Lesson+Comparison

The two units described here reflect different levels of student maturation in both the science content aspect and the information inquiry aspect. Although the focus of both units was forces, the fifth grade students developed an understanding of many different types of forces and their associated vocabulary. Kindergarten students focused on two words- push and pull. Those words were repeated over and over for several days and demonstrated in a variety of ways.

The National Academy of Sciences has created guidelines for scientific inquiry based on grade level. As students get older and more experienced, they are expected to demonstrate higher levels of thinking regarding the application of science. Among other skills, primary grade students are expected to use "simple equipment and tools to gather data" and "communicate investigations and explanations" (Lamb, 2005-2011). Slightly older students, fifth through eighth grade, are expected to "design and conduct a scientific investigation" and "think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations" (Lamb, 2005-2011). The expectation for student growth in these abilities is evident in the units described here. Kindergarten students are supplied by the teacher with materials and a plan for scientific investigation, while the fifth grade students are responsible for designing their own plans and testing them to make sure that they accurately represent the intended force.

There are four levels of inquiry: controlled, guided, modeled, and free. The kindergarten inquiry was controlled from start to finish. The students were provided with all of the questions and materials that they would need to complete the inquiry. In a controlled inquiry, the questions are developed by the teacher to reflect the academic standards for that grade level (Callison & Preddy, 2006). The investigations that the students carried out with moving objects were also developed by the teacher to create an environment that would cause the students to draw correct conclusions about pushes and pulls. The fifth grade unit, though, had elements of a guided inquiry. Although the questions were still developed ahead of time (like a controlled inquiry), the students located information sources with more independence and made plans for a final product that would best reflect the force they were studying. The classroom teacher and media specialist still provided scaffolding for the fifth grade students throughout the unit. All of the students met with an adult for conferencing to determine whether they were finding accurate information from credible sources and developing plans for a product that would effectively demonstrate the force.

The fifth grade students demonstrated a greater number of the American Association of School Librarians' //Standards for the 21st-Century Learner// than the kindergarten students did. Both levels used standard 2.3.1- //Connect understanding to the real world.// The kindergarten students used images and real-world models provided by the teacher. The fifth grade students took that application a step further by developing their own plans for real-world models. Both grade levels also used speaking and writing skills to communicate new learning (standard 3.1.3). The kindergarteners did so within their classroom learning community. The fifth graders were expected to present their findings to an audience of adults as well. They also had greater opportunity to display their learning creatively in different formats (standard 1.2.3) and evaluate sources for credibility (standard 1.1.5). All of these factors demonstrate that as students grow and mature, they take on more responsibility for self-direction in their learning. They gradually become more information literate and adept at using 21st-Century resources for learning and communicating knowledge.

American Association of School Librarians. (2007). //Standards for the 21st-century learner.// Retrieved March 26, 2012, from @http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_LearningStandards.pdf

Callison, D., & Preddy, L. (2006). //The blue book on information age inquiry, instruction and literacy.// Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Lamb, A. (2005-2011). Virtual information inquiry: Instructional specialists. //Virtual Inquiry.// Retrieved March 26, 2012, from @http://virtualinquiry.com/specialist/science.htm