What is a project?

[CENTER]Projects
(for Young Learners Teachers Site)
What is a project?
In the primary school classroom, a project is the work leading to
the production of a poster, letter, birthday card, booklet, magazine,
play, sketch, puppet show, radio recording, video etc. It may be the
work of one learner, but more frequently is the collaborative work of
a number of learners.
One key element of all projects is the ‘theme’ – the basic idea.
Whether the learners are working individually or in groups they are
all concerned with the same basic theme.
The characteristic of a project is that the learning comes from the
‘process’ – the work which leads to the result rather than the results
itself. Most frequently the learners will use a wide range of
language, a variety of language skills and often knowledge which
may have come from different parts of the curriculum.
Because the learners are combining so many different skills and
areas of knowledge, it is sometimes difficult to say exactly what the
children are learning. In any project they may be learning many
different things:
v How to work with other people.
v How to share work.
v How to delegate work.
v How to appreciate the work of others.
v How to work alone.
v How to take responsibility for a task.
These are all social skills, but they may also be learning to use
scissors, to design a neat page, to speak clearly or how to operate a
piece of machinery.
The teacher does not ‘control’ every stage of the process in a
project. The teacher may suggest the original idea, assist in the
planning process, and may provide advice or guidance in the actual
work, but the project is essentially the work of the children.
Typical Themes
The earliest projects are often just collections of illustrated words.
When completed and displayed they become a ‘wall dictionary’
which children will refer to during lessons.
COLOUR POSTERS
Make large blank posters for the colours: red, blue, green, yellow,
black, orange, purple, brown and pink. Pupils collect pictures or do
drawings, label them “A blue button” and stick them on the
appropriate poster.
LETTER POSTERS
Make large blank posters for letters like B, C, P or S. Children collect
pictures or do drawings of objects, people or actions which begin
with that letter, label them, and stick them on the appropriate
poster.
NUMBER POSTERS
Children produce an illustrated ‘numbers’ poster, illustrating
statements like:
I’ve got one nose.
I’ve got two legs.
I’ve got three brothers.
I’ve got four toy cars.
I’ve got five fingers.
My house is number six.
My lucky number is seven.
I am eight.
My sister is nine.
I’ve got ten toes.
MY JOURNEY TO SCHOOL
Children draw a ‘snake-like’ road starting from home and arriving at
the school. On this road they illustrate things and people which they
see every day on their journey to school. These posters can be used
as a stimulus for talking about this journey. At a later stage, the
story of this same journey can also be presented in the form of a
little book with each page showing a stage of the journey.
I leave home at seven o’clock.
I wait for the bus by the baker’s shop.
I sit at the front of the bus. etc.
MY FAMILY’S HANDS
Children trace and colour a hand of each member of their family.
They collect and label these pictures on a ‘family tree’.
OUR TOWN
Children make a poster about their town with postcards, tourist
brochures maps, drawings etc. Each item is labelled or has a
sentence written underneath.
MADE IN …
Children read packets and labels at home and make lists of things
and places they come from. A simple world map is illustrated with
drawings, short texts or real labels showing where things come
from.
Later, when children have more language they can produce more
sophisticated projects.
BE NICE NOT HORRIBLE
Children in groups of 3 or 4 choose a theme such as road safety,
kindness to animals, protection of the environment etc, and produce
a poster displaying ‘nice’ and ‘horrible’ actions.
WHAT’S THE TIME?
Individually or in groups children make posters with pictures of
themselves doing various activities (eating, watch TV, etc) and
display the activities as a clock showing the time they do each one.
ANIMALS
Six large posters for mammals, insects, reptiles, birds, fish,
amphibians. Children illustrate and label pictures to be stuck on to
the posters.
MAKE A HOUSE POSTER
Draw the outline of the cross section of a house leaving space for
the garden. Divide the class into five groups: bathroom, bedroom,
living room, kitchen and garden. Each group collects pictures to
‘furnish’ and label their room or area.
COUNTRIES AND CAPITALS
Children stick the names of countries and capitals they know on to a
large world map. If they can also find pictures, these can be
displayed around the map and linked to the place by wool.
FESTIVALS IN OUR COUNTRY
Use a calendar naming the months of the year and make an
illustrated poster showing activities or festivals in each month.
THINGS WITH WINGS
Make a class poster illustrating things with wings — butterfly,
ladybird, bee, parrot, owl, plane, angel, plane, etc.
I DON’T LIKE …
Individuals make illustrated and labelled posters collecting things
which they don’t like (ghosts, spiders, tall buildings, pineapples
etc.). The posters are a good stimulus for writing and speaking.
They also help children to control their fears by listing them.
Why good projects work
In good projects children benefit from the ‘process’ of preparing
them, and they become a stimulus for speaking and writing. They
are also a record of individual work for display in class or at home.
In New Parade and New English Parade children make story books.
At the start, these are just picture books, which children use to ‘tell’
the story.
Children have a strong emotional investment in the best projects.
They are personally interested in the topic and proud of what they
have achieved.
The language value
It is very likely that children will use their mother tongue while
working on their projects. This does not matter if the ‘product’ of
their work is in English.
Projects are a very good way of giving young learners ‘ownership’ of
the English language.

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Thanks alot sweety]

Good thread

thanx

Great projects indeed

It's one of the best ways that students really enjoy


I worked on some projects with my students

We mad a town and once we made a house


They were so intereted because they had their hands on the real project


Thanks so much Lady Maha

for the great topic


:)

We'll be eager to read more of your topic

Thanks alot

projects will be good ideas done in the classroom


thanks
alot

What a great topic,,,,,
go a head and good luck