Ideas that emerge from the mind of a child.
"Sun" - a child investigates the use of popsicle sticks to create a sun. Here he is transfering his idea in his mind of what a sun looks like to the tangible item (clay and popsicle sticks) in front of him."Projects provide the narrative and structure to the children's and teachers' learning experiences." (Gandini, Etheredge, Hill, p.27)
|
Emergent vs ThemeThe pros and cons to both an emergent curriculum and theme based curriculum can be found on their subsequent pages. Teaching from experience and working exclusively with an emergent style curriculum I see the benefits of this particular type of curriculum both for the children and me as an educator. Please take a look at my webpage as I highlight the importance of following the child rather than always being the leader.
Terms to be familiar with: Project Approach:"an indepth study of a particular topic" (Chard & Katz, p.2) that involves children in the planning and assessment, the key being that children are involved. The project approach contains three main pahases which are: questions and Inquiry, investigations, and culmintation and conclusion. Projects can last anywhere from one week to six to nine months or longer. Reggio Emilia Approach: A way of teaching that emphasizes the respect for children, their ideas, and their competency. Reggio Emilia is a city in Italy that has developed schools based on their image of the child. Teachers from these schools document children's learning through pictures, dialogue, art work and extensive projects that provides a means to explore the world around them while encapsulating childhood. Article by Lella Gandini |
"Apple" - a craft that was designed to shape the form of an apple. Children learn that apples can be red and that their hands can shape a stem.
|