Mumsnet jury about ds's homework, please.

[Hakluyt]

He's in year 8. Last Friday he was given geography homework- to write an essay (can't remember the exact title) about why shanty towns happen, the difficulties shanty town dwellers face. And to make a model of a house in a shanty town. Due in on the 16th, so two days before the of term.

He has asked if he can write the essay but not make the model. He isn't doing geography next year, he hates model making and anyway,with two days before the end of term nobody's going to see it. I am usually a stickler for doing homework above and beyond what is asked for, and he is very conscientious, but on this occasion, it does strike me as daft too, and secretly my inclination is to agree with him. But we have agreed that the Mumsnet jury will decide. So. Opinions?

I'm with him

He could stick some corrugated card to a piece of card, a scrap of tarp and some sticks and say sadly the house fell down in a big storm.

Sorry. I don't think that's our call. If he can convince the teacher that's up to him. But I would stay out of it.

I hate model making homework. Only an evil beyond redemption Y8 teacher would set model making geography homework. I firmly believe that model-making activities should be confined to the classroom.

I'd leave it to him.

He's old enough to decide and to take the consequences if any.

Can he draw a picture instead and claim he didn't have the materials to make a model? Then he has shown willing.

I'd probably tell dd to work to rule - stick a shoe box on some cardboard or something, so she had something to hand in, just in case detentions were handed out and ruined the last day of term or something.

(My dd wouldn't agree to this - she'd make an elaborate shanty house, but with bad grace, get in a strop when the glue didn't dry and complain about carrying the bloody thing to school but also refuse a lift, and generally make heavy weather out of the whole thing. And I would keep saying, look, just take a bloody shoe box, it's a daft homework. There would be tears).

Has the teacher said he can't just write the essay?

oYBK- yours had to be weather related!

I don't want him being a barrack room lawyer with the teacher. She set it- it's not up to him to argue with her about it. The question is, whether I agree to him just not doing it- and accepting the consequences, if there are any, or doing it. I still chase up homework in year 8.

The homework clearly isn't going to be marked anyway. What is the point of setting homework that isn't even going to get marked?

Yes, dd would have been like that, TOSN!

It definitely said and on the slip. I did ask if it was "or".

Has he said that nobody else is doing it? Because I bet lots won't, so I'd probably believe him! In which case I'd say look, DS, it's up to you - if you want to take a calculated risk on this, that's your choice, as long as you accept any codes/detentions/reprimands gracefully.

I wouldn't normally take that approach, but have on occasion, and I think model-building in the final week of term would be one of those occasions.

I would think of the easiest way to do it, put a time limit on e.g. 30mins, and do it with him.

pile of scraps of card, cloth, wood, plastic
say theres been a flood/mudslide/clearance of the favelas by the Brazilian police prior to the world cup
minimal effort, topical and tied into current events!

Is he going to learn or gain anything from making the model (no)

Is he prepared to face the consequences (yes)

I'd leave it up to him.

I would remind him that this is not going to become a regular thing (not completing homework) I would also make sure he does a decent job on the essay.

He wouldn't dare try the "no one else is doing it" line, TOSN! If he did, is big sister would look at him in amazement and say "How long have you lived with our mother?????"!

Just to point out, it's a model of a shanty town house, not a reconstruction of the Houses of Parliament. Surely he could knock it together in literally seconds - all he needs to do is go to school with some sticky tape and a piece of flat cardboard from a cereal box. He could make itat school with the contents of the nearest bin probably.
That or stick a few different shaped boxes together and cut out some doors and windows.
Is it really worth the grief to have a detention or whatever in the last couple of days of school?

Ah, so a new element to the dilemma!

Do I relax my "Are you absolutely sure this is the absolute best you can do?" approach and let him do a crap model for the sake of handing it it?

This is more complex than I thought!

Oh, I just wouldn't worry about it - I think you can relax the 'is this really your best work?' in the last week of the summer term for a rather daft homework in a subject he's not continuing!

I do know what you mean about 'everyone else', but sometimes it's true, and sometimes it's even relevant. Perhaps especially with this - for a 13 year old to arrive at school carefully carrying his sticky-backed plastic model when all his friends have sacked it off, it probably does make a difference!

www.redditchadvertiser.co.uk/news/4464636.Pupils_create_their_own_shanty_town/

www.sendacow.org.uk/lessonsfromafrica/resources/shanty-town-lesson

www.sln.org.uk/geography/geoweb/blowmedown/shanty05.swf
Online build your own house

It's possible there's an actual lesson plan in all this - combine everyone's model and build a shanty town? So if they all bunk off the lesson fails. I suppose that ultimately even if he isn't doing geography next year, it's a life lesson in terms of how other people live so I'd insist that he make something.

He could stick some corrugated card to a piece of card, a scrap of tarp and some sticks and say sadly the house fell down in a big storm.

pile of scraps of card, cloth, wood, plastic
say theres been a flood/mudslide/clearance of the favelas by the Brazilian police prior to the world cup
minimal effort, topical and tied into current events!

genius.

Oi
why didn't it make the second quote bold

Is this the best he could do ?

...let him do a crap model for the sake of handing it it?

This :)

Depends on the teacher - have they always been conscientious in their marking and set homework that is relevant and educational and relevant to the next lesson? If yes, then as a matter of courtesy, he should do the homework properly. If no and he doesn't see the educational point to doing a model of a shanty house, then being so close to the end of term, I wouldn't be cross if my child didn't bother - I have always strongly objected to the concept of bringing in homework you didn't want to do, didn't see the point of and that nobody bothers to use or mark.

DD has just handed in a huge history project, complete with the model I built her*.

They have had their final Y8 reports and I doubt it will be marked until next year, when everyone's moved on. I never saw a mark for a very painful, very time consuming geography project.

*I like craft, DD2 loathes it with a passion. Life is just too short.