Primary Students at IDS-CC Become Pint-Sized Researchers

In a pale yellow dress with white polka dots, her wispy bangs framing her face, 5-year-old Laney Coyle held her notecards firmly with both hands.

She stood before the other kindergarteners at Independent Day School-Corbett Campus in Carrollwood who were gathered on the floor, listening attentively, as she presented the research she had gathered about giraffes, referring periodically to a colorful posterboard of photos.

"They weigh as much as a car," she said. "And a baby giraffe is as tall as my dad."

Throughout the week, each of Laney's classmates had the same opportunity. They confidently marched to the front of the classroom and with youthful enthusiasm − and a variety of multimedia visual aids − presented their first formal research projects about wildlife.

To prepare for the project, students read nonfiction books and magazine articles about an animal of their choosing. They investigated websites, watched videos and assembled facts, as well as keeping track of resources for their bibliographies.

Most importantly, however, students wondered about their animals. They wondered about the animal's life, its home, family, predators, diet, size, and more.

When they first described the assignment, kindergarten teachers Ande Felder, Jessica Moore, and Marla Vildostegui said parents thought it sounded like a middle school assignment.

“The children, however, loved the challenge,” said Mrs. Moore. "They really enjoyed the opportunity to come to the front of the classroom and be the 'teacher.'"

The experience was part of an International Baccalaureate Programme unit of inquiry in kindergarten and PreK4 called "Sharing the Planet: Living Together in Harmony." It's a project-based investigation into how the condition of the environment is affected by people's actions.

"Sharing the Planet is one of our largest units of inquiry because it encompasses many different areas," said PreK4 teacher Lori Hohmann. "We started by investigating recycling, and studied plants, insects, the continents, and wildlife. We finished with a focus on ponds and fresh water ecosystems."

Teachers kicked off the unit with what they called a "Wow" – an activity aimed at creating excitement and stimulating curiosity.

Students came together in multi-age groups to participate in a variety of developmental centers focused on recycling. They created murals and robots from used cardboard, plastic, shoes, and other recyclables. They took puzzle pieces, egg cartons, and paper towel rolls and made pins, flowers, and rainsticks. And, they produced compost from food scraps, dirt, and leaves to fertilize their class garden.

After investigating recycling, students learned about the parts of plants and their functions, food chains, the life cycle of butterflies, the characteristics of insects, and the continents around the world, as teachers integrated math, social studies, reading, and writing objectives. In addition, they had fun taking trips to the zoo and to a strawberry farm to reinforce lessons about animals and plants.

"Our goal is to teach students to be curious, to ask questions, and to investigate further when they want to know more about a topic," said PreK4 teacher Holly Ralph. "When students are able to drive the inquiry of what we will study, it gives them the desire to investigate even further into what we are learning – to become true researchers."