Animal Kingdom Project
Senior Kindergarten | Children's Age group - 5 to 6 years
Academic Year 2021-22
Welcome to the Exhibition Site of our Virtual Project Approach
(Project Dates: 13th September'21 - 23rd October'21)
Mode of Projects: Conducted Virtually during Remote Learning (school closure due to COVID-19 pandemic)
At Redbricks pre-school, we have been successfully conducting research projects since many years, based on ‘The Project Approach’ pedagogical approach (founder Sylvia Chard and inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy). The essence of a project lies in young children taking the role of researchers to discover about the world through first hand investigations and experimentation. During this process, educators truly become facilitators of the learning ‘process’ rather than teachers focused on a set ‘output.’
These projects culminate in an exhibition which children and educators collectively put up for parents and other visitors. Through the process of preparing for this exhibition, children revisit their learnings and learn to communicate their ideas as well as about their learning process. Educators play an important role in documenting children’s ideas and work throughout the project, and use this documentation to make their learning visible in the exhibition.
This academic year (Year 2021-22), the projects were conducted for the first time through a remote learning approach. It was an interesting challenge which our educators and parents took up, to ensure that children continued to gain from the rich experience of project based learning even during the pandemic. While we deeply missed physical interactions, we gained new skills and insights in conducting these projects virtually. Most importantly, the partnership between teachers and parents was deeply cemented through this experience.
Through this project site, we are excited to present to you an online exhibition of children’s ideas and work, showcasing their learning journey during the virtual Projects. We hope this inspires you and reveals the deep potential that each child carries within him/her.
Why we selected Animal Kingdom as a Project Topic...
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” – Anatole France
Nothing intrigues children more than the mysteries and wonders of the vast animal kingdom, whether the creepy crawlies or the creatures of the deep underworld or the majestic terrestrial animals. They are an integral part of their growth and development. Cats and dogs, lions and tigers, butterflies and honey bees are characters of their dreams. A growing body of research shows that children who are supported in their love for animals tend to generalize that love to other living things, such as plants and nature. Research also shows that when children are encouraged to care for animals, they tend to be more sensitive and caring towards other people. So by supporting children’s love for animals, we can help nurture those all-important feelings of connection and stewardship.
Through this project on animal kingdom, children explored and researched on animals and their habitats, they learnt about endangered and extinct animals, and finally they created models to represent their ideas based on their interest areas.