The Train Station

One day, four friends were playing in the dramatic play centre and decided to use cardboard boxes to pretend they were riding a train.

This made Mrs. Spadafora and Miss Frame wonder, “What materials could we provide the students with, so that they may extend their interest in trains?”

The next day, the students were happily surprised to see a very large box in our classroom, provided by Miss Frame.

Mrs. Spadafora’s question of the day asked, “What could we do with the box?”

The students had many wonderful ideas. After a class discussion at the community carpet, the students decided to use the box to make a train station.

The students quickly got busy putting together our new centre. Students worked together to paint box cars and a caboose. The train station walls were adorned with a clock and many drawings. Windows and doors are created, and wheels were added using paper plates.

We read various books about trains and interested students viewed a video to learn more about how a train station looks, and to explore the role of the train engineer. As a result, the students added an engine to the box car and created a ticket booth. As other students and teachers began to ask about our new centre, we decided to add signs so that observers would know what we had built.

Transforming our dramatic play centre into a train station was a rich learning experience for the students. What skills did the students develop as a result of our mini inquiry?

• Social skills
• Oral language
• Written language
• Interest in print
• Problem solving
• Fine motor control
• Self-confidence and self-esteem
• Planning and organization
• Leadership qualities
• Vocabulary building
• Role play
• Colour mixing, blending and identifying
• Sense of design, details, colour and texture

This boxcar includes comfortable seating!

 

All aboard!

 

Adding an engine after viewing a video about trains.

 

Creating a boxcar.

 

Boarding time ...

 

Teamwork :)

 

Having fun with friends.

 

A group effort.