Homework Resources for Research

[TreesandRug]

Hi, My DS has just started secondary and he's getting homework which wants him to research various topics and is struggling with it. This weeks was a list of countries and the instructions to find examples of injustice in these countries. I was sat with him whilst he was doing it and even with my suggestions of things he could google it was really hard for him to find relevant information at the right level- he was getting a lot of wikipedia and very detailed technical stuff coming up.
I've tried googling but the only thing I've found is britanica.com and that charges. Does anyone have links to any good free sites for kids to use for research?

I really loathed these types of homeworks.

I think teachers really underestimate how time consuming and frustrating they are, especially for slower readers.

No idea on sites, how about Amnesty International?

Your local library may have subscriptions to resources like Britannica which you can access if you are member (you can join public libraries for free but not sure if you can sign up online). Just checked the local offering for mine and frankly, it isn't great, but hopefully yours will be.
Quite a difficult topic to search for. You could search online newspaper archives (libraries hopefully have the access).

Thanks for the commiseration.

The library idea was a good one- sadly I've just looked and mines hopeless.

I think I'm accepting that this is a joint homework and trying adding lots of 'summary' and 'in a nutshell' to our searches.

The other approach i took for these things was to use my general knowledge to identify a possible topic and go from there.

So Injustices in various countries:
UK - Guildford 4 miscarriage of justice
Australia - removal of land from Aboriginals
Afghanistan - not letting girls go to school (and women's rights in general)
USA - 'walking whilst black' - racism in police forces
Rohinga (sp) muslims whatever country that is in
Russia - imprisonment without trial
etc.

Adding "for kids" as a search term is a good idea so that you get results that are quite simple and straightforward. I assume that they are written with a home education reader in mind.
I think that schools should recommend specific sites like BBC Bitesize for assignments like this.

Q-files.com is suitable for year 7 and does a 30 day free trial with no obligation (or need to enter credit card details). There’s a page on each country and may contain examples of injustice.

There are a few suggestions on TikTok , actually. ( my DS doesn’t have an account. I get the resources off there for him )

• connected papers
• Research rabbit
• Elicit
• Scite
• Scopus

👆 are a few

You can try adding "school" or " homework" to your search term, eg searching "school science fossil fuels" instead of " fossil fuels" or "homework on injustice in Nigeria" rather than just "injustice in Nigeria" etc

I hope the list includes injustice in the UK!

Try using ChatGPT to give you an initial set of ideas and then use this to pull out relevant points to look into further.

This is what ChatGPT came up with for 'give examples of injustice in the UK'

Injustices can take many forms, and the United Kingdom, like any other country, has faced various issues related to social, economic, and political inequality. Here are some examples of injustices in the UK:

1. Income Inequality: The UK has seen a significant gap between the wealthy and the poor. The richest individuals and corporations often benefit from tax loopholes, while many working-class families struggle to make ends meet.
2. Racial Inequality: Racial disparities exist in various aspects of life, including education, employment, criminal justice, and healthcare. The Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community often faces discrimination and unequal opportunities.
3. Gender Pay Gap: Women in the UK, on average, earn less than men for the same work. This gender pay gap reflects deep-seated inequalities and disparities in the workplace.
4. Housing Crisis: There is a shortage of affordable housing in many parts of the UK, leading to homelessness and a lack of secure, affordable living conditions for many citizens.
5. Education Inequality: Access to quality education can vary significantly based on socioeconomic status and geographic location. Some schools in disadvantaged areas may lack resources and produce worse educational outcomes.
6. Criminal Justice System: Inequities in the criminal justice system, such as racial profiling and over-policing of minority communities, have raised concerns about systemic bias and discrimination.
7. Immigration Policies: The UK's immigration policies and practices have been criticized for their impact on vulnerable populations, including asylum seekers and refugees.
8. Disability Rights: People with disabilities often face barriers to employment, education, and accessing public spaces, despite legal protections in place.
9. LGBTQ+ Discrimination: Discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals can still be an issue, with cases of hate crimes, employment discrimination, and prejudice in some areas.
10. Environmental Injustice: Certain communities, often low-income and minority neighborhoods, bear the brunt of environmental pollution and degradation, leading to health disparities.
11. Access to Healthcare: The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK has faced challenges in providing equitable healthcare access, with issues such as long waiting times and regional disparities in service quality.
12. Age Discrimination: Ageism can affect older individuals in areas such as employment, healthcare, and access to social services.

It's important to note that efforts to address these injustices are ongoing, with organizations, activists, and policymakers working to create a more just and equitable society in the UK. Laws and policies have been introduced to tackle many of these issues, but systemic inequalities persist and often require continued advocacy and reform to address effectively.

My personal view is that encouraging students to use AI for research will have more negatives than positives.
However using it as the parent to get ideas to research would be different.

In the case above the AI seems to be using inequality to be synonymous with injustice which could be problematic.

ChatGPT is genius!
I'll not let DS at it, but it perfect for giving me examples of things to google. My general knowledge isn't brilliant so whilst I can do 'Germany lets google Nazis' I'm looking at some of these counties and thinking 'hmmmm, I think you're in the Middle East somewhere...'