Project Based Learning Kindergarten

(4
th
Quarter) Deb Shiohira

Me on the Map

Social Studies Standards:
G.1.K.3 Identify the state of Arkansas on a map of the United States
G.1.K.4 Recognize the United States on a world map or globe
G.1.K.5 Identify land on maps and globes
G.1.K.6 Identify water on maps and globes
G.1.K.8 Recognize the difference between maps and globes
G.1.K.9 Recognize that maps and globes represent models of the Earth
G.1.K.10 Use words related to location, direction, and distance:
here/there
near/far
over/under
left/right
up/down
top/bottom
between
G.1.K.11 Illustrate a map of a familiar place (e.g. bedroom, playground, school)
Science Standards:
ESS.8.K.1 Identify various characteristics of Earths surface

Literacy Standards:
RF.K.3b Associate the long and short sounds with the common spellings (graphemes) for
the five major vowels.
In this playful introduction to maps and geography, step by simple
step, a young girl shows readers herself on a map of her room, her
room on the map of her house, her house on the map of her street
all the way to her country on a map of the world. Once the reader is
familiar with the maps, she demonstrates how readers can find their
own country, state, and town all the way back to their room on
each colorful map.
W.K.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books
by a favorite author and express opinions about them).
W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose
informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply
some information about the topic.
L.K.1d Understand and use question words (interrogatives) (e.g., who, what, where, when,
why, how).
L.K.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
L.K.2a Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I
L.K.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases
based on kindergarten reading and content.
L.K.5 With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in
word meanings.

Ongoing Literacy Standards:
RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
RL.K.5 Recognize common types of texts (e.g., storybooks, poems).
RL.K.10 Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.
RI.K.10 Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.
RF.K.3c Read common high-frequency words by sight (e.g., the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are,
do, does).
RF.K.4 Read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding.
RF.K.2 Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
W.K.3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or
several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred,
and provide a reaction to what happened.
W.K.6 With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce
and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
W.K.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or
gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
SL.K.1b Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.
SL.K.6 Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.
L.K.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage
when writing or speaking.
L.K.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to,
and responding to texts.

The purpose of this PBL is for students to become experts on maps and the
diverse world in which they live.
We began by listing our schema about maps. Then we read Me on the Map. After
about the 4
th
page, one of my students asked, Can we make us on a map? We
discussed this idea for a few minutes, then continued reading the book.
Collaboration: We talked about the book and what it was all about. The kids really
got excited and wanted to explore making themselves on a map. They decided they
wanted to model their project after the book.
Rubric: As a class we created our rubric for the project. They knew what the
expectations were. One expectation was they had to write at least on sentence
per page, describing what was taking place on that particular page. (FYIvoice
recording their project was extra points.)
Communication / Create / Choice: A discussion took place as to what tools they
would use to create their project. Most opted for the iPad, a few chose
construction paper (FYI..it only took one day for these kids to switch to their
iPad after they saw projects of their classmates).
As a class we discussed what apps would be good choices, most decided to use a
story book app (Little Story Creator). This app was chosen by most due to the
fact you can import pictures, videos, voice record, type, and draw. A few students
chose other apps but soon saw the advantages to this app and switched over, so all
students ended up using the same app. *I always make sure they get to choose the
app to use, this way they can experiment and see for themselves the advantages
and disadvantages of an app.
The work began. They were busy talking back and forth what came first and what
followed. At times, some would refer back to the book.
Introducing a new app: About the 3
rd
day, I came to class excited to share a new
app with the class. It was Google Earth. I had preciously downloaded the app to
their iPads, so they were ready to explore. I began by showing them our school and
then my home. They could not believe this app! :0) It was a race to see who
could find their house first, it was so much fun to see this happen.
They not only found their house, but street, where neighbors lived, etc. S0..this
app allowed them to put a photo of their house in their project along with putting a
picture of themselves in their yard. They followed using this app for their street,
town, etc HOWEVER, some students did choose to draw all this out. It was their
choice.
They worked through the process of making themselves:
in their bedroom
in their house
on their street
in their neighborhood
in their town
in their state
in their country
on their continent
Every day, we would meet to see how everyone was coming along. The kids would
discuss and ask questions. I did not answer many questions, there was always at
least one student who knew how to respond.
It was exciting to work with these kids. They would be working with each other,
assisting with apps, pictures, sounding out words, etc. I was their to facilitate
their learning.
Critique: As students worked on their projects, they would ask someone to look at
their project and they would talk about changes needed, if any. One student
added a video to his and others loved that idea. They would continually ask each
other for assistance if they did not understand or know how to do something. If a
student asked me for assistance, I would automatically bring the issue to the class
to see if someone knew how to help or have an answer for the students question.
Rubric: Once the students project was complete, they completed the rubric to
see if they included everything. They could make any changes they wanted before
I completed the rubric for their project. Students were also given the opportunity
to make changes after they saw my rubric if they wanted.
NEXT STEPS..
The second part of this project was to learn something about our world. Still
relating back to the book. We re-read the book and discussed what it was talking
about.
Collaboration: We made a list of what we know about our world.
Next we made a list of What I want to know.
We then took this list and students decided what they wanted to learn more about.
They had the choice of working independently or with a partner. They all ended up
choosing a partner.
Topics researched were: what is our earths core made of; what do homes look like
around the world; what do schools look like around the world; the Eiffel Tower;
Texas; South Dakota; Washington state; whats in the ocean; do people live at the
North Pole; different kinds of maps and what they are used for; what is the land
above North America called (the little islands); etc
The process began all over again. This time when we made the rubric, we also set
deadlines for the number of facts they needed to have by a certain date. We all
decided this together. The students decided that six facts would be a good
number. We also set a date for our showcase.
This time, they spent more time researching. We made a list of possible ways to
research. We had researched other times, so the kids were familiar with this idea.
I also went to the Bentonville Public library and checked out fiction and non-fiction
books on their topics. I wanted to see if they knew what books to use for good
information/facts.
Recording information: some students took a picture of the information, some
recorded their information on big pieces of chart paper, or used clip boards. They
used a combination of information found in books and in their internet searches.
Creating project: The kids then had to decide how to create their project. They
all chose some type of app. Some of the apps used were: Popplet, PicCollage, Little
Story Creator, Educreations, etc.
They again went through the rubric first and then I completed the rubric. They
could make any changes they wanted.
We celebrated our work by having a technology showcase. We sent invitations to
classrooms in our school, administration, parents, and teachers. The students
shared their Me on the Map and Great Big World projects.
This PBL was so much fun for the kids and for me. Parents and other guests were
amazed at what kinder kids could do with technology. Dont be afraid, believe me,
my students taught me..I learned right along with them. :0)