School Fair

Name of the project: School Fair

Subjects: Science, Mathematics, Music, PE, Computer Science, Estonian, Art, Craft

Supervising teacher: Airit Vaitmaa, Anneli Dietrich

School: Illuka School

Short description of the project:

Organising a fair. Students grow vegetable and flower plants for the fair, make souvenirs, organise workshops and games. Students are also responsible for organising a programme, co-operating with kindergarten, local government and other schools.

1. Aim of the project

*To teach growing plants.

*To give students experience of organising a big fair including sales, workshops, programme, lottery, handicraft, advertising, organising games.

*To develop responsibility, teamwork, planning and time management skills

1. Activities

Activity 1 (Brainstorming)

Students’ activities: generating ideas (what and where to grow, which activities should a fair include, which can each student personally organise) and presenting them to whole school.

Teacher’s activities: participating in a discussion process

Results: Each class presented their ideas, organising committee was formed, whole idea of the fair was formulated

Activity 2 (Sowing seeds)

Students’ activities: choosing what their class wants to grow. Each class had to grow at least three different sorts of plants. The seeds were sown.

Teacher’s activities: making sure there was enough soil and seeds.

Results: 8 different sorts of tomatoes, paprika, chilly, aubergine, herbs and different flowers were sown. Students are responsible for watering plants, they are collecting cartons for re-planting. Plants are grown in the hallway of primary school building, students observe how much plants grow daily.

Activity 3(workmeeting)

Stuents’ activities: finding sponsors from local companies

Teacher’s activities: arrangements with the local government about using the  stage

Results:  schedule was seta, a decision was made to co-operate with other schools also it was clear that for the lottery sponsors are needed and at least three more work meetings are necessary.

Activity  4(preparations))

Students’ activities: growing plants, preparing stalls, calculating prices, preparing workshops, baking for the cafeteria, making advertising  posters, sharing information with future customers, preparing for the show

Teacher’s activities: offering help, co-ordinating activities if necessary

Results: hope that all preparations will go as planned

Activity 5(fair)

Students’ activities: selling plants, performing, supervising workshops and games, preparing rooms, participating in activities organised by others, visiting the book fair, learning folk dances

Teacher’s activities: counselling certain areas (sales, workshops, games, cafeteria) and helping students when needed

Results: a successful fair which makes both students and teachers richer in experience

3.Project’s curricular links

1. Subject: Science

Implemented knowledge and skills: sowing the seeds, growing plants

2. Subject: Mathematics

Implemented knowledge and skills: calculating prices, sales

3. Subject: Music and PE

Implemented knowledge and skills: learning dances (students are teaching), preparing and organising games, performing

4. Subject: ICT, Estonian, Art

Implemented knowledge and skills: advertising

5. Subject: Crafts and handwork

Implemented knowledge and skills: Baking for the fair, making souvenirs for the lottery and sales

4.  Links to real life and the world of work

Students have to use teamwork in growing plants, assigning tasks for and during the fair. Size of the school allows each student to take roles and take responsibility. Co-operation is needed with local government, kindergarten, Jõhvi Gymnasium, Avinurme Gymnasium, local enterprises and parents.

Students take their responsibility very seriously while the coming event is very big and the fair’s  success depends on their personal preparation.

Majority of students have never grown any plants therefore the whole process is a new experience for them. Hopefully the plants will grow strong. It is also great responsibility to organise games and workshops for all visitors. Students have had to think about their concert and choose the songs and dances. Also they have gained experience in communicating with guest stars and sponsors.

Since the fair is organised for visitors outside the school all activities need to be planned extremely carefully. Students have also involved their parents in growing plants since some of the teachers do not know how to do it. So students have asked their parents and are now teaching teachers and classmates.

As there is still some time until the fair it is too soon to say how everything went. We are still in the process of growing plants, rehearsing for the concert, thinking about games and workshops, advertising, finding sponsors and dividing tasks. All this helps students to be more enterprising. Yet one thing is clear – everyone is trying their best.

5. Partners involved

1. Illuka School’s Kindergarten – growing plants and performing at the concert

2. Illuka Parish Government

Partneri nimi: Illuka Vallavalitsus – stage and organising a dance

3. Illuka Valla Memmed – folk dancing and singing, organising a workshop

4. Jõhvi Gymnasium – performing with a play and songs

5.  Kurtna Library – organising a book fair

6. Parents – collecting cartons for plants