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it seems to under pitch half the content while asking the kids to do a lot - if that makes sense.

It certainly does make perfect sense--that's what we see as well. DD is certainly being taught to tote that barge, etc. I don't like to describe her HW here because it would be too identifying, but in terms of special projects, what she is asked to do was asked of me in perhaps 5th grade. She writes lengthy research reports and so on.