Both classes follow the same order. Grade 3 meets on Mondays; grades 4–5 meet on Thursdays. Each day has three project blocks, with no times inside a block. At most one major writing piece goes on any day.
New in version 2. Ian ruled: "The source reflections are major pieces." That gives 8 major pieces (the introduction, three Source Reflections, the finding, the counterclaim, the conclusion and the abstract) for 8 days (days 2 to 8 and the spare day).
Every day now holds one major piece, so no day is left over for catching up. A child who misses a day, or does not finish a piece, has no class day to make it up before winter break.
MAJOR a paragraph or more the child writes small notes, a line, a list, a filled organizer, typing, practice PAPER worksheet, with a filled-in example beside it ORGANIZER the online organizer my call: a choice the session made, not Ian Ian's choice: two options, not decided HOME goes home over winter break if not done
Section I lists the full set: the board, the abstract (150 words at most), the bibliography, three Source Reflections and the interview. Below, each part is split into the smallest pieces. Where a piece lands on a different day under option A and option B (section 3), both days are shown.
| Piece | Size | When | Where it goes, and what the organizer does with it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topic and research question | small | Day 1 (done) | The child types it into the organizer. It becomes the board's title and question, and it appears at the top of every later sheet. |
| Paragraph on why the child chose the topic | MAJOR | Day 1 (done) | Now a step toward the introduction, not the introduction itself. |
| Source card: one for each source (title, author, date, where found, primary or secondary, kind: Epic, real book, online article, other) | small | From day 2, each time a source is found | Each card becomes one bibliography line by itself. The organizer counts the kinds against the aim of one primary, one Epic, one real book and one other. More than four is fine. |
| Notes on a source: in the child's own words, with one quote | small | From day 2, on that source's card | The quote and the notes are printed onto that source's Reflection sheet. |
| Introduction graphic organizer, with a filled-in example | small | Day 2 | Paper. The day 1 paragraph and the question are printed on it. |
| Introduction (the day 2 artifact) | MAJOR | Day 2 | Paper, then typed. It becomes the introduction on the board. |
| Source Reflection 1 | MAJOR (Ian, Oct 17) | Day 3 | Paper, then typed. Each sheet comes printed with its source and quote. Each one ends with a "question I still have" line, which feeds the survey questions. my call: the "question I still have" line. my call: one Reflection a day, on days 3, 4 and 5, follows from the one-major-a-day rule. |
| Source Reflection 2 | MAJOR (Ian, Oct 17) | Day 4 | |
| Source Reflection 3 | MAJOR (Ian, Oct 17) | Day 5 | |
| Survey or interview questions (a list) | small | Day 4 (A) or day 5 (B) | Typed. The organizer prints the survey form from them once Ian has checked them. |
| Collecting the answers | outside class | After day 5 (A) or after day 6 (B) | Section III, all steps kept. |
| Counting the answers | small | Day 6 (A) or day 7 (B) | A tally on paper, then the counts are typed in. my call: the organizer draws the board's graph from the typed counts. |
| Finding, with a number in it | MAJOR | Day 6 (A) or day 7 (B) | Paper, printed with the question and the counts, then typed. |
| Counterclaim | MAJOR | Day 7 (A) or day 6 (B) | Paper, then typed. In A it comes printed with the finding. In B it comes before the finding, built from the sources. |
| Conclusion | MAJOR | Day 8 | Paper, printed with the question, the finding and the counterclaim, then typed. |
| Abstract (150 words at most) | MAJOR | Spare day | Paper, printed with one line from each part, then typed. The organizer shows the word count. |
| Bibliography | small (no block of its own) | Grows from day 2 | Built from the source cards. Printed on the spare day. |
| Board: three panels | small (no sketch) | Grows from day 2 | The organizer builds a live preview of the board from what the child has typed. my call: what goes on each panel (left: question, introduction, sources; middle: survey, graph, finding; right: counterclaim, conclusion). Ian should set this from the handbook. |
| Printing and gluing the board | small | Day 8 | The organizer prints each panel's pieces at board size. |
| Judge questions: two or three about the piece just finished | small | After each piece | The organizer adds each piece's questions to a practice card that grows over the project. |
| The one-minute talk | small | Spare day | Built from the abstract. |
| The interview my call: I read section I's "interview" as the judges' interview at the board, separate from the survey or interview in section III | small | Spare day | A full practice at the finished board, using the whole practice card. |
| Paper step in the eight-day draft | What happens now |
|---|---|
| Day 3, block 3: write the bibliography | Gone. Each source card is one line, so the bibliography grows every time a source goes in. |
| Day 5, block 1: sketch the three panels | Gone. The preview builds itself as the child types. |
| Day 5, block 2: type three sheets and the bibliography | Gone as a block. Each piece is typed the same day or the next class. |
| Day 5, block 3: practice judge questions | Gone as a block. Two or three questions follow each piece. |
| Copying earlier answers onto each new sheet | The organizer prints each paper sheet with the child's earlier answers already filled in. my call: printed per child, not filled in by hand. |
| Day 8, block 2: type and print the abstract | The abstract is typed in the organizer with a word count, and printed with the bibliography. |
Paper stays first for every major piece, following Ian's rule: the worksheet with an example beside it, then typing.
With one Reflection a day, the third Reflection lands on day 5. If the survey questions wait for it, the answers come back a week later, and the finding moves to day 7. A day 6 with no major piece would push the abstract past the spare day. Both options below keep every step of section III. They differ on where the background research ends.
| A: questions after the notes, before Reflection 3 | B: questions after Reflection 3; counterclaim before the finding | |
|---|---|---|
| Background research is done when | Every source card has its notes and its quote (day 4). The Reflections are writing about sources already read. | All three Reflections are written (day 5). |
| Questions written | Day 4, block 3 | Day 5, block 3 |
| Answers collected | Between day 5 and day 6: one week | Between day 6 and day 7: two weeks, because Thanksgiving week falls in between |
| Majors, days 4 to 8 | Reflection 2, Reflection 3, finding, counterclaim, conclusion | Reflection 2, Reflection 3, counterclaim, finding, conclusion |
| What gives | The questions come before the child writes Reflection 3. That third source still feeds the questions, but only through its notes. | The child writes the counterclaim from the sources before the survey answers come back, and checks it against the finding on day 8. |
| Same in both | Days 2 and 3, day 8, the spare day, the early-December notice on day 7, and every step of section III in its order. | |
| Day | Block 1 | Block 2 | Block 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 2 Oct 19 / Oct 22 |
small ORGANIZER Type the day 1 sources onto source cards. Browse the homework help books on geography, world history and American history (every child, even a child with a topic already). Each new source gets a card, with first notes, as the child finds it. |
small ORGANIZER Search the Research Assistant (primary sources) and visit the school library to check out books. Aim for one primary, one Epic, one real book and one other. More than four is fine. Notes go on each card. my call: a paper source card in the library, typed in back in class. |
MAJOR PAPER The introduction. First the graphic organizer beside a filled-in example, then the introduction on the worksheet. |
| Feeds: question → board title and question · source cards → bibliography lines and the source-kind count · cards → board preview (sources) · day 1 paragraph → printed on the introduction organizer | |||
| Day 3 Oct 26 / Oct 29 |
small ORGANIZER Type the introduction. Then judge questions on it: "What is your question? Why did you choose it?" |
small ORGANIZER Read one source and take notes on its card, in the child's own words, with one quote. Any new source gets a card. |
MAJOR PAPER Source Reflection 1, printed with that source and its quote. |
| Feeds: introduction → board preview (left panel) · notes and quote → Reflection 1 · new cards → bibliography | |||
| Day | Block 1 | Block 2 | Block 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 4 Nov 2 / Nov 5 |
small ORGANIZER Type Reflection 1. Judge question: "Is this source primary or secondary? How do you know?" Finish the notes and the quote on every card that has none. That ends the background research. |
MAJOR PAPER Source Reflection 2, printed with its source and quote. |
small ORGANIZER Survey or interview questions, from the notes and the "question I still have" lines. Ian checks them that week (section III, step 2). |
| Feeds: Reflection 1 → preview · notes on every card → question ideas · questions → Ian's check, then the survey form | |||
| Day 5 Nov 9 / Nov 12 |
small ORGANIZER Type Reflection 2. The checked questions come back. Plan with the homeroom teacher when to give the survey; a child who interviews plans whom and when (section III, step 3). Judge question: "How will you collect your answers?" |
MAJOR PAPER Source Reflection 3, printed with its source and quote. |
small ORGANIZER Type Reflection 3. Judge question: "Which source helped you most?" |
| Outside class, between days 5 and 6: the child gives the survey or holds the interview (section III, step 4). The organizer prints the survey form. | |||
| Feeds: Reflections 2 and 3 → preview · checked questions → printed survey form | |||
| Day 6 Nov 16 / Nov 19 |
small PAPER then ORGANIZER Bring the answers. Tally them on paper and type in the counts (section III, step 5). Judge question: "How many people answered? How did you count?" |
MAJOR PAPER The finding, with a number in it. The sheet comes printed with the question and the counts. |
small ORGANIZER Type the finding. Judge questions: "What did you find? Which number shows it?" |
| Feeds: counts → the graph on the board · finding → board preview (middle panel) and the counterclaim sheet | |||
| Day 7 Nov 30 / Dec 3 |
MAJOR PAPER HOME The counterclaim. The sheet comes printed with the finding. |
small ORGANIZER HOME Type the counterclaim. Judge questions: "What would someone who disagrees say? What do you say back?" |
small ORGANIZER Read the whole preview and raise one piece a level. The organizer prints each child's list of what is still not done. That list goes home as the early-December notice. my call: the notice goes on day 7. |
| Feeds: counterclaim → board preview (right panel) and the conclusion sheet · not-done list → the notice to families | |||
| Day 8 Dec 7 / Dec 10 |
MAJOR PAPER HOME The conclusion. The sheet comes printed with the question, the finding and the counterclaim. |
small ORGANIZER HOME Type the conclusion. Judge questions: "What did you learn? What would you study next?" |
small PAPER HOME Build the board: print each panel from the preview and glue it on. my call: the board goes before the abstract, since the abstract is not on the panels. |
| Feeds: conclusion → board preview (right panel) · every part → one line each on the abstract sheet | |||
| Spare Dec 14 / Dec 17 |
MAJOR PAPER HOME The abstract, 150 words at most. The sheet comes printed with one line from each part. |
small ORGANIZER HOME Type the abstract (the word count shows). Print it with the bibliography. Practice the one-minute talk from it. |
small HOME Practice the full judges' interview at the finished board, using the whole practice card. |
| Feeds: abstract → printed abstract and talk · source cards → printed bibliography · practice card → the full interview | |||
| Day | Block 1 | Block 2 | Block 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 4 Nov 2 / Nov 5 |
small ORGANIZER Type Reflection 1. Judge question: "Is this source primary or secondary? How do you know?" |
MAJOR PAPER Source Reflection 2, printed with its source and quote. |
small ORGANIZER Type Reflection 2. Read the source for Reflection 3 and take notes on its card, with one quote. |
| Feeds: Reflections 1 and 2 → preview · notes and quote → Reflection 3 | |||
| Day 5 Nov 9 / Nov 12 |
MAJOR PAPER Source Reflection 3, printed with its source and quote. That ends the background research. |
small ORGANIZER Type Reflection 3. Judge question: "Which source helped you most?" |
small ORGANIZER Survey or interview questions, from the three "question I still have" lines. Ian checks them that week (section III, step 2). |
| Feeds: Reflection 3 → preview · "question I still have" lines → question list → Ian's check | |||
| Day 6 Nov 16 / Nov 19 |
small ORGANIZER The checked questions come back. Plan with the homeroom teacher when to give the survey; a child who interviews plans whom and when (section III, step 3). Judge question: "How will you collect your answers?" |
MAJOR PAPER The counterclaim, built from the sources: what someone who disagrees would say, and the child's answer. The sheet comes printed with the question and the Reflections' main points. |
small ORGANIZER Type the counterclaim. Judge questions: "What would someone who disagrees say? What do you say back?" |
| Outside class, between days 6 and 7 (two weeks, across Thanksgiving week): the child gives the survey or holds the interview (section III, step 4). The organizer prints the survey form. | |||
| Feeds: checked questions → printed survey form · counterclaim → board preview (right panel) | |||
| Day 7 Nov 30 / Dec 3 |
small PAPER then ORGANIZER Bring the answers. Tally them on paper and type in the counts (section III, step 5). Judge question: "How many people answered? How did you count?" |
MAJOR PAPER HOME The finding, with a number in it. The sheet comes printed with the question and the counts. |
small ORGANIZER HOME Type the finding. Judge questions: "What did you find? Which number shows it?" The organizer prints each child's not-done list, which goes home as the early-December notice. my call: the notice goes on day 7. |
| Feeds: counts → the graph on the board · finding → board preview (middle panel) and the conclusion sheet · not-done list → the notice to families | |||
| Day 8 Dec 7 / Dec 10 |
MAJOR PAPER HOME The conclusion. The sheet comes printed with the question, the finding and the counterclaim. The child checks that the counterclaim still fits the finding. |
small ORGANIZER HOME Type the conclusion, and fix the counterclaim if it no longer fits. Judge questions: "What did you learn? What would you study next?" |
small PAPER HOME Build the board: print each panel from the preview and glue it on. my call: the board goes before the abstract, since the abstract is not on the panels. |
| Feeds: conclusion → board preview (right panel) · every part → one line each on the abstract sheet | |||
| Spare Dec 14 / Dec 17 |
MAJOR PAPER HOME The abstract, 150 words at most. The sheet comes printed with one line from each part. |
small ORGANIZER HOME Type the abstract (the word count shows). Print it with the bibliography. Practice the one-minute talk from it. |
small HOME Practice the full judges' interview at the finished board, using the whole practice card. |
| Feeds: abstract → printed abstract and talk · source cards → printed bibliography · practice card → the full interview | |||
| Step | Option A | Option B |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The child writes the questions, after the background research | Day 4, block 3 | Day 5, block 3 |
| 2. Ian checks them my call: the check is done in the organizer | The week of day 4 | The week of day 5 |
| 3. The questions go back; the child plans with the homeroom teacher | Day 5, block 1 | Day 6, block 1 |
| 4. The child gives the survey or holds the interview, outside class | Between day 5 and day 6 | Between day 6 and day 7 |
| 5. The child counts the answers | Day 6, block 1 | Day 7, block 1 |