Classroom Projects

Two to Three-Year Old Class

At this age, emergent curriculum grows directly from children’s natural curiosity and everyday observations. In this classroom, a shared interest in gloves became the starting point for a deeper exploration. It began with children noticing that teachers wear gloves during snack time and expanded into conversations about the different kinds of gloves children wear outside in colder weather—mittens, gloves, and ski gloves. Many children also connected this idea to their own experiences, sharing that doctors wear gloves during medical visits.

As these conversations continued, teachers gathered a wide variety of gloves to build on the children’s interest. Together, they read books such as Mama’s Gloves, The Mitten, and Gloves, Mitts, & Pads, using stories to spark further discussion and imagination. The growing glove collection was then introduced during Circle Time, inviting children to explore, compare, and ask questions.

The collection included many types of gloves—oven mitts, dishwashing gloves, gardening gloves, bath gloves, exercise gloves, golf gloves, and ski gloves. Disposable gloves were added to the dramatic play area alongside doctor kits, reflecting the children’s earlier observations. Dishwashing gloves became part of sensory play with water, soap, and play dishes, while disposable and bath gloves were used for finger painting, creating new textures and experiences. Throughout this project, children were active participants in their own learning. By following their interests and offering a rich, engaging environment, teachers supported the development of social, emotional, sensory, and fine motor skills.

Three to Four-Year Old Class

In the three- and four-year-old classrooms, projects grow naturally from children’s conversations, play, and everyday experiences. In this case, a simple moment at snack time—when one child mentioned that water had “gone down the wrong pipe”—sparked a lively discussion about the body. Children began talking about the windpipe and esophagus, what coughing feels like, and returning again and again to body books in the classroom. Teachers followed this interest by introducing a “body study,” beginning with the skeletal system. A life-sized skeleton, x-rays, puzzles, and age-appropriate nonfiction books invited children to explore how their bodies are built. As they identified major bones, teachers created games to help children learn their names. When questions arose about how bones stay together, the focus naturally shifted to muscles.

Children studied muscle diagrams, experimented with stretching and strengthening their own bodies, and talked about how muscles help us move. A visit to a local Pilates studio owned by an All Souls School parent allowed them to stretch, move, and reflect on how their bodies work. Along the way, they wrote a song about muscles and eventually created their own classroom model by adding muscles to the skeleton.
The children’s curiosity then turned to the heart and wondered how blood moves through the body. They then created a large painting showing the path of blood through the heart and took turns acting it out. Physical activities helped them feel their own heartbeats and notice changes in their breathing, leading to conversations about the lungs, oxygen, and different types of blood cells.

From there, interest shifted to digestion—what happens to food after we eat it. A parent who was a gastroenterologist visited the classroom to share insights into how the digestive system works, and children excitedly traced the journey of food through the body. This topic sparked pride and humor, as children reflected on how their bodies work every day. As the project continued, teachers introduced a Magic School Bus story about the human body. Inspired, the children decided to create their own version. During class meetings, they planned the story together and identified the body parts they wanted to include. Working in pairs, children researched, designed, and built different parts of the body over several weeks.

Throughout the process, children and teachers met regularly to share progress, solve problems, and reflect on their work. The project culminated in a group play, using the large-scale murals the children had created. Families were invited to attend the performance, celebrating the children’s collaboration, creativity, and deep engagement with learning.

Four to Five-Year Old Class

Like the younger classrooms, projects in the five-year-old classes grow from children’s interests, play, and shared experiences. This project began when a sparrow unexpectedly flew into the classroom during lunch, sparking curiosity about birds and where they live. Soon after, children began building duck houses out of blocks on the roof and pretending to be ducks themselves. Teachers noticed this recurring theme and used morning meetings to invite children to share what they wanted to learn about ducks.

The study began with videos about ducks’ life cycles and habitats, helping children build background knowledge. A grandparent who is a naturalist and works with all types of birds visited the class and taught the children how ducks grow in the egg and how chicks can immediately procure food for themselves after hatching. Children learned that ducks have special oils on their feathers that help them stay dry and that they can live both on land and in water.

As the project continued, children explored their learning through many hands-on activities. They sculpted ducks, painted at the art table, built “duck worlds” using recycled materials, and created placemats by sequencing numbered photographs of ducks. A class song helped reinforce what they had learned, and children made their own booklets about what ducks can and cannot eat.

One discovery the children were especially eager to share was that ducks should not eat bread and that some foods, such as avocados, are harmful to them. The children proudly took their booklets home and also made copies to share with younger classes. Each child presented a duck fact and performed their song for the school community, taking on the role of teacher with confidence and enthusiasm.

Throughout this project, children developed skills in meaningful, connected ways. Mathematical thinking emerged through counting, sorting, sequencing, and building. Literacy skills grew through reading, writing labels, creating books, and singing songs. Social and emotional development was evident as children collaborated with peers, shared ideas during group meetings, and confidently presented their learning to others. By engaging in the project according to their own interests and strengths, each child was celebrated as an individual, bringing the school’s mission to life through curiosity, creativity, and shared discovery.