Lesson+Comparison


 * __ Lesson Comparison __**


 * Since this will be just their second attempt at an inquiry-based project, the third grade students will be conducting a more guided inquiry than the sixth graders. The third graders will be assigned specific space missions by their classroom teacher. It will also have already been explained to them the basic main ideas they should be searching for, such as what was the primary purpose of the mission or were there astronauts on board the spacecraft? These questions posed beforehand by their teacher will set them on their path to inquiry. **


 * In contrast, the only prompt the sixth graders will receive will be, “Planet…go!” While the third graders will be asked to find information about a specific event, the sixth graders will have an entire subject open for exploration. It will be up to each individual student to not only choose a planet, but to decide what information they want to learn and then convey to others. By this point in their academic career, the sixth graders have had several experiences with inquiry and should now be ready to undertake a more open inquiry project. **


 * As far as the lessons to be taught by the media specialist go, the sixth graders’ requirements will be more in-depth. For example, third grade students will receive citation form handouts, on which they will fill in the blanks as a means to cite their sources. While the sixth graders will be receiving citations forms of their own, they are meant only to be guides through which they can easily keep track of their sources. They will then be required to cite their sources in an academically professional manner. **


 * Many of the specific information standards listed earlier will apply to both grade levels. In most cases, though, the different groups of **** students will achieve different levels of depth within the standards. We’ll take, for example, standard 1.2.7 – “ **Display persistence by continuing to pursue information to gain a broad perspective”. The third graders will most likely have a certain set of questions in mind from the outset. They will display their persistence by searching until they have found the information they desire. Sixth grade students will (hopefully) inquire past their initial set of questions and independently pursue more information.