Inquiry Project - Outline
You will complete the following outline as to begin brainstorming and compiling evidence for your inquiry
project. Once you are finished, you will post your outline to your blog.
Inquiry Question:
Write the inquiry question you will be exploring.
How does play impact a young child’s learning?
Reasoning:
Write a few sentences explaining why you chose that inquiry question. Explain what interests you about
that aspect of child development.
I chose this question because I aspire to be a teacher one day. I thought it would be helpful to my learning to
explore the question of connection between learning and play. This question can also help me create more
engaging lessons for the students in the future and be more engaged with my buddy.
Evidence:
Identify 2-3 pieces of evidence that will help you answer your inquiry question.
o Summarize what the evidence is saying in relation to your inquiry question.
Keep track of your sources. Write the title of the website, journal, article, or magazine and copy/paste
the link of the resource in the “Resource” section of the chart below.
Evidence Resource
1. An environment enriched with Li, P. (2023, September 12). Importance of play in
play, sensory play, and play toys provide early childhood (9 benefits & infographic). Parenting
the perfect life experiences as building For Brain.
blocks. Lack of play will cause the neuron https://www.parentingforbrain.com/benefits-play-
connections related to play to be lost. learning-activities-early-childhood/
2. Play offers an opportunity for parents to Ginsburg, K. R. (2007, January 1). The importance
fully engage with their child. When of play in promoting healthy child development and
parents observe their children in play or maintaining strong parent-child bonds. American
join them, they are given unique Academy of Pediatrics.
opportunity to see the world from their https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/119/1/
child’s vantage point. It’s important 182/70699/The-Importance-of-Play-in-Promoting-
parents give their children free time, Healthy-Child?autologincheck=redirected
freedom and choice to play. If an adult
makes all the decisions about how, what
and when their child plays, the child
won’t enjoy their play experiences.
3. Play improves the cognitive, physical, How play helps Children’s development. nidirect.
social, and emotional well-being of (2022, November 10).
children and young people. Children often https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/how-play-
want to create challenges and uncertainty helps-childrens-development#:~:text=Play
in their play. Through risky, challenging %20improves%20the%20cognitive%2C
play, children test themselves and find out %20physical,confidence
their own limits. They learn how to deal
with risk through play and can use these
same skills later in life.
Activities:
Come up with three activities that you would complete with your buddy. You must have one activity that
is geared towards literacy (reading/writing), one towards numeracy (math), and one craft. All activities
must be age appropriate. Remember that your buddies is in between 5 and 6 years old, which means
they cannot compete complex math or reading activities.
Complete the chart below with the following information:
o Explanation – Explain the activity step-by-step and how you would complete it.
o Supplies – List all the supplies/materials that you would need for the activity/craft.
Activity Explanation Supplies
1. Literacy 1. Think of a category, such as animals. Lined Paper
2. The first player says a word that fits the category, Pencil/Pen
such as cat.
3. The next player says another animal name that
begins with the last letter of the first player's word,
such as tiger.
4. The next word would then begin with r, and so on.
End the game when players begin to repeat words.
2. Numeracy 1. Roll two dice and draw both numbers represented on Dice
the face of the dice. Paper
2. Add or subtract the numbers together to represent the Pencil/Pen
sum.
3. Craft 1. Start off by placing your popsicle sticks in rainbow Rainbow
order but backward. (Purple, blue, green, yellow, Popsicle Sticks
orange, red) White Cardstock
2. Glue another popsicle stick diagonally across them to Googly Eyes
keep them all together.
Pink Buttons
3. Turn your work around so the diagonal stick is on
the backside now. The colors of the rainbow will now Liquid Glue
be in order.
4. Cut out a cloud shape from your white construction
paper.
5. Add googly eyes and a small smile.
6. Add small pink buttons on either side of the smile for
cheeks.
