Project-Based Learning & Science

Two students were covering a white PVC pipe with sand to hide it so "it's a surprise to people." Children often get into big sand projects, but this one seemed really purposeful, like they had a plan.

Once they covered it up, they turned to work on exploring the pipe with water. They started by pouring water into one end, then ran to the other end to exclaim with surprise, "It's working!" as they watched water come out. They were exploring what made the pipe different when it was covered with "moss" (sand) to make it "really underground." They discovered that the pipe still worked, even though it was not visible to the eye.

This is a great example of Project-Based Learning—something students might do in Kindergarten regarding water running through pipes, but here they were doing it through imaginative play. And of course, they were doing science by testing hypotheses, making observations, and concluding that the pipe still functions even if it's not visible. The teachers had so much fun watching the surprise on their faces the first couple of times they saw the water come through the "moss."