Mrs. Coomber's Kinderland

For the last few years, my kindergarten class has done a quarter-long project exploring our community. Our project is based around the central (compelling) question: What makes our community special? I chose this question for several reasons. First, the main theme of the Kindergarten Social Studies Standards (Iowa) is Me and My Communities. We begin the year thinking about the special nature of ourselves, our families, and our classroom communities. This is the most concrete way that little learners can begin to understand who they are and how they fit within the wider world; what could be more important to learn as a child in a complex society?

Second, I love the open-ended nature of this question, which can lead to child-led inquiry. What makes our community special is different for each class and individual student I have taught. Our final project, while always including a large map of our area, has focused on different aspects of our community. For example, one year we created travel brochures, and another year the students made a movie in which they were the animals that are commonly found in our area. This question also allows us to delve into a variety of sources (as the standards suggest), including books, maps, and interviews with community members. The question invites the opportunity to learn from local experts by taking field trips and inviting guest speakers to the classroom. My students have enjoyed learning experiences such as walking to the local fire station, going on a guided owl prowl, taking a pontoon ride on the Rock River, and eagle watching at the Mississippi River Visitors Center.

This year, we began our project by creating a mind map detailing everything the students already know about the concept of community. Since we had already taken a walk to the local fire station and checked out all of the vehicles, community helpers feature prominently on our mind map.

After assessing what we already know, we discuss the importance of asking questions (what we wonder) and doing research to learn more about our community. The first step of our project is to learn about maps as an important resource/tool for exploring our community.

I look forward to seeing how our project unfolds this year.