Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Is Homework Too Much

This is an arguement that crops up from time to time. Is homework detrimental to our kids or a value to their education?
I've always thought that for the teenage years that homework should be set because it's important for them to develop research skills and be able to work towards a deadline etc.
For younger kids I've always though some homework is OK in moderation but at times the schools seem to go a bit far for younger kids.
Take this as an example.
My 10 year old son currently has a homework assignment to do on top of his usual daily homework of maths and english. He was given two weeks to do the assignment and it is now due this Friday. The assignment is on the First Fleet and Australia's First Settlement: here are the 4 parts to the assignment:
1. Predict the cost os feeding the convicts on the voyage of the first fleet.
2. Draw an outline of Port Jackson and highlight the important features for the settlers.
3. Construct a model of the First Settlement.
4. Describe what the landscape would have been like for the first settlers.

Now Q4 is just some creative writing and Q2 is just a map, now worries. But the other 2 questions, considering NO supportive information has been provided by the teacher, are just too much. After some hours of searching I managed to find a sketch of the First Settlement and from that I have made a model - a challenge for me let alone a 10 year old, but Q1 has been rediculous. We've managed to find a list of the provisions taken with the first fleet but do you think I can find any information on the net stating the cost of food in the late 1700's or the amount of food given to each convict...ridiculous, and I've been spending hours and hours looking, how is a 10 year old expected to do this?

1 comment:

Kutu Cat said...

sounds like you will end up doing it for him then ;P