Progression of one student group's work

This paper discusses a case study of a student group working on a research project in a 5th grade science classroom. Over a 12-week unit of study, the group learned the content necessary to produce a research report on endangered species and they learned to manage their own research activities. The study addresses how the teacher and student group organized the student work such that this happened. A 4-step progression in the organization of the student group's work is identified. A key part of the findings is that the group cycled three times through this progression of increasing student autonomy and expertise.