The document discusses a research project done with 4th grade students using iPads. The goals were to prepare students for 5th grade independent projects and teach 21st century skills. Students picked their own topics to research, using books, online databases, and apps for note-taking and creating books. The project allowed differentiation and building on skills. What worked well was student choice, the book creator and note-taking apps, and producing books to share. Improvements could include finding a better note-taking app and collaborating with classroom teachers.

1. Students, iPads & Research
A Perfect Combination
Mary Catherine Coleman
colemanmarycatherine@gmail.com
Lauren Crooke
lcgcrooke@gmail.com

2. Goal: Prepare the 4th graders for their
5th grade independent research projects.
Teach 21st
Century skills and
the research
process.
Find relevant
apps that
supported the
process.
Introduce our
online
database.

3. Why Inquiry?

4. Statue of Liberty
gift from France
New York?
where exactly is it?
why did they
give it to us?
when?
where did the idea
for it come from?
what is it made out
of?
who designed it?
how was it built?
famous poem on
tablet she's
holding
author?
why this poem?
how is it taken
care of?
cost?
how many
visitors?
other cool facts?

5. Finding Resources in the Library

6. Using books as the first stop
and re-evaluating the topic
Statue of Liberty
gift from France
New York?
where exactly is it?
why did they
give it to us?
when?
where did the idea
for it come from?
what is it made out
of?
who designed it?
how was it built?
famous poem on
tablet she's
holding
author?
why this poem?
how is it taken
care of?
cost?
how many
visitors?
other cool facts?
Mrs. Crooke topic

7. Note-taking

8. Titanic sinking.
when exactly
was it found?
did the captain go
down with the
ship?
how were the third
class cabins?
how were the first
class cabins?
how was the
food?
found recently
what ships were in
reach to help the
titanic when it sank?the carpathia helped
the titanic
who was the
captian of te
titanic?
why did it sink?
why and how was it
built? and did that
influence how it
sank?
where was it
when it sank?
Edward John
Smith
facts.
heated swimming
pool, squash
courts, libraries once it was found
tourists paid
3,600$ to visit it in
submarines
"Titanic (ship)."
Grolier Multimedia
Encyclopedia.
Grolier Online,
2013. Web. 13
Nov. 2013.600 crew
members
carried over
2200 only
enough
lifeboats for
about 1200 http://
www.sciencekids.co.n
z/sciencefacts/
engineering/
titanic.html
chapter one: the
building
http://
www.sciencekids.co.n
z/sciencefacts/
engineering/
titanic.html
the remains of the
titanic sits 12400
below the surface.
it was 882 ft long
175 ft tall
built between
1909 and 1911
3years to build
http://
octopus.gma.org/
space1/titanic.html

9. Searching
in
Grolier

10. Internet Searching

15. Final
Thoughts:
What
was
successful:
• Students
picking
their
topics
of
interest
• Book
Creator
and
Popplet
apps
• Project
allowed
for
differen<a<on-­‐
no
ma?er
the
student’s
skill
level
all
were
able
to
produce
a
book
• Building
on
previous
skills
(note-­‐taking,
cita<on,
etc.)
• The
students
were
able
to
share
their
work
outside
the
classroom.
What
we
would
do
differently:
• Note
taking
app-­‐
look
for
a
more
user
friendly
app
• Have
students
use
their
classroom
iPads
• Collaborate
with
the
classroom
teachers
so
aspects
of
the
project
could
be
worked
on
in
the
classroom-­‐
including
wri<ng
and
edi<ng
skills.