And the latest hare-brained homework project is...

[Honourspren]

Outing, hence NC (though I like this new one, might keep it 😁).

For a class of 7-year-olds, homework this half-term:

Design and create a game that uses magnetic force. You will have a chance to try out your games and evaluate them as a class.

I am thoroughly annoyed, on several counts:

• The game uses magnets, which school obviously cannot supply. We therefore either have to fork out to supply our own or guess the school magnets' strength and dimensions. Kids whose parents neither own magnets they can spare, nor have the money to buy their own will automatically disadvantaged.
• There is almost no way to design a game without also supplying other materials. At the very least, cardboard - even if you go for a maze-type game, the paper won't be strong enough not to rip once you try out the game, and again, without knowing what magnets the school actually has, you cannot design a suitable map. This means planning for standard magnets, so enough cardboard for at least A3/A2 size is needed. For a racing game or fishing game (both suggested) you need to build 3D walls to stop the magnets from interacting with each other. You need a supply of paperclips for other games.
• Which means parents (let's face it, mums) will need to get involved. Find the time to plan and build together, even if 7-year-olds can decorate alone.

Now, my child is very fortunate. I know how magnets work well enough to help come up with a realistic plan (many 7-year-old plans are far too complicated and designing a working game is well beyond the mental capabilities of many young children, who will want to see theirs work come evaluation day). I can supply materials because I collect craft materials, I can supply magnets because I had the money to buy some. I can sit down with my child for a day and make a game, because I am fortunate enough to be off work.

Many children won't have that. Any of it.

We've done many craft-based activities that school asked us to do, but all of them so far were possible to do with little help. This one, however, is not.

AIBU to say that teachers should think carefully before assigning such projects to children over half-term?

3 people saying AIBU, why?

These projects have been around forever, I know, but they're often so unrealistic that even popular TV shows make fun of them - think Simpsons etc.

leave it entirely up to the child to design and build something using whatever you happen to have in their craft box.

The result will be useless crap most likely- but it will be an accurate reflection of the child’s ability.

The teacher can look at 30 piles of random cardboard and glue when the kids go back if that is what he/she wants to do.

The homework isn’t for you. The teacher has no need to know how well you can build a game.

I used to rebrand these types of homework as basically my homework. Never will I forget staying up all night alone at the kitchen table making a ww2 bomb shelter out of cereal boxes. I did get a dojo point though 😂

Good luck op

I'm a year 2 teacher and I hate homework like this for all of the reasons you listed.

I have to set homework due to my school's policy and only set worksheets.

They're predictable, not too time consuming and children can complete alone if needed.

God I hate this type of homework. When my daughter 4 she got homework to build a marble run, prize for the longest. As pp said that is homework for me, not her! And I already work full time!

The exercise isn't to succeed it is to show the children's problem solving skills. Mine has a build a working arm, to be fair they were provided with a great selection of resources. (Ireland)

YABU to do the task leave it to the child. YANBU about resources.

Surely the game is pick up the paperclips? You have a pile of paperclips or Staples or drawing pins. Then use a fishing rod to pick up as many as you can with fishing rod with (school supplies if necessary) magnet on end whilst other players count to ten

Aware the homework isn't for me. Trust me, having taken one child through the school system already, I know well when to get involved and when to leave them be and I always err on the side of leaving them to it.

This one is not only unrealistic, but also impossible to do without materials, or at least knowledge of the materials available from school, as well as parental help. I have a child who is keen on school, who loves Science and is eager to do well. I cannot just let them do nothing, which is what this would have ended up being.

It's the lack of thought into how this is possible for parents that gets me here. Like I said, I can do my part (and insist my child does everything they can do themselves).

But yes I agree I used to hate the holiday homework, make a lap book (££££ on coloured paper) make a sock puppet design a house in a shoe box etc

Get 7yo to draw some fish & stick on cardboard from cereal box.

Put a staple in each on

Put in some kind of box or tub from recycling

Tie fridge magnet, magnetic letter or piece from magnetic buildingset (whatever you have) to a piece of string & other end of string on pencil.

See no reason why a 7yo couldn't do all the above independently with some prompts.

My work-mate had 'send in a science experiment to demonstrate' for her child's homework this half term 🙄

Just get the inside of a toilet roll, write N and S on each end and presto - it identifies as a magnet.

Draw a maze on a piece of paper. Guide a paper clip around it using a fridge magnet under the paper. It’s only as complicated as you make it.

Yes. Now design this without knowing the strength of the magnet (more than one rod and they can attract if too close), the type of magnet (round/ square/ star-shaped/ rectangular), the mass of the magnet (some rods can break), make fish from paperclips or attach them to a pre-made fish. Magnets vary far too much to make this reliable without knowing the magnet you're working with.

Or go the maze way (again, dimensions needed) or a racing game (dimensions needed and interference entirely possible if not planned for).

@Honourspren eta; not quite what you asked but... for inspiration 😀

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/create-a-magnet-game-stem-activity-au-sc-2764

I wouldn't have fancied doing anything that involved small (cheap) magnets with a toddler rampaging through the house in the 35 minutes we had between getting back from the nearest holiday club via the childminder doing extra time to cover the extended travelling and into bed.

I suppose with Amazon, it's not so difficult as having to find non existent time and further money to travel to the pound shop in the hope that they had some in stock in the ten minutes before closing that I would have got there by after work (except I wouldn't have got to the holiday club before closing time/incurring a further penalty that way) - but still, FUCK THAT.

If you want a real game involving magnets, try and get an MRI scan in less than 4 weeks.

I know what we're doing. It's not me I'm concerned about; as I said, I have the resources and time to do this with my child.

I live in a piss-poor area, though, and am aware how many people around me won't.

And no, a 7-y-old will not necessarily think to take a fridge magnet (if available), have a stapler (I still stapled my fingers at 9), access to paperclips or do any other things an adult may well think of.

Jesus, they don’t work for Hasbro, it’s just homework. Most kids won’t be able to do it even if they had the magnets.

Get them to design the game with what they have, and if everything breaks / doesn’t work in the lesson then they can think about how they might have made it better knowing what they now know.

I think you’re overthinking it.

I’d have loved this as would my dc, one in particular.
we would either have created an electro magnetic motor to power something, or some sort of spring game using polarity
Maybe robot wars where you have to flip them - haven’t thought the logistics of that one through

For what it's worth, we're managing on cardboard from the back of a drawing pad, pipe cleaners, sellotape, loo rolls, packing paper from the same box the magnets came in, PVA glue and the paint I have in the house for my own artwork to build a simple racing track.

Perhaps. The scientist in me cries silently.

I always thought teachers set this homework as a test of which parents can be arsed to do it. I just did it so they didn't think I was a feckless layabout.

I do agree with these homework’s being double edged. On the one hand you know you’re capable, your child will enjoy it. But there will be a good chunk of the class without an involved engaged parent, without the disposable income or inclination to spend it on their homework.
they are normally fairly short notice so your stood in hobbycraft being ripped off.

for some kids life is really shit

This is the thing- not everyone has time, money, ability and inclination to do these things.

The fact is that those whose families DO don’t need this kind of homework (because they live in homes where they have magnet games, do crafts, go to science museums etc anyway)…

And those who DON’T- can’t or won’t do it, and the children may end up feeling embarrassed or lesser when they turn up without anything- or worse, get in trouble for not doing their homework.