Upon returning from the Thanksgiving holiday, the PK children have been busy designing and building a bus to transport them around the classroom. The large classroom wardrobe has proved to have dual functionality, as the children discovered it could be pushed around the classroom and ridden inside. After observing the children pretending to ride a bus with their peers, we began asking questions to probe what exactly they knew about buses.
The children shared their memories of riding a school bus last month for our field trips to the Children’s Theater and Lincoln Park Zoo. A few told stories of riding the white city buses to a friend’s home. They also expressed questions, such as “How many passengers can fit on a bus?” and “How do the doors open? Maybe there is a special button?” We decided to embark on an investigation of buses, researching with non-fiction books as well as first hand accounts from everyday bus transit riders: Ms. Fitzgerald and Ms. Wadington.
Both teachers have been documenting their morning commutes, taking video and photographs of the interior/exterior of buses, bus stop signs, and even asking bus drivers our students’ budding questions. Each morning at Morning Meeting, we share more information and insight on buses. For example, through photographs inside the bus, students observed how passengers signal to the driver that they would like to get off, as well as what is available for standing passengers to hold on to so they do not lose their balance. With all of these features in mind, it was time to turn the wardrobe into a bus.
The children shared their memories of riding a school bus last month for our field trips to the Children’s Theater and Lincoln Park Zoo. A few told stories of riding the white city buses to a friend’s home. They also expressed questions, such as “How many passengers can fit on a bus?” and “How do the doors open? Maybe there is a special button?” We decided to embark on an investigation of buses, researching with non-fiction books as well as first hand accounts from everyday bus transit riders: Ms. Fitzgerald and Ms. Wadington.
Both teachers have been documenting their morning commutes, taking video and photographs of the interior/exterior of buses, bus stop signs, and even asking bus drivers our students’ budding questions. Each morning at Morning Meeting, we share more information and insight on buses. For example, through photographs inside the bus, students observed how passengers signal to the driver that they would like to get off, as well as what is available for standing passengers to hold on to so they do not lose their balance. With all of these features in mind, it was time to turn the wardrobe into a bus.
During play and group discussions, the children’s bus schemas have focused mostly on city buses. However, when we began the discussion of how we could turn the wardrobe into something that looked more like a bus, the children unanimously wanted it to look like a school bus. We discussed the plan during Morning Meeting. There was a consensus among the children that this bus should be yellow and have polka dots and stars around it as decoration.
We began by covering the exterior of the bus with yellow butcher paper. The children worked in pairs in the TinkerLab to tape the large paper around the bus. This portion of the project was done with very little teacher assistance, allowing the children to problem solve together the needed lengths of paper and tape. Our SK friends stopped by for a visit and to offer some advice and assistance. The next step was to add the polka dots and stars. Using large stencils, each student had an opportunity to paint shapes around the bus. View the time lapse video below to see just how the painting of the PK bus came to be!
We began by covering the exterior of the bus with yellow butcher paper. The children worked in pairs in the TinkerLab to tape the large paper around the bus. This portion of the project was done with very little teacher assistance, allowing the children to problem solve together the needed lengths of paper and tape. Our SK friends stopped by for a visit and to offer some advice and assistance. The next step was to add the polka dots and stars. Using large stencils, each student had an opportunity to paint shapes around the bus. View the time lapse video below to see just how the painting of the PK bus came to be!
After the bus was painted it was time to add the finishing touches. From our research we learned that buses have handles for passengers that may need to stand during their ride. The children also insisted that bells be put on the bus so they can signal to the driver when they would like to get off. One student suggested we use jingle bells, and given the timeliness of the holidays, we were able to bring this design idea to life.
Now that the bus is ready for transit, the children are eager to create bus stops, roads and street signs to navigate the classroom. This project and investigation has been sparked solely by student interest and ideas. There is intention and purpose built into their careful planning and it is here that meaningful learning exists.