child is then left
to complete this task on his or her own. If the teacher were to see the child using the
peas for any other play or work he or she would demonstrate the task again.

Montessori claimed that their school system, unlike traditional school systems,
provides children with the opportunity to grow into independent and self-sufficient
individuals with a deeply rooted love for learning.

How her Basic Principles came about:

Montessori kept a list on what children like:

• Children like to repeat exercises; once they discover certain activities they
want to repeat them constantly in order to master them (sensitive period).
• Children like to choose on their own.

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• Children have the need to check on themselves.
• It is a challenge to them to come up with the right solution.
• Children like it when human movements are analyzed. How do you do a specific
movement? Is it a beautiful movement?
• Children enjoy silent exercises.
• Children favor good manners in their social behavior.
• Children like an ordered environment in which everything has a fixed place.
This gives them a sense of security and safety.
• Children feel the need to take care of their own body, for instance, washing,
blowing their nose.
• Children in the ages from three to six years are geared toward their senses;
through their senses they learn to explore and order their environment.
• Children write before they start reading (no books yet).

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Friedrich Froebel

Play is a natural instinct of the children. It has been effectively

used for teaching. Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel (picture to
the left) was the father of the Kindergarten system, meaning
―Children‘s Garden‖, a system which encourages fun and play
based learning. Froebel characterized play as the ―work‖ of
childhood and described it as ―the purest, the most spiritual, product of man at this
stage.‖

Froebel sought to encourage the creation of educational environment that involved

practical work and the direct use of materials. Through engaging with the world,
understanding unfolds; hence the significance of play. It is both a creative activity
and through it children become aware of their place in the world. He went on to
develop special materials (such as shaped wooden bricks and balls – gifts), a series of
recommended activities (occupations) movement activities, and linking set of
theories. His original concern was the teaching of young children through educational
games in the family. In the later years of his life this became linked with a demand
for the provision of special centers for the care and development of children outside
the home.

We have seen the development of kindergartens, and the emergence of Froebel

movement. For informal educators, Friedrich Froebel‘s continuing relevance has lain
in his concern for learning through activity, his interest in social learning and his
emphasis on the ‗unification‘of life.

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Froebel labeled his approach to education as ―self-activity‖. This idea allows the child
to be led by his or her own interests and to freely explore them. The teacher‘s role,
therefore, was to be a guide rather than lecturer.

Froebel‘s kindergarten was designed to meet each child‘s need for:

 physical activity
 the development of sensory awareness and physical dexterity
 creative expression
 exploration of ideas and concepts
 the pleasure of singing
 the experience of living among others
 satisfaction of the soul

The Kindergarten Curriculum

Froebel‟s Gifts:
Froebel developed a series of gifts and occupations
for use in kindergartens. Representing what Froebel
identified as fundamental forms, the gifts had both
their actual physical appearance and also a hidden
symbolic meaning. They were used to stimulate the
child to bring the fundamental concept that they
represented to mental consciousness.

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Froebel's gifts were the following items:
 Six soft, colored balls
 A wooden sphere, cube, and cylinder
 A large cube divided into eight smaller cubes
 A large cube divided into eight oblong blocks
 A large cube divided into twenty-one whole, six halves, and twelve quarter
cubes
 A large cube divided into eighteen whole oblongs: three divided lengthwise,
three divided breadth wise
 Quadrangular and triangular tablets for arranging figures
 Sticks for outlining figures. Whole and half wire rings for outlining figures
 Various materials for drawing, perforating, embroidering, paper
cutting, weaving or braiding, paper folding, modeling, and interlacing

The occupations were items such as paper, pencils, wood, sand, clay, straw and sticks
for use in constructive activities. Kindergarten activities included games, songs, and
stories. The activities are designed to assist in sensory, physical development and
socialization. With the play activities, children socialize, imitate adult social and
economic activities as they are gradually led into the larger world of group life. The
kindergarten provided a milieu that encouraged children to interact with other
children under the guidance of a loving teacher, and this is followed in KG schools all
over the world even today.

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Jean Piaget

Swiss biologist and psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980) is

renowned for constructing a highly influential model of child
development and learning. Piaget discovered that children think
and reason differently at different periods in their lives. He
believed that everyone passed through an invariant sequence of
four qualitatively distinct stages.

Invariant means that a person cannot skip stages or reorder them. Although every
normal child passes through the stages in exactly the same order, there is some
variability in the ages at which children attain each stage.

Piaget identified four major stages: sensory-motor, preoperational, concrete

operational and formal operational. Piaget believed all children pass through these
phases to advance to the next level of cognitive development.

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• Sensorimotor stage: From birth to age 2. Children experience the world
through movement and senses (use five senses to explore the world). During the
sensorimotor stage children are extremely egocentric, meaning they cannot perceive
the world from others' viewpoints. The sensorimotor stage is divided into six sub-
stages: (1) simple reflex (2) first habits and primary circular reactions (3) secondary
circular reactions (4) coordination of secondary circular reactions (5) tertiary circular
reactions, novelty, and curiosity and (6) internalization of schemes.

• Simple reflexes are from birth to 1 month old. At this time infants use reflexes
such as rooting and sucking.
• First habits and primary circular reactions are from 1 month to 4 months old.
During this time infants learn to coordinate sensation and two types of scheme
(habit and circular reactions). A primary circular reaction is when the infant
tries to reproduce an event that happened by accident (e.g. sucking thumb).
• The third stage, secondary circular reactions, occurs when the infant is 4 to 8
months old. At this time they become aware of things beyond their own body;
they are more object-oriented. During this time they might accidentally shake
a rattle and continue to do it for sake of satisfaction.
• Coordination of secondary circular reactions is from 8 months to 12 months old.
During this stage they can do things intentionally. They can now combine and
recombine schemes and try to reach a goal (e.g. use a stick to reach
something). They also understand object permanence during this stage. That
is, they understand that objects continue to exist even when they can't see
them.
• The fifth stage occurs from 12 months old to 18 months old. During this stage
infants explore new possibilities of objects. They try different things to get
different results.

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 • The sixth stage occurs from 18 months to 24 months. During this stage babies
gradually start to know the world through mental representations of items
instead of being solely dependent on action.

• The preoperational stage: Usually occurs during the period between

toddlerhood (18 – 24months) and early childhood (7 years). During this stage
children begin to use language, memory and imagination also develops. In the
preoperational stage, children engage in make-believe. They can understand
and express relationships between the past and the future. More complex
concepts, such as cause and effect relationships which they have not learned.
Intelligence is egocentric, intuitive and not logical.

• The concrete operational stage: This typically develops between the ages of
7-11 years. Intellectual development in this stage is demonstrated through the
use of logical and systematic manipulation of symbols, which are related to
concrete objects. Thinking becomes less egocentric with increased awareness
of external events, and involves concrete references.

• The period from adolescence through adulthood is the formal

operational stage. Adolescents and adults use symbols related to abstract
concepts. Adolescents can think about multiple variables in systematic ways,
can formulate hypotheses, and think about abstract relationships and concepts.

Piaget's Key Ideas (SUMMARY)

What it says: adapting to the world through assimilation and

Adaptation
accommodation
Assimilation The process by which a person takes material into their mind

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 from the environment, which may mean changing the evidence
of their senses to make it fit.
The difference made to one's mind or concepts by the process
Accommodation of assimilation. Note that assimilation and accommodation
goes together as you can't have one without the other.
The ability to group objects together on the basis of common
Classification features.

The understanding of more advanced than simple

classification, that some classes or sets of objects are also sub-
Class Inclusion sets of a larger class. (E.g. there is a class of objects called
dogs. There is also a class called animals. But all dogs are also
animals, so the class of animals includes that of dogs.)
The realization that objects or sets of objects stay the same
Conservation
even when they are changed about or made to look different.
The ability to move away from one system of classification to
Decantation
another, one that is appropriate.
The belief that you are the center of the universe and
everything revolves around you: the corresponding inability to
Egocentrism see the world as someone else does and adapt to it. Not moral
"selfishness", just an early stage of psychological
development.
The process of working something out in your head. Young
children (in the sensorimotor and preoperational stages) have
Operation to act, and try things out in the real world, to work things out
(like count on fingers). Older children and adults can do more
in their heads.
Schema (or The representation in the mind of a set of perceptions, ideas,
scheme) and/or actions, which go together.

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 A period in a child's development in which he or she is capable
Stage
of understanding some things but not others.

Stages of Cognitive Development

Stage Characterized by
Sensorimotor Differentiates self from objects.
(Birth-2 years) Recognizes self as agent of action and begins to act
intentionally. E.g. pulls a string to set mobile in motion or
shakes a rattle to make a noise.
Preoperational Achieves object permanence: realizes that things continue to
(2-7 years) exist even when no longer present to the sense (pace Bishop
Berkeley).
Learns to use language and to represent objects by images and
words. Thinking is still egocentric, has difficulty taking the
viewpoint of others.
Classifies objects by a single feature, e.g. groups together all
the red blocks regardless of shape or all the square blocks
regardless of colour.
Concrete Can think logically about objects and events.
operational Achieves conservation of number (age 6), mass (age 7), and
(7-11 years) weight (age 9).
Classifies objects according to several features and can order
them in series along a single dimension such as size.

Formal Can think logically about abstract propositions and test

operational hypotheses systematically.
(11 years and Becomes concerned with the hypothetical, the future, and

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 above) ideological problems.

John Dewey

According to John Dewey „Education is life itself‟.

John Dewey (1859-1952) believed that learning being active
and schooling was long and restrictive. His idea was that
children came to school to do things and live in a
community which gave them real, guided experiences which
fostered their capacity to contribute to society. For
example, Dewey believed that students should be involved in real-life tasks and
challenges.

• Math could be learnt via learning proportions in cooking or figuring out how
long it would take to get from one place to another by mule.
• History could be learnt by experiencing how people lived, geography, what the
climate was like, and how plants and animals grew.

Dewey had a gift of suggesting activities that captured the center of what his classes
were studying. Dewey's education philosophy helped forward the "progressive
education" movement, and spawned the development of "experiential education"
programs and experiments.

Reggio Emilia

The Reggio Emilia approach is a form of alternative

education which focuses on teaching children

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through a strong sense of community. It is usually applied to young students in pre-
school and primary school grades. This philosophy proposes interactive methods of
teaching, which often involve parents, educators and environment in a variety of
ways.

Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994) founded the 'Reggio Emilia' approach at a city in northern
Italy called Reggio Emilia. The 'Reggio' approach was developed for municipal child-
care and education programs serving children below six years. The approach requires
children to be seen as competent, resourceful, curious, imaginative, inventive,
possess a desire to interact and communicate with others.

In 1991, Newsweek magazine noted that the system of thirty-three infant/toddler

schools and preschools in Reggio Emilia were among the ten best school systems in the
world. Reggio Emilia schools carry out a process of collaborative examination and
analysis of teaching and learning about children. This examination and analysis has
broadened constructivist theory, and the results have been demonstrated to experts
in education. ―Constructivist theory‖ refers to learning by doing and the development
of knowledge and understanding based on the child‘s own interests.

The 'Reggio' vision of the child as a competent learner has produced a strong child-
directed curriculum model. The curriculum has purposive progression but not scope
and sequence. Teachers follow the children's interests and do not provide focused
instruction in reading and writing. Reggio approach has a strong belief that children
learn through interaction with others, including parents, staff and peers in a friendly
learning environment.

The Reggio Emilia approach was conceived, encompass and implement the theoretical
contributions of thinkers including Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner. Collaboration

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among children, teachers, parents, and the community is highly valued and the
centers are open to all families regardless of income and supported by the town.

This approach originated in the Italian city of Reggio Emilia after World War II. At that
time, some of the schools in the city rejected the traditional approach of teaching
children through strict discipline and guidelines. It adopted a more flexible method.
Gradually, this new way gained popularity around the world because it encourages
child development through exploration of interests and building relationships with
others.

One of the key elements of the Reggio Emilia approach is the school environment.
Small and colorless classrooms are thought to be unproductive and limiting to a
child‘s imagination. This philosophy suggests lessons be held in much bigger rooms
with plenty of light, space and real plants. The idea behind the principle is to
stimulate a student‘s sense of exploration from an early stage. Some schools following
the Reggio Emilia approach try to limit
the barriers between classrooms to
encourage interaction between students.

Parents and friends are very important to

this alternative form of education. The
children‘s development is often seen as
the responsibility of the entire
community. Parents are strongly encouraged to assist their children, not only with
homework, but also by being involved in the child's school activities. The Reggio
Emilia approach places a great value on parental input, and most school boards hold
open meetings on issues like school curriculum and policy.

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A major innovation brought about by this type of philosophy is the role of educators.
Learning material is typically designed to enhance the teachers‘ own education, to
allow them to learn along with their students. Many of these teaching methods
include learning from physical experience, such as touching, hearing or seeing.
Examinations, such as achievement tests, are often limited and a greater focus is put
on helping the children to comprehend the practical ways they can use what they are
learning.

Another important aspect of the Reggio Emilia approach is that it gives children some
control over the way they learn things. Parents and teachers are often instructed to
find ways to incorporate individual student interests into a child's learning process.
Children are also motivated to express themselves through various means, such as
writing, drawing and play-acting. These works are often shared, and even revised, by
their peers, to encourage collective participation.

This model was conceived after World War II when the women of Reggio wanted to
build a school, literally from the rubble of the devastated town. The curriculum is
based on close observation and documentation of the children‘s ideas by the
teacher who co-constructs knowledge with the children. Their ideology expanded and
deepened and special roles are given to the atelierista (helps children express ideas)
and the pedagogista (the teacher and connector of teachers). Parents continue to be
engaged as partners in their child‘s learning. The environment is used as a valuable
source of learning both to inspire, reflect, and to promote the work of the children,
which is done in small groups.

Underlying Features of the Reggio Emilia Approach

• Cooperation – Collaboration – Co-construction

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 • Documentation - a sophisticated approach to purposefully using the
environment to explain the history of projects and the school community. It

does not simply refer to the beautiful classroom artwork commonly found
throughout schools following Reggio Emilia Approach.
• Environments - the homelike atmosphere is designed to help make children feel
comfortable and learn practical life issues.

Waldorf System

For the Waldorf student, music, dance, and theatre, writing, literature, legends and
myths are not simply subjects to be read about, ingested and tested. They are
experienced. Through these experiences, Waldorf students cultivate a lifelong love of
learning as well as the intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual capacities to be
individuals certain of their paths and to be of service to the world.

Developed by Rudolf Steiner in 1919, Waldorf Education is based on an understanding

of human development that addresses the needs of the growing child. Waldorf
teachers strive to transform education into an art that educates the whole child—the
heart and the hands, as well as the head. When you enter a Waldorf school, the first
thing you may notice is the care given to the building. The walls are usually painted in
lively colours and are adorned with student artwork. Evidence of student activity is
everywhere to be found and every desk holds a uniquely created main lesson book.

Another first impression may be the enthusiasm and commitment of the teachers you
meet. They are facilitators of learning. Teachers in Waldorf schools are dedicated to
generating an inner enthusiasm for learning within every child. They achieve this in a
variety of ways. Even seemingly dry and academic subjects are presented in a

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pictorial and dynamic manner. This eliminates the need for competitive testing,
academic placement, and behavioural rewards to motivate learning. It allows
motivation to arise from within and helps engender the capacity for joyful lifelong
learning. The Waldorf curriculum is broad and comprehensive, structured to respond
to the three developmental phases of childhood: from birth to approximately 6 or 7
years, from 7 to 14 years and from 14 to 18 years. Rudolf Steiner stressed to teachers
that the best way to provide meaningful support for the child is to comprehend these
phases fully and to bring "age appropriate" content to the children that nourishes
healthy growth.

Project Method

The project method can be defined as a medium of instruction. This method is

considered as one of the modern method of teaching in which utmost importance is
given to the student‘s point of view while designing the curriculum and content of
studies. This method is based on the philosophy of Pragmatism and the Principal of
―Learning by doing‖. Project work focuses on improving student involvement and
motivation in order to foster independent thinking, self-confidence, and social
responsibility. According to Bollard ―A project is a bit of real life that has been
imparted into school.‖

Project is all about collaborative learning. Students in a project method environment

should get ample opportunity to explore and experience their environment through
their senses and direct their own learning by their individual interests. This method
takes the students beyond the walls of the classroom and it is carried out in natural
setting making learning more realistic and experiential. It also encourages students
for investigative learning and finding solution of practical problems. This helps in
acquiring better knowledge of practical aspect than gaining knowledge from book.
While planning a project the teacher plays the role of a facilitator and allows students
great freedom encouraging the spirit of research.

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There are varieties of projects that can be implemented understanding the need of
the class or the group of students catering to. The types of project are as follow:

Individual and social project: Here students solve their problems by themselves in
accordance to their interest, capacity, attitudes and needs.

Group Project: The problems solved by the group of students involved in the class.
This helps in developing confidence and social responsibility.

Simple and complex project: Here children compete only at work time. They get an
opportunity to gather deeper and broader knowledge about the problems.

To prepare a project, steps mentioned below should be followed:

Creating situation

Selection of problem

Planning

Execution

Evaluation

Reporting and recording

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 1) Sample project for primary classroom

Name of the Project: Wonderful World of Weather

Estimated time and brief outline of the project:

The purpose of this project is to heighten the students' awareness of weather by

allowing them to observe weather conditions and to discover weather-related things
and phenomena in their immediate environment.

Specifically, students will:

 develop a basic understanding of how weather can be described in measurable

quantities, such as temperature, wind and precipitation
 use hands-on activities and real-time data investigations to study factors that
affect weather and climate.

The estimated time of the project would be around 10-15 days. This completely
depends on how students master each skill and how ready are they to learn at a
particular pace. Each lesson would be around 50 minutes.

Subject Overview of the project.

Integration of English Students will be able to:

1. Incorporate content-area vocabulary into creative

writing

Traditional Japanese haiku is a verse form that began in

Japan during the 17th century. Haiku are short poems about
things that make people feel a connection to nature. Each
haiku is made up of three unrhymed lines of poetry with a
total of 17 syllables. The first and third lines have five

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 syllables each; the middle line has 7.

The teacher will gather the students together as a group.

Read several examples of haiku from Flower Moon Snow. For
the first reading, have the students close their eyes and see
if they can picture the scene that the poet is describing. For
the second reading, have them count the syllables with you.
Have the students to try to remember a windy day that they
experienced last week, last month or even last year. Have
them share anecdotes and feelings about that day.

Tell the students that they will try to recreate that day in
writing by composing their own haiku. They should try to use
some of the words on the chart and make their "word
pictures" seem so real that those who read them will have a
special feeling. Give the students time to work on their
haiku and to read it to a classmate. They can clap out the
syllables together.

Integration of Science Students will be able to:

1. Describe weather changes that occur from day to day

2. Suggest why understanding weather is important
3. Know how weather can be measured

Allow approximately one hour for a discussion that will focus

on the observable characteristics of weather.

 Ask the students what they think of when they hear

the word "weather"? What kinds of things would they
look for if they wanted to describe the weather of a
particular day to someone else? What kind of a day do
they consider to be a "nice" day?
 Lead a discussion on how weather affects their daily
lives considering such factors as the kinds of clothes
they wear and the outdoor activities that they can do.
 Remind them to record the things about weather that
day that might not be visible, but that can be felt,
such as wind.

Weather walk activity:

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 The students will make casual observations about the
weather outside. They should bring a pencil and a notebook
or clipboard and, as they walk, write as many words as they
can to describe the weather. They might also use drawing or
symbols to represent the characteristics of weather that day.

After each walk the students should gather together and the
teacher should record on a wall chart the "Weather Words"
that students used to describe weather that day (hot, cool,
humid, sunny, etc.) See how many words they had in
common.

Integration of Art Students will make a Pinwheel collector to catch the wind!
(Group activity) They will notice that the pinwheel only spins when the wind
hits its center.

Process flow:
 Lay the square piece of paper flat on a table and draw
a line diagonally from each corner to the opposite
corner.

 Mark the center of the square where the two lines

cross and punch a small hole through it with the
pencil tip.

 Cut along each line stopping about an inch from the

hole in the center of the square.

 Take the pin and punch a hole in the top left corner of
each of the four flaps. (No two holes should be next to
each other.)

 Pick up a flap at each punched corner and carefully

curve it over toward the center hole, securing it with
the pin. Repeat this for the other flaps.

 When all four flaps are held by the pin, carefully lift
the paper without letting the flaps unfurl.

 Lay the pencil flat on a table and push the point of

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 the pin into the side of the eraser.

The teacher will guide the students throughout this activity.

Integration of Students will do the following:

Geography
1. Identify and describe the atmospheric conditions of
Mars and Venus.
2. Interpret and compare available weather and
climactic information for Mars and Venus.

Review Earth weather phenomena that they've studied.

Ask:
Do other planets have weather like Earth's?
If weather is the condition of the atmosphere at any
particular time or place, what does a planet need to have
weather? (atmosphere)

Bookmarked sites-

 Star Child
 The Eight Planets Just for Kids
 Astronomy for Kids: The Planets
 Mars Global Surveyor
 Your Summer Vacation on Mars
 Mars
 Venus
 The Space Place (NASA)

Introduce planets by directing the students to the online

images that you have and bookmarked. Have students share
facts that they know about each planet and make predictions
about the atmospheric/weather conditions of each planet.
Record predictions on wall chart.

Further, the students (either independently or in small

groups) should use the previously bookmarked web sites to
find information about the climate and weather of Venus and
Mars.

Depending on the ability, reading, and interest level of the

students, they may report on any or all of the following

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 topics for each planet:

 Length of rotation and revolution

 Average surface temperature
 Daily high and low temperatures
 Reasons for temperature variation
 Cloud cover, wind, precipitation, storms
 Composition of the atmosphere
 Seasons
 Unusual weather patterns or atmospheric behavior

Project overview

Topic Wonderful World of Weather

Class/Age 5th Grade students

group

Subjects English
integrated
Science

Geography

Teaching Aids
Used

Subject 1:
Notebook, Pencil, Pin scissors, Sharpened pencil with eraser,
Science
Square piece of construction paper (about 8.5" x 8.5")

Subject 2:
Chart Paper and drawing materials
English

Weather learning logs, Chart Paper, Online images

Subject 3:
Geography

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Music/ Art Pinwheel collector activity
integrated

Remarks (if
any )

2) Sample project for primary classroom

Name of the Project: Stages of Germination

Estimated time and brief outline of the project:

The purpose of this project is to heighten the students' awareness of plant life by
allowing them to observe germinating seed and to discover related things and
phenomena in their immediate environment.

Specifically, students will:

 develop a basic understanding of how environment plays an important role in

germinating a seed.
 use hands-on activities and real-time data investigations to study factors that
helps in germination.

The estimated time of the project would be around 10-15 days. This completely
depends on how students master each skill and how ready are they to learn at a
particular pace. Each lesson would be around 50 minutes.

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 Subject Overview of the project

Integration of English Students will be able to:

Incorporate content-area vocabulary into creative writing

Integration of Science Students will be able to:

Describe the stages of development from a seed to a plant

Factors effecting germination

Allow approximately one hour for a discussion that will focus

on the factors affecting the development of plant from seed.

 Ask the students what they think of when they hear

the word "germination"? How do plants reproduce?
 Lead a discussion on how do plants reproduce and the
factors that helps in germination.
 Remind them to record minutely the things about the
stages of germination.

Visit to Nursery:

The students will make casual observations about the plants

in the nursery. They should bring a pencil and a notebook or
clipboard and, as they walk, write as many words as they can
to describe the different stages of plantation. They might
also use drawing or symbols to represent the steps of
germination.

After each walk the students should gather together and the
teacher should record on a wall chart the "Germination
Words" that students used to describe the stages of
germination that day. See how many words they had in
common.

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 The students will make maple seed bird.
Integration of Art  Collect maple seed.
(Group activity)  Take print out of images of birds
 Start gluing the maple seed to form the feather.
 Color the remaining portion of the picture.

Integration of Science Students will need the following:

 Fresh seeds of your choice such as pumpkins seeds,

sunflower seeds, lima beans or pinto beans.
 Good quality soil (loose, aerated, lots of peat moss), if
you don‘t have any you can buy some potting soil at
your local garden store.
 A container to hold the soil and your seeds
 Water.
 Light and heat.

Instruction

 Fill the container with soil.

 Plant the seeds inside the soil.
 Place the container somewhere warm, sunlight is good
but try to avoid too much direct sunlight, a window
sill is a good spot.
 Keep the soil moist by watering it everyday (be
careful not to use too much water).
Record your observations as the seeds germinate and
seedlings begin to sprout from the seeds.

What is happening

After a week, your seedlings will be on their way.

Germination is the process of a plant emerging from a seed
and beginning to grow. For seedlings to grow properly from a
seed they need the right conditions. Water and oxygen are
required for seeds to germinate. Many seeds germinate at a
temperature just above normal room temperature but others
respond better to warmer temperatures, cooler
temperatures or even changes in temperature. While light
can be an important trigger for germination, some seeds
actually need darkness to germinate, if you buy seeds it
should mention the requirements for that specific type of

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 seed in the instructions. Continue to look after your
seedlings and monitor their growth. For further experiments
you could compare the growth rates of different types of
seeds or the effect of different conditions on their growth.

Project overview

Topic Stages of Germination

Class 5th Grade students

Age group 10 years

Subjects English
integrated
Art

Science

Teaching Aids
Used

Subject 1:
Fresh seeds, good quality soil, water, container to hold the
Science
soil and your seeds, light and heat.

Subject 2:
Chart Paper, Writing and drawing materials, diagram of
English
stages of germination, Chart Paper, Online images

Subject 3:
Maple seed, images of bird
Art

Music/ Art Maple seed bird activity

integrated

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 Remarks (if
any )

The Thematic Approach (Integrated Curriculum)

Thematic teaching is about students actively constructing their own knowledge.

Theorists Piaget and Vygotsky were strong proponents of this constructivist approach.
Piaget (1926) believed that knowledge is built in a slow, continuous construction of
skills and understanding that each child brings to each situation as he or she matures.
He also emphasized the cognitive growth that takes place when students cooperate
and interact with one another. Vygotsky (1997, 175) suggested that social interaction
and collaboration were powerful sources of transformation in the child's thinking: "In
education it is far more important to teach the child how to think than to
communicate various bits of knowledge to him."

Therefore, thematic teaching can be defined as the process of integrating and linking
multiple elements of a curriculum in an ongoing exploration of many different aspects
of a topic or subject. It involves a constant interaction between teacher and students
and their classroom environment. Among the important elements that foster success
in any thematic project are initiation of the theme, the teacher's role, group
exploration, integration of the theme with the curriculum and learning centers, and
building and maintaining spirit and enthusiasm.

Various Web sites also can aid in the initiation of a theme. For younger students,
visit the Website of Jan Brett, author of Gingerbread Baby (1999) as well as many

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other children's books (www.janbrett.com). Older students can research their
interest in particular aspects of a theme via the library and the Internet.

Thematic Teaching and Curriculum Integration are established with the following goals in
mind:

INSTRUCTION is planned to accommodate individual interests, abilities, and rates of

learning while fostering a climate of teamwork and mutual support. Students are grouped
into heterogeneous, mixed-age classes that are taught by a two-teacher team. Students stay
with these teachers for two years. They work in groups of all sizes and composition, engaged
in activity-based, learning projects. They have many opportunities to make decisions about
their own learning and to develop responsibility. Students progress at their own best rate
and move on when they are ready. There is no ceiling on the level of work they can do.

CURRICULUM is interdisciplinary or integrated, organized around themes, with many hands-

on activities and in-depth study of content. All levels focus on the skills of communicating
well in oral and written forms and using mathematical concepts to solve problems. A strong
citizenship program emphasizes perseverance, responsibility, and other life skills.
Assessment of learning is based on individual growth and performance.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT is encouraged and recognized as essential for creating a nurturing,

family-like, school environment. Many parents work in the classroom and throughout the
school.

Thus, thematic teaching is about bringing together various aspects of the curriculum into
meaningful association to focus upon broad areas of study. It views learning and teaching in
a holistic way and reflects the real world, which is interactive. In general, integrated
curriculum or interdisciplinary curriculum include:

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• A combination of subjects
• An emphasis on projects
• Sources that go beyond textbooks
• Relationships among concepts
• Thematic units as organizing principles
• Flexible schedules
• Flexible student groupings.

Recommended reference reading:

 Gardner, H. 1993. l-rarncs of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences, 10th

anniversary ed. New York: Basic Books.

 Piaget, J. 1926. The language and thought of the child. New York: Marcourt
Brace.
 Vygotsky, L. S. 1997. Educational psychology, trans. R. Silverman. Boca Raton,
FL: St. Lucie Press.

 Yorks, P. M., and F-. I. PoIIo. 1993. Engagement rates during thematic and
traditional instruction. L;RIC ED 363 412.

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