The students learned about worms and their habitat through hands-on investigation and observation. They created a chart of what they wanted to learn, then touched and observed live worms. The class made a vermicompost bin to house worms and observation bottles to study their movements. The students represented their learning through artwork, displays, and helping create a suitable worm habitat in the sensory table using their new knowledge.

2. • In this project, students got to
learn about all of the things that
are in a forest through walks,
observations, and talking with
professionals.
• This topic came about after
taking walks through the forest
and noticing many interesting
things.
• The teacher used a
brainstorming web to allow
students to come up with what
they wanted to learn more
about.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BKUosAps5AuxlC7gsaSkJysgqX3Uxvvj/view
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3. How did the children
investigate?
• The children did a lot of their
investigating by taking walks
in the forest.
• They were able to touch and
explore items that they found,
such as: buttercups, rocks,
and branches.
• Experts were brought in to talk
with the children. 3
How did the children represent
their learning?
• The children carried clipboards
and made observational drawings
while walking.
• They made multi-media artwork to
represent what they learned.
• Families were invited to come in
so that the children could teach
them what they learned.
What animals live in the forest?
What kinds of trees and plants are
there?

4. TEKS/ Pre-K Guidelines:
• PK4.IV.A.2 Child independently draws and writes for many purposes to communicate ideas, using a
variety of writing tools.
• PK4.VI.B.1 Child observes, investigates, describes, and discusses the characteristics of organisms.
4
Teacher Assessment
The teachers had students create
multi-media displays of what they
learned. The students also had
written descriptions of what their
displays were.
The children concluded the project
by teaching their families about
everything they learned about the
forest.
Child Conclusion

5. The document did not have the
teacher’s thoughts on the
project.
I could extend the project in
my classroom by having
students having students
present their findings to other
classrooms/ grade-levels.
Additional questions/
investigations I could plan
with the children: exploring
other environments;
producing solutions to
problems the forest faces.
5

6. • The students learn about baking
through self-exploration, researching
recipes, and using both personal
experience and the experience of their
teachers.
• This topic was first introduced when a
student began baking with his
grandmother at home. His
reenactment in dramatic play sparked
the interest of his classmates, and the
teacher helped the students create an
initial topic web to learn more about
the students’ interests as well as their
background knowledge on the subject.
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7. How did the children
investigate?
• The children were provided with: ½ cup
flour, 2 eggs, ¼ cup sugar, ½ cup butter,
and vanilla extract. They then used these
ingredients to come up with their own
recipe.
• The class also made cupcakes using a
recipe that had been found online. They
were able to compare both cupcakes.
• “Opportunities for prediction and
experimentation emerged throughout the
project… These included baking quick
breads and cookies; taste-testing
doughnuts, brownies, pies, and bagels; and
using piping bags to frost and decorate
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How did the children represent
their learning?
• The children were able to represent
their learning through “discussions
about the question of the day,
observational drawings of baking
tools, and interactions in … the
dramatic play area and in the art
area, where they painted, drew, and
sculpted with Play-Doh”.
Students were predominately interested
in the process of baking, specifically
cupcakes.

8. TEKS/ Pre-K Guidelines:
• PK4.IV.B.1 Child discusses and contributes ideas for drafts composed in whole/small group writing
activities.
• PK4.II.D.3 Child consistently understands (receptive) and uses (expressive) new vocabulary acquired
through books, conversations, and play.
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Teacher Assessment
This project allowed the teacher to see
students implement “counting,
measurement, writing, drawing, and
vocabulary skills”. The end product was a
recipe book that students helped organize
and design.
The students were able to take the
completed recipe book home to
share with their families.
Child Conclusion

9. I liked that the teacher’s
reflection on the project
discussed the importance of
allowing students to
“discover knowledge without
fear of failure”.
I could extend the project in
my classroom by: bringing in
professionals; introducing/
exploring recipes from other
cultures.
Additional questions/
investigations I could plan
with the children: other types
of cooking outside of baking;
fruits and vegetables used in
cooking.
9

10. • The students learn about worms and
their habitat.
• This topic was first introduced when
students noticed worms that had
come out due to recent rains. The
students helped create a “What we
want to learn about worms?” chart to
figure out what they wanted to
research.
https://illinoisearlylearning.org/pa/projects/worm-project/
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11. How did the children
investigate?
• The children were able to touch
and feel the worms while
discussing their observations.
• The teacher and students worked
together to create a vermicompost
bin where they would be able to
keep the worms in the classroom.
• Worm observation bottles were
created so that the children could
investigate the worms’
movements.
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How did the children represent
their learning?
• The children were able to
represent their learning through
paintings, play-doh, drawings,
and other worm-related
creations.
• They made displays that
represented what they had
learned about worms.
Why did the worms come out?
What do worms like/ do?

12. TEKS/ Pre-K Guidelines:
• PK4.X.A.4 Child uses technology to access appropriate information, with adult assistance.
• PK4.VIII.A.1 Child uses a variety of art materials for sensory experiences and exploration.
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Teacher Assessment
The teacher had the students display what
they had learned in the hallway at the end
of the school year. The students depicted
their findings using a variety of mediums.
The students were involved in creating a
worm “home” in one of the sensory tables.
They used what they had learned to
ensure that the habitat everything the
worms would need.
Child Conclusion

13. 13
My favorite part of the teacher’s
reflection was when they said, “all
children feel like competent learners
when their observations, ideas, and
sense of wonder are valued and
treated as important”.
I could extend the project in my
classroom by: bringing in
professionals; learning about how we
can use the compost that the worms
create.
Additional questions/ investigations I
could plan with the children: food
chains that worms are a part of;
worm life cycles.