The Montesschool At Hillcrest describes a preschool work project that focuses on the broad theme of balls, where learners directed their learning to more specific topics. The preschoolers each collected balls from home and relatives, anything from cotton balls to footballs, and brought them into school. The learners were divided into groups, and each group picked a specific emphasis to work on based on its curiosity. One group focused on the texture and material of each ball and made rubbings with paint onto paper to represent its findings. Another group tested the speed of each ball rolling down an incline plane. If you decide to facilitate such an activity, ask each group questions that will prompt students to brainstorm and study a certain characteristic of the balls they are examining. They can make predictions or present their observations in the form of charts, drawings, words or other media.
The University of Nebraska Lincoln's Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies suggests a project work activity on the theme of babies, so that preschoolers can learn about the topics of growth and development, health and even about themselves. Preschoolers can bring in a picture of themselves from when they were a baby and the class can compare what they looked like then to now. You can even organize an activity where children guess the identity of each baby picture. Bring in baby dolls and have preschoolers trace the babies and themselves on butcher paper to compare the size between someone their age and an infant. Other suggestions include inviting parents to bring baby siblings to the classroom or organizing a field trip where preschoolers can see baby animals at a farm or zoo.
The Hand in Hand Sheridan Early Childhood Education Center organizes projects where preschoolers interview "topic experts." This can stem from an in-class brainstorming session to find out who the preschoolers are interested in talking to. For example, if the children seem to be obsessed with outer space, invite an astronaut to the class and encourage each child to ask her questions. You can also organize a field trip where preschoolers could meet a policeman, a librarian, a recycling plant operator, a signer, or anyone else who piques their interest. If the class is filled with preschoolers with varying interests, organize an "expert day," where a series of experts come to the class and children rotate and talk to each one. Children can summarize what they learned through a drawing, a mini-oral presentation or a story.
"The Birds and their Nests Project," that was done at South Dade Child Care Center, is the perfect example of how a project idea stemmed from the interests of the preschoolers involved. During recess, two students found a bird nest and called all of their classmates over to see it. All of the preschoolers were excited about the sighting, so the teacher transformed this into project work. The teacher read them books on birds, their habitat and ecology. They went on various field trips outside the school to look for nests and birds, and the preschoolers sketched their findings. They collected data on the number of sightings and represented this in graph form. They made nests out of clay and out of elements from nature; they also reused material like boxes and paper to create three-dimensional birds.