Thanks so much Chechuan!
I do count myself lucky that the school looks for this from their early middle schoolers.
I love the reasurance that "summarizing and integrating the source material" is a preliminary step to "Pursuing a question using source material."
Recently, due to logistics and lack of time, and vacation plans, DH and I decided to "just this time" find the sources, and spoon feed them to DS10, so he can consentrate on extracting the info and then integrating it into a paper. I hope that I am not going down the path of overinvolvement, but flexibly reacting to the situation, good but not perfect, that we are in. Luckily this current science project will be just one of many in which he gets to "try, try again" at this skill of what I'm starting to call, finding an answer in a bookstack.
I also am more clear that I understand the reason behind forbiding the use of Internet search engines for the Middle Schoolers, but that I think this is one of those areas where DS should be judged as the unique individual he is, and not by the usual age-based guidelines.
Thanks for the link to your daughter's project. I skimmed it and sure loved the lovely juxtaposition of above level interests and sophistication with the "real kid" touches.
Wish me luck!
Trinity
