421 Placement Syllabus
II
PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
A. Rationale
•1 page essay addressing, in detail, the
following questions.
1. What is your topic?
2. What constraints, conversations,
observations and other factors led you
to choose this topic?
3. Why is this a worthy project topic
(consider your criteria list)?
4. How does your topic meet the
requirements of being tangible and
accessible on a daily basis?
5. What prior experience do the children
have with this topic?
6. What are some possible investigative
activities and representations?
1. PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
B.Webs (teacher planning webs)
 2 clearly labeled webs:
 1 regular(whole topic)
 1 zoom (sub topic)
 Both webs should include:
•
•
•
•
inherent concepts of topic
ISBE Early Learning standards that will be addressed
anticipated child questions
possibilities for:
methods for representations
resources/artifacts and activities that help build
common knowledge and/or go deeper into the topic
 do NOT word process
 must take up entire page
1. PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
(C. Criteria-page 1)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Does it build upon what children already know and
experience?Yes. All students use chairs on a daily basis.
Can it be investigated in your particular local situation and is it
within walking distance of your site? Yes. We can investigate the
different types of chairs in the classroom or in the building.
Can children touch it directly?Yes. The chairs are accessible.
Is it rich enough for kids to explore for an extended
period?Yes. Based upon my detailed topic web, there is a wide range
of possible directions that this project could take.
Does it increase children’s awareness of their everyday
environment (their local situation) and their daily life more
closely?Yes. Children use chairs every day but don’t really “see”
them. This project would help them look at chairs in a new way.
Can children talk to people who touch it directly? (secondary
resources) Yes. There are many furniture making companies and
craftsmen in this area. An expert could visit our site.
Does it allow for integration of wide range of subjects, for
example, literacy, math, science? Yes. Literacy examples include:
reading books about chairs, telling stories about chairs, taking a
dictation about a chair in their house. Math examples include:
tallying chairs, counting parts of chairs, sorting by size,
categorizing by shape, material or function. Science examples
include: weighing chairs, examining the construction of chairs,
experimenting with chair support systems.
1. PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
(C. Criteria-page 2)
Your question must meet all the above criteria. Other
questions to consider:
8.
Does it allow for rich dramatic play? Not necessarily, We
could use the pretend center to act out a repetitive chair
story such as “Goldilocks & the 3 Bears.” But dramatic play
would not be the focus.
9.
Does it allow for investigative skills such as experiments,
problem solving, data collection, and representation etc.
Yes. This project’s strength is the wide range of
investigative possibilities as we examine & compare and
contrast different chairs. Children could organize data,
conduct observational drawings and create small or large
representations.
10. What resources are available? Furniture makers,
woodworkers, parents
11. How can you involve parents? Parents can conduct home
surveys, do drawings of chairs at home, send in pictures,
and help their child write stories.
2. DAILY SCHEDULE & GOALS
• Create a template of your daily schedule
that you will use for this section.
8:00-8:40
8:40-9:00
9:00-10:30
10:40-10:50
10:50-11:30
11:30-12:00
Free playBreakfastCentersLarge groupOutsideLunch-
2. DAILY SCHEDULE & GOALS
• For each segment of your day, write one
specific goal.
• These can be general goals, personal goals
for your own growth, or a goal about a
specific child or group of children. Keep
long-term goals in mind.
• Goal should give you a specific, deliberate
purpose as well as a method to achieve
them.
• Start each goal with “I will…”
• Goals should NOT focus on children’s
behavior (Children will learn a new
song)but on YOUR behavior and how you
will facilitate learning experiences (I will
model joyful singing and use call/response
to teach them the song), not manners and
routines.
• Write up daily-one page per day.
October 10, 2011 (date)
Week 8 (week)
DAILY SCHEDULE & GOALS (title)
8:00 Free play-I will help Will enter play situation skillfully
by modeling language (“Can I play?”)
8:40 Breakfast-I will sit with Yumi (non-English speaker)
and help her learn the word apple by using the word and
pointing to the fruit while saying it.
9:00 Centers-I will play at the playdough table and focus on
spatial relationships (on, in, under, through, behind) and
take play-based data for my coop.
10:40 Large group-I will read a book, focusing on slowing
down the pace of my reading and projecting my voice.
10:50 Outside-I will encourage Gabriel to walk the balance
beam with me to determine how many steps he can take
before losing his balance. I will record this and enter it
into our online assessment grid.
11:30 Dismissal-I will sing songs as I lead the children to the
buses in order to make this transition smoother.
Unacceptable goals for this
assignment=goals lacking a specific action
you can take, goals that don’t focus on an
important learning situation
• I will encourage children to listen to
the speaker. (how will you
encourage?)
• I will set up snack.
• I will lead the children outside.
• I will prep for my activity while the
class is in the gym.
• I will encourage Angie to eat her
peas.
• I will model good manners at the
table.
3. S-E-R (Summarize-EvaluateReflect)
•This section is used to document your investigation. Consider it as the
“thread” running throughout your takeover. Pay special attention to how each
day’s work relates to the next. Write a short paragraph daily. Compile weekly.
11/03/08 Monday: Today at story time I read the students a book called “Lets
Go by Bus” and after the book we talked about where they have all taken
a bus to. Some of them had only been on a bus when we went to the
Curtis Orchard. Other students rode the bus on vacation or from the
airport to their hotel. After they all shared their story, we made a list of
everything they already knew about buses. The list is pictured below. I
explained to them that tomorrow we would make a web of the
information that we already know about buses so they should continue to
think about the book we read and what they remember about the bus they
rode.
•
11/04/08 Tuesday: Today the
students drew pictures of buses
by looking at pictures and books
about buses. This took place
during center time at the art
center so only some of the
students chose to draw buses. At
circle time we started our web
with the information we already
know. I told them to go home
and ask their parents about buses
to see where they have taken a
bus to and also to find out any
more information they could. I
explained to them that we would
add that information to the web
tomorrow.
•
11/05/08 Wednesday: Today I
had the students who had more
information come to a small
table with me and add that
information to the web. Many of
them were able to gain more
knowledge about buses by
asking their parents. They
learned more about city buses
and also more about bus safety.
One student also made a
representation of a bus out of
play-dough. I told the students
that tomorrow we would be
making predictions about how
many wheels, windows, and
doors the Cheterbrook bus has.
•
11/06/08 Thursday: Today
during free time I called children
over one at a time who were
interested in making predictions
about the Chesterbrook buses. I
used tally marks to represent
how many wheels, how many
windows, and how many seats
were on the bus. Some of their
predictions were correct and they
told me that they had counted
them as they left school the night
before. I also allowed them to
refer to books if they did not
have a guess, but I told them that
the Chesterbrook bus might be
different. I told them to begin
thinking of questions that they
had about buses and what they
would like to ask Mrs. Sue in
order to find out more.
•
11/07/08 Friday: Today the
students labeled the parts on a
large scale picture of a bus that I
drew. They looked at the
different parts and came up with
questions that they would like to
ask Mrs. Sue. I had to guide
them to think deeper about the
different parts but we came up
with a great list of questions to
ask. I told them that on Monday
we would be going out to the
buses and Mrs. Sue would tell us
about the Chesterbrook buses. I
told them that we would also be
able to ask her all of the
questions we have about buses
and she will answer them for us.
What is the difference between
Daily Goals & SER?
• SER follows your project work only.
• Daily Goals are conducted before
your project work begins.
(Week) Week 8
4. Parents/Caregivers
Keep records of any involvement. These can be brief descriptions of any
contact you have, any assistance they provide you, etc. Have one entry per day
in your placement. There may be days you have no contact so note it.
However, take initiative, try to make contact on a daily basis. Date each
record.
Monday (10/12) (day and date)This morning I said hello to
Vera’s mom who drops her off on Mondays. We talked
about Vera’s favorite backpack which she brings to school
each day.
Tuesday (10/13) I had no contacts today.
Wednesday (10/14) I sent home a letter asking parents to
send in pictures of family members. We will use these
photos to initiate discussion about my topic.
Thursday (10/15) I received 5 family photos. I wrote
thank you notes to these families. I also greeted Caitlin’s
dad this morning. This is the first time I met him.
Friday (10/16) Today I sent home our weekly classroom
newsletter.
Parents/Caregivers guidance
•if you greet numerous parents daily at your setting,
describe 1 or 2 significant, extended interactions.
Focus on pushing yourself beyond your comfort
zone.
• focus on INITIATING contacts. Be active versus
passive. “I said hello to Elsa’s mom and told her
about Elsa sharing blocks with her friend
yesterday.” vs “Elsa’s mom waved at me and told
me she will bring in cupcakes for snack tomorrow.”
• Focus on DETAIL: Each day, what is one SPECIFIC
comment or observation that you can share with
parents to give them the sense that you really know
and care for their child. For example, “Today,
Teagan worked so hard on his painting in the art
center. He spent a lot of time there, and used the
entire piece of paper. It’s drying on the rack if
you’d like to take a look.” VS “Teagan had a great
day.”
5. Resources
• Same as Segment I.
• Update regularly, at least every
other week.
Project Documentation
Required elements
The following are required elements of your
project. These must be documented with a
photograph and a short explanatory
paragraph:
• web(generated with children; different
colors to show additions as the project
progresses
• visual representation of data (e.g. tally
graph, bar graph, line graph)
• list/chart
• photo board
• observational drawings
Project Documentation
Optional Elements
Optional elements my also be documented in
the same manner as the required elements.
These will vary according to the investigation
and representation methods you use during
your project. Some examples are:
• large scale representation
• small scale representation
• survey
• field site visit information
• centers
• interview data
The time spent documenting your project will result in a
valuable artifact that can be used in interviews as it will
clearly demonstrate you understanding of and ability to apply
the Project Approach. Keep your future audience in mind as
you document your work.
6. Lesson Plans
• Word-processed. Use Lesson Study
Planning Template
• You will be formally observed two times,
so you will do two detailed lesson plans.
(Observation date/time to be arranged with
your mentor.) For each observation, follow
these instructions:
– Follow your mentor’s instructions as to how to
get a lesson plan to her (email, hard copy etc)
– After your observation, go back to your lesson
plan and complete the Post-Lesson Reflection
section. Then print it and submit it in your
Notebook Packet.
– Observations #3 and #4 must be related to your
project work (not a classroom routine).