Children will benefit more from the project by first having an understanding of the different stages a baby goes through. Many children, for instance will not know that a two-year old sees the world in a more egocentric way than an older child does; that she has no ability to separate self from others. If the teacher divides the class into four groups and each group has to research either: physical, intellectual, emotional or social development, all the children will improve their understanding of babies. Each group could prepare a short verbal and written presentation. The teacher should ensure that all the information is circulated to all the learners.
The teacher should encourage the children to engage in a practical observation, for the next stage of the project. Here, the teacher needs the help of people with small babies. Each of the children can observe a baby or toddler for a few hours -- but a child should not be caring for the baby. Students can write down the infant's moves and responses and describe the care given to the baby during this period. This information could be presented in diary form and the teacher should encourage each child to draw comparisons between what was observed and the booklets on child development prepared earlier.
A variation of this project has been implemented in many schools. It can be considered a subtle way to discourage early pregnancy without any direct reference to the subject. In addition, this can be an effective way of helping children to develop a sense of responsibility and a conscience. The child takes home either an egg, a bag of flour, or even a computerized model of a baby. For a weekend, the responsible child must meet all the "baby's" needs and also keep a diary noting all the care he has given. The child also has to make babysitting arrangements, perhaps even pay for it, if he wants a break.
A multifaceted project such as this requires preparation and cooperation between teachers. Staff member who teach science, religious education and English may all be involved. The parents or caregivers will need to cooperate, for instance giving permission for the flour-baby part of the project and allowing their own real babies to be observed. This spirit of a broader educational approach could be transferred to other projects at a later stage.