Project activities in primary schools Реферат

1. Project-based learning: a methodology based on the organization of the educational process through the implementation of projects by students, including active activity, research and teamwork.

2. Project: purposeful planning and execution of a specific task carried out by students within the framework of project-based learning.

3. Competencies: a set of knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to achieve a specific goal or task within the framework of a project activity.

4. Teamwork: the joint activity of students in the implementation of the project, including the distribution of roles, cooperation and interaction.

5. Creative thinking: the ability to offer new and non-standard ideas, apply a variety of approaches to problem solving, is characteristic of project-based learning.

6. Presentation: demonstration of the results of the completed project in front of an audience using various tools and formats.

7. Research: systematic and informed study of a particular problem or topic in order to gain new knowledge and in-depth understanding.

8. Planning: the process of defining goals, objectives, resources and time frames for the successful implementation of a project.

9. Independence: the student's ability to make decisions independently, plan and organize their activities within the framework of project-based learning.

10. Reflection: conscious analysis and evaluation of one's actions and project results for further improvement.

11. Resources: the material, information and time resources necessary for the successful completion of the project.

12. Evaluation: the process of analyzing and evaluating the results of the project, including compliance with requirements, achieving goals and using achievements in the learning process.

13. Integration: Linking the content and objectives of various subject areas with the project theme for more effective and integrated learning.
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Primary school education is the foundation from which the academic path of a child begins. This is the most important stage in a child's life, which lays the foundation for his future learning and development.  

Primary school education refers to the initial years of formal education that children receive, usually between the ages of 5 and 11. This is a vital stage at which children acquire fundamental knowledge, skills and attitudes that form the basis for further education.

Education plays a key role in shaping the overall development of a child. It not only focuses on academic learning, but also promotes social, emotional and physical growth. It provides a structured environment in which children can explore and discover their interests, developing the necessary skills for future success.

The primary school curriculum includes a wide range of subjects that ensure a holistic learning process. These subjects usually include language arts, mathematics, natural sciences, social studies, physical education, visual arts and music. Offering a wide range of subjects, primary education aims to meet the diverse interests and abilities of students.

One of the main goals of primary school education is to develop strong basic literacy and numeracy skills. Students learn to read, write and communicate effectively in their native language. They also learn basic mathematical concepts and problem solving strategies, paving the way for higher-level learning.

Primary school education provides children with ample opportunities to interact with their peers and develop vital social skills. Primary school education pays significant attention to building a solid foundation in the field of natural sciences and mathematics. Students participate in practical experiments, explore scientific concepts, and develop critical thinking skills. Similarly, they delve into mathematical principles, problem solving techniques, and logical reasoning, which allows them to apply these skills in real-life situations.
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When teaching children in primary school classesit is very important to bring to the consciousness of students all the necessary educational material. For this, modern methods and means of instruction are needed. With their help, students can be interested in and help to master the children with the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities. This helps to cause a positive attitude towards the learning process not only among those who study with interest, but also in children who do not have a desire for learning4.

When preparing and conducting a lesson, the teacheralmost every day. In solving this problem, the teacher is helped by the methods and means of teaching. Methods of teaching are the ways of interaction between the teacher and students, which are aimed at solving various problems of training. At the same time, the purpose of the teaching method is not simply to transfer knowledge, but to encourage the student to be interested in solving a particular problem and to awaken his need for new knowledge.

Methods and means of teaching in its essencediffer from each other. The method is very closely related to the learning process and does not exist outside of it. As a variety of teaching tools, textbooks, visual aids, books, reference books, dictionaries, technical aids and so on are usually used. These tools can be used for completely different purposes, and they make it possible to change the learning process itself. That is, when using different means in the learning process, it is possible to change the teaching methods themselves.

If we consider the methods and tools of learning in the relationship, then, first of all, all the methods can be divided into three groups:

1. Syllabic methods of teaching: explanation, story, conversation, work with the help of a textbook or a book.

2. Visual methods of teaching: demonstration of visual aids, observation, display of training videos.
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The Project activity in elementary school is no longer a novelty in the world's education system, however, in our country the use of this method began not so long ago. To date, the relevance of this method of training is explained and related to the fact that the existing modern system of education in Russia giving knowledge and skills to students does not imply their synthesis and use in practice.

The Project activity of younger students can get effective application, without replacing the existing system of education, and organically supplementing and expanding it. Project activities at school involves building on the basis of the curriculum of a series of interrelated projects that are associated with the implementation of the decision of certain practical tasks of life.

Thus, for each project the student will need to address a number of interrelated tasks relevant to real life. The student requires the ability to coordinate their efforts and the efforts of others. In order to perform specific tasks and work to be done, the child will need to extract the necessary knowledge yourself, which will only contribute to their absorption.

The Project activity in elementary school effectively contributes to the comprehensive development of the child, his education and learning, and the development of creative abilities and  ability to adapt to socio-economic conditions of existence. Students gain a cognitive explanation of learning, as children see the end results of their activities, which elevate their own sense of self and cause a desire to improve their skills, knowledge and personal qualities.

The Project activity in primary school forms the children the following skills:

- define the purpose of activities to implement its plan, relate the final and intermediate objectives with results and to control them;

- run educational mental operations inherent part of the project activities;

- conduct experiments and observations. To build simple objects and models of the world for consideration.
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With the help of the development of projects, primary school students develop their cognitive interest, independently find a way to solve the problem. And teachers and parents, helping the student, stimulate his creative activity. The technology of working on a project has a certain sequence of interrelated stages:

Step 1. Preparatory stage. Preparation for the development of the project is carried out in class with all the children in the class. The teacher selects possible topics and invites students to choose the project topic they like. At the same time, several students can work on one project at once. Topics can be suggested by students as well. At this stage, the establishment of cooperation between the teacher and the students takes place, ideas and hypotheses are expressed on methods for solving the problem in the project. Students enter a state of interest in the task, ask questions. The teacher actualizes the problem and brings the students' thinking to the search level.

Step 2. Planning stage. In the next lesson, the roles are distributed among the students. Therefore, subtopics are additionally highlighted, and each student chooses one of them for himself, for independent work. Children come together in small teams to get the job done. The teacher listens to the ideas of children, suggests how to find sources for collecting material and methods of processing it. Additionally, the requirements for the registration of work results are discussed. If the project is voluminous, the teacher prepares in advance the literature that children can use, determines the areas of search activity.

Step 3. Research phase. Children together with adults (teachers, parents) collect and clarify information. Children share the results of the collected materials. There is a development of cognitive activity, independence. Students in groups, and then in class, jointly clarify how the project will be presented: exhibition, presentation, report, album, video, event, etc.
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Project-Based Learning (PBL) goes beyond the worksheet to show students how and when their math skills interact with real-life applications while providing engaging, scaffolded lesson opportunities for higher order thinking. Elementary students are no stranger to asking the age old question of “why do I need to know this?” A PBL activity in mathematics can be just the answer a teacher needs. 

While traditional math stories, or word problems, can certainly challenge students to use their knowledge of newly learned operations, they can also confuse students who have difficulty translating the material into a mathematical expression. The topics can also seem strange for students and lead to frustration about what is actually being asked. Who would divide a cupcake into 16 pieces in the first place?

However, students can identify with the step-by-step guided process in PBL activities such as this Birdhouse Math activity which supports lessons in Scaling and Resizing–a topic that can lead to head scratching, for sure. The work is scaffolded, building on previous knowledge and slowly tying together how those skills relate to the task at hand.

Through a KWL sheet, teacher and students can assess what is already known before jumping into review of skills that will be needed, such as multiplication and fraction concepts. Students can also practice in real-life terms how these two skills will be used together. As PBL is generally a longer-term goal with a driving question, students have the time to work through mistakes, learn from them, and perform higher-order thinking that leads them to mastery.

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In the primary school classroom, a project is usually the work leading to the production of a poster, letter, birthday card, booklet, magazine, play, sketch, puppet show, radio recording, video etc. It may be the work of one pupil, but more frequently is the collaborative work of a number of pupils working together in class.

One key element of all projects is the ‘theme’ – the basic idea. Whether the pupils are working individually or in groups they are all concerned with the same basic theme. This theme should be open enough to encourage creativity and provide a focus, but not so open as to confuse your pupils.

The characteristic of a project is that the learning comes from the ‘process’ – the work which leads to the result rather than the results itself. Most frequently the pupils will use a wide range of language, a variety of language skills and often knowledge which may have come from different parts of the curriculum.

Because the pupils are combining so many different skills and areas of knowledge, it is sometimes difficult to say exactly what the pupils are learning.

In any project they may be learning many different things at any one time:

- How to work with other people. 

- How to share work. 

- How to delegate work. 

- How to appreciate the work of others. 

- How to work alone. 

- How to take responsibility for a task.

Project-based learning prepares students for the real world.

These are all social skills, but they may also be learning practical skills such as how to use scissors, to design a neat page, to speak clearly or how to operate a piece of simple machinery.