I have to lay my cards on the table: I am not a big fan of homework. As a teacher and parent, I have often seen children spend time on tasks that took little thought and involved little learning. While I don’t advocate a regime of no homework, teachers should give careful consideration to the tasks we give and their purpose.
There are a number of ways to assess understanding, practise a skill, consolidate something learned in class and maybe even engender some enthusiasm for our subject:
- Explain what you have learnt to your parents
Ask students to write a short explanation of their task for parents to sign and comment on - a great way to engage them in their child’s learning.
- In 50 words, explain to an imaginary eight-year-old brother what you have learnt today
The word limit and age of the intended audience mean students have to think hard. And it is a great way to assess their understanding of the lesson.
- What if .
Get students to create a fake newspaper front-page story with a headline such as “The world stops spinning”. This can be adapted to just about any subject.
- Draw the picture
Give the students a relevant picture, such as a parachutist in free fall for “terminal velocity”, and ask them to describe the science involved in 48 words.
- Choose two questions from your textbook, one easy, one hard
Ask the students not to answer them, but to explain why one is easy and one isn’t.
- The amazing mug trick
Ask them to do a simple practical at home for their parents. For Year 8s, use the amazing mug trick to demonstrate refraction. Put a coin in the bottom far side of a mug and move your head so it is just out of view. Pouring water in causes the coin to appear as if by magic.
- Moon crash
Get students to research conditions on the moon and then choose seven objects that would enable them to escape from a crashed spaceship. This could be adapted for any satellite or planet.
Simon Porter is a science teacher at the British School in Warsaw
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