Emergent Themes
Recall that big ideas can also emerge from the interests or questions of a particular group of children, either to initiate a study or change the path of work under way. Published accounts of project work from Reggio Emilia schools often describe topics deeply embedded in the social studies. For example, a project described in the first edition of The 100 Languages of Children, “The City in the Rain,” emerged after children took a walk following a thunderstorm and wondered where the rain went after it fell, leading to a long-term study of the public water and storm drainage systems in their city (Edwards, Gandini, & Forman, 1998).
My own experiences with emergent project work include many examples of investigations that demonstrate deep connections with social studies concepts but evolved unexpectedly. Table 9.6 lists short descriptions of some of these inquiries.