Snow
     This project would begin after a snowfall.  In northern South Dakota, the chances are great that this would happen sometime during the school year.  The Kindergarten students would come to school with lots of stories about what is happening in their world with the occurrence of the snow. By using the project approach, the children will be observed individually, as a group and also from their cultural backgrounds.  These are all important in supporting the developmentally appropriate practice definition that NAEYC feels are essential for the young child to have an optimal experience for learning.

PHASE 1- Beginning the project
     The children would arrive at school ready to share about the change in environment and what happened to them either on the way to school or at home before school.  Discussion could be started as they are in the coatroom or during circle or sharing time.  Questions by teacher-
o What did you see on the way to school today?
o How was the world different from yesterday?

Did you have any troubles driving or coming to school?
     As the children share their experiences, the teacher would show genuine interest and generate more questions.  This will help lead conversation and be the starting point of our project. 
Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory supports this method of teachers finding students zone of proximal development.  The teacher assesses their particular skills or knowledge on a topic and “scaffolds” or helps develop higher-level thought processes by observing and understanding their responses. Remembering Piaget’s Cognitive stages of development will remind one to give concrete experiences and give many opportunities to play when learning.
 
  During recess or a walk around the school, the children can focus on what they see, hear, and experience.  The use of literature by reading Katie and the Big Snow or The Snowy Day by Keats would bring up more directions for the children to look and explore. Then find what they would like to know about the snow.  Ask if they will go home and draw or write something about snow.  They could include their parents, caregivers or anyone that would tell them or show pictures of experiences from the past or their memories. 
Questions,
 
How do the streets get cleared and where do they take the snow?
 Do we have machines to clear the snow at home?
 Are there some places with no snow?
 How do you view snow at home?
 Why does it snow now?
    
  By supporting each child’s family and having them construct from their own personal experiences, we can share about diversity and understand differences and similarities.  The environment will include literature that is multicultural and the child-centered focus will promote positive understanding about each family and their customs.
   
 As a teacher, I would make a planning web to integrate all areas of the curriculum so that activities would have meaning and relevancy.  Developmentally Appropriate Practice would support the planning in all areas to focus on the whole child.  Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences also views teaching in all areas of the curriculum to encourage learning. 
     
(Could not insert file…. will give you hard copy in class)
     To prepare the room for children, I would set up the room to support their learning in all areas of the classroom.  During center or free choice time, they would be able to explore a variety of materials.  To make sure that the classroom and project are inclusive to children of all different needs, I would make sure there are plenty of choices.  I hope to have many activities that would promote interaction and availability. 
    
   These are some ideas that I would use in the centers, expanding and taking away when the children’s interest level determines it.
Science- Snow in the sand table with mittens, ice cream scoops and containers.
Magnifying glasses at a side area with Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin.
Sort plastic animals by what they do in the winter. (Hibernate, migrate or stay and eat)
Sink and float ice cubes or things in winter.
 Thermometers outside/inside to compare temperatures.
 Make cocoa and observe what happens to marshmallows.
 Use warming tray with white crayons to make snow pictures.

South Dakota Science standards-
1. Actively participate in science activities.
2. Observe and ask questions about the world.
3. Show interest in and investigate unfamiliar objects and events. (snow removal)
4. Use their senses to make observations.
5. Conduct simple experiments to answer questions.
Physical science
1. Sensory descriptors to describe.
2. Know objects in terms of physical attributes. (snowflakes)
3. Similarities/differences.
4. Water in solid/liquid form.
5. Observe physical changes in matter.
7. Motion of various objects (trucks, snow blowers, skiers)
1. Determine which of two objects is hotter or colder. (inside/outside)
Life science
7. Explore ways in which organisms react to changing conditions. (animals/people)
Science, technology, environment and society
1. Recognize technology in school, home, and community. 
2. Ways technology makes life easier for people.
3. Care for environment around school. (salt on the streets?)

Social Studies- Clothing in the dress up area that people wear outside or in play.
Outside- have shovels, saucers and “snow brick makers”.
Puppets- snowperson, animals and people outside.
I did not find any South Dakota standards that relate to this area except maybe in matching occupations with people. (snow removal or city workers)

Math- Sorting real and paper mittens by design, characteristics.
Play snowflakes games with counting their points and recognizing their differences.
Use different size paper snowflakes to make patterns, count, and sort.
 Finger plays and songs that use numbers.
Making graphs from tallies of surveys about how they clear snow. Also, how many pairs of boots, mittens each have.
Blocks center - have little cars and trucks for play and comparison. 
Manipulatives area- puzzles around winter theme, tinker toys to make snowflakes, and games with dice, cards or spinners.

South Dakota Math Standards-Algebra
1. Compare collections of objects to determine more, less, and equal.
2. Recognize and create a variety of sets and patterns using symbols.
3. Add and/or subtract to solve problems.
Measurement
5. Explore various tools used in measurements.
6. Compare objects or events using direct comparison according to a given attribute. (snow in containers or measuring snow amounts outside or piles)
7. Compare temperatures of different objects. (water, ice, snow)
Number sense
1. Count and group numbers, objects.
2. Estimate answers to problems using comparative words. (greater, less, more)
3. Use relationship vocabulary to describe value and magnitude of objects.
Patterns, relations and functions 
1. Sort and classify
Statistics, probability 
2. Collect and record information using tallies, picture graphs, or other strategies.
3. Describe and compare observable quantities of collected data. (what do they use to clear snow?)

Art – Have white, sparkly glitter for drawings that need “snow effect”.
 White chalk, crayons, and paint available
Ideas to create;

•  Snow people drawings and gluing 
•  Snowflakes with glue and q-tips
•  Snow paper – stamps of winter things
•  Ice cubes and paint
•  Spray bottles of water and paint for snow outside
•  Lots of creative paper (recycled)
•  Shaving cream for finger paint

South Dakota Visual arts-
Standard 1
1. Understand that art tells stories, expresses moods, or conveys ideas.
2. Explore a variety of media to create artwork to reflect personal ideas, objects or events.

Music- Variety of tapes for background music

•  Sing “Jackie, Jack Frost”, “Susie Snowflake”, “Frosty” Use props to act out.
•  Classical music for white “snow” storm streamers
•  Musical instruments could be used to make a snow storm band
•  Finger plays, “5 little snow people” and “5 snowflakes”

Literacy-
This would be prevalent in all areas of the classroom.  I feel literature of all types of genres will be represented.  Books about snow, trucks and vehicles, snow sports, informational ones about animals in the snow and traditional literature about snow people will all be available for the children. Also, a reading center will have book-tapes, flannel board, puppets, big books and a writing lab for them to make their own books about this project. 
I would have a “bear cave” for the children to read or create in. (Bear stands for Be Excited About Reading.)
Traditional 
The Snow Child (a Russian Tale) Retold by Freya Littledale
 Grandmother Winter by Phyllis Root
 The Mouse that Jack Built by Cyndy Szekeres’

Fiction 
 Charlie Needs a Cloak by Tomie de Paola
 The Hat by Jan Brett
 The Mitten by Jan Brett
 The Mitten Tree by Candace Christiansen
 The Wild Toboggan Ride by Suzan Reid
 Oh by Kevin Henkes
 Mooncake by Frank Asch
 Geraldines’s Big Snow by Holly Keller
 Fox’s Dream by Tejima
Trouble with Trolls by Jan Brett
Snow Bear by Jean Craighead George
Snow by Uri Shulevitz
The Day Daddy Stayed Home by Ethel and Leonard Kessler
White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt 
 Frozen Noses by Jan Carr
 Thomas’snowsuit – Robert Munsch
 Mrs. Toggle’s zipper – Robin Pulver 
 Cross Country Cat- Mary Calhoun

Non-Fiction
 Big Book – multicultural 
 I am snow-Jean Marzollo (easy reader)
 Snow is falling – Franklyn Branley (stage 1)
 Whose Tracks are these? – Jim Nail
 When Winter Comes - Robert Maass
 Who Goes There? – Janet and Alex D’Amato
 In the snow: Who’s been here? – Lindsay Barrett George
Poetry
 Winter Fun –Rita Schlachter
 Child’s Calender – John Updike

Magazines from My Backyard also have many animals in the wild. 

Computer center would have programs to support writing and creative thought.  Some examples are KID PIX Deluxe 3 program which lets children construct a story through pictures and labels that can be narrated in the child’s own voice.  Also Franklin the Turtle has a simple program that allows the child to do everything from make a card, to write or draw. I would also like to use the Kidspiration for making a web with the children or even for my use.
Children would be able to work together and in small groups.
Some web sites that I have found to be helpful are
o www.cyberbee.com
o Berit’s Best Sites for Children or www.beritsbest.com
o www.teach.net.com 

They all have ideas for teachers and seem to be comprehensive in sharing all parts of the curriculum.
Centers included Art or Creation Station, Computer, Literature, Math and Science. (Also, the outdoors has always been a center that I plan for).

     After making a web with the children about snow and what they would like to learn about it, getting feedback from families, and things in the classroom are prepared for “investigation”, I would say that we are ready to move to the next phase.

     PHASE 2-Developing the project
     In this phase, the children will direct where we go and what we want to investigate.  I think I would send a note home to families telling them about the snow related interest and if they have any experiences or background in unusual winters they were in or maybe what their grandparents are doing in Arizona. Pictures or artifacts would be welcome. Maybe even asking if they want to come and demonstrate how they remove snow at home. It would be very nice if a parent works for the city and can explain how and what they do with the snow or even at the airport.
     
  This is when we could decide where we will visit and develop questions to ask when we go. Possible places could be

•  City shop where they service and store trucks.
•  Airport hanger
•  Weather tower
•  Ski, skating rink or city parks department
•  Store that sells things for winter; sports equipment or outwear

The children will be directed to form questions to interview the people at the site.  They can have clipboards to record by words and/or drawings. They could also use digital cameras or even a video camera. The process of creating things and dramatizing what they see will be recorded by the teacher and each other.  Bulletin boards will show their experiences and maybe the hall could be used for pictures and sharing with other classes during the day.
     During this phase the children will find out more as they investigate.  The curriculum of the classroom will support their project so that they can dramatize what they learn in the centers.  The outside will be an important part of this project also.  If students want to extend it to recess or even a walk outside, they would be able to.  As they visit and observe they will be in a higher-level of play to revisit their experiences. 
     
  As interest begins to lag, or the questions and discussions become less involved, I would think it must be time to move to the next phase.

PHASE 3-Concluding the project
     What shall we share that we have learned about snow and winter?  The children can help guide how they want to share their knowledge with others.  Also, this is the time I can assess formally what the children have learned and any problems solved and questions answered.
     It would be a good idea to make another web and show how much all the children have added to that.  Also, we could make an ABC book around the theme of snow.  By making a chart of the alphabet, we could chart all the things that would go in the categories and take pictures or draw what they are.  Then the children could develop, publish and share their books with another class or their parents.
     The children could also write or draw statements under each item that they could explain the importance of them.  Like on M page “Mandy found that her dad’s snow blower could blow snow three feet from the sidewalk”. 
     This would be one way to have a narrative of learning experience of each child, the teacher and the whole class. 
     Since the project approach is a “dynamic” process, the final activity would greatly depend how the children became involved, what they viewed as important and what the goals and objectives were.  The teacher would be able to gather what they viewed as important and assess.  Time for another project or maybe some questions will lead to the next, such as “When did it start to get warmer?” “Where did the snow all go?”

Knowledge of Learner