500 words at detention

[Iceweasel]

My year 7 had a detention for missing a few homework tasks this year in the same subject. He writes homework in his diary but then usually completes it the same day after school from memory. He dislikes this subject so delayed doing the tasks and therefore forgot. In future, I will ensure he checks the diary and ticks off tasks.

So, he had to write 500 words about why he didn't do the homework. He could only think of 15. In my first paragraph I could only write 61 and I think I have covered everything. What should he have written to write 500 words?

I want him to be better prepared in case he has to repeat the punishment when the teacher reads what he has written. I would support this as he has not written nearly enough, but he genuinely doesn't have a clue how to write ' I forgot my homework three times this year' in 500 words (and neither do I).

if I was being cheeky I would write 500 words about more fun uses of my time being why I didn't do homework.

in reality 100 words of excuse, 100 words apologising, 100 about why homework is important in general, 100 about what will change so it doesn't happen again, 100 about why that particular subject is important.

The basic essay plan for any essay -
say what you're going to say
say it
say you've said it

so..
"I have been tasked with writing a 500 word essay on why I forgot to do by homework for Mr/mrs whoever on the subject of blah blah blah. I shall explain how I usually plan my homework and what happened in this particular case.

I always write my homework in my diary and aim to complete it that evening or the following evening. X subject is not my favourite so I put off doing the homework on the first evening , then the second, then it was the weekend and before I realised it, the homework was due and I hadn't completed it. (could pad a bit more with how much geography / art you had been given as well)

In conclusion I have explain how i plan my homework and what happened in this case."

That's 136 words - and still plenty of scope to get nearer to 500.
I have to admit I once won a competition at school for the best excuse to not hand in my homework...............

Writing why the subject is important is a good idea. You could probably get some info from Google on that. Jobs it leads to, how it is used/enhances daily life

That's genius. I would love DS to do that (500).

Thanks for the ideas and sorry for the late reply. I have shown DS this thread so he should be better prepared if there is a next time! I would have thought like him and just answered the direct question of why the homework wasn't done, it wouldn't have occurred to me to write anything about the subject or homework being important as that wasn't the question. So the ideas will be a great help if he has to do something like this again.

In school we get very imaginative and funny stuff on this eg.. Miss Brown is my favourite teacher and l find her classes so interesting. I can't believe l forgot her homework as l want her to think well of me. ....blah blah blah...makes me laugh as l read through.
Also could write a paragragh on how disappointed his parents are exaggerate exaggerate. Its all about hyping up his remorse to astronomical levels.
Also remember it may go straight to shredder so only first few paragraphs need to be totally serious.
Some kids are brilliant at this and its good for your ds to learn to write the same thing in multiple ways.

Sounds good to me. In the school my kids go to they just sit there - it is literally a derentiin nothing else. I can sort of see the logic, but for my ds, sitting looking out of the window isnt really a punishment.

June, are the kids given any hints that this is the approach they should take to the task? DS had never done this before so didn't have a clue. He is worried sick this morning as he has this subject for the first time since the detention and is scared at what his teacher's reaction is going to be.

The teacher will probably know he did his best but didn't know what else to write, which is understandable. My dd wouldn't have known either

All okay! It wasn't mentioned in class so it seems attending the detention was good enough.

I was well into this thread and wondering why I was the only person who thought it dreadful that a 7 year old was having to write 500 words because they didn’t hand in homework