Inquiry Projects

"Children are naturally curious, and why shouldn’t they be? Their world is an exciting place, filled with new things to explore, new sights to see, and new people to meet," says Dr. Jennifer Gonya, assistant professor at Ohio State University and author of Turning Curiosity into Scientific Inquiry. But this curiosity needs to be nurtured and cultivated for it to truly benefit a child’s development and learning.

The Project Approach and other interest-based inquiry strategies offer teachers specific ways for children to:

• Learn about interesting, worthwhile, and real-world things in appropriate ways
• Ask questions and investigate answers
• Address standard early learning content
• Work at their own pace and on their own level
• Collaborate with others to plan, solve problems, and think creatively

To find out more about inquiry projects, view REC videos on You Tube that answer the questions, "Why is the project approach ideal for young learners?" and "What are the 3 phases of the project approach?" Then explore the following links to REC Inquiry Projects undertaken in classrooms across Ohio, other inquiry projects from outside Ohio, and supporting articles and materials that include information about inquiry.

Click on the title to see an example of an interest-based inquiry project undertaken by a team of Ohio early childhood teachers and children. It will provide you with ideas and inspiration for your classroom.

The Camera Project
Ms. Jo snapped a picture of the children at “work” in the block area. Across the room, children noticed the flash. Juan said, “Take one of me, too!” Others joined in with growing enthusiasm, and that’s when the idea for the camera project first came to mind. It grew into a cool collaboration between preschoolers and high school students.

The Bird Project
One day, a preschool class placed corn kernels and pumpkin seeds outside in the meadow near the school. On their next visit, Keli exclaimed, “Someone ate the seeds from the pumpkin!” “Who do you think ate the seed?” the teacher asked, and ultimately a full-fledged investigation of birds ensued.

The Woods Project
The woods near the school are open and inviting, but one day the children noticed the “new woods” on the other side of the center. They were very curious about the area. It lacked a clear entrance, but after the brush was cleared, the class began to explore it almost daily. The children were chock-full of questions and observations, and the project grew from there.

The Duck Project
When the class visited a nearby park, the children delighted in feeding the ducks. The curious classmates began asking questions. "What do the ducks eat?" "Don't they get cold when the weather gets cold?" Their intense interest prompted their teachers to initiate an exploration of ducks—in and out of water.

The Mail Project
When the class wrote a thank-you letter to a visitor, it sparked great interest into what happened to the mail after it was put in the mailbox. To find answers, the class visited a post office, invited a postal worker to visit, and began to construct their own post office.