Am I crazy or does this seem like a huge project UPDATE pg 3

[BCDisneyFanatic]

I also have a fifth grader and they get out that same day of school, as well. I would be livid for a project like that, and I don't get the point, really. Don't grades need to be in soon so the kids get report cards on the last day of school? So it's not like it will be a graded assignment anyway- just busy work!!!

So there's no value to work unless it has a grade attached to it?

I think of busy work as colouring, crossword puzzles, etc. Since this assignment appears to have educational value, I think it would be a good experience for the kids.

 

[Cat0727]

For a fifth grader? Yes. Especially since it has a group project attached to it.

 

[minkydog]

My 5th grader gets out on June 18th. The last 3 days are 1/2 days with the end of the year ceremonies on the 16th. They will be doing nothing on the final 2 days.

This past week, she completed a project in reading. She had 10 or 12 days to complete it. She has to read "the hobbit" and write her own fantasy story, complete with maps, dictionary, make a prob sword, and poster. OK, a bit rushed but she really buckled down, missed a family trip over the holiday weekend, and got it done, and did well.

This past Thurs (3 days ago) they were given another book. I was shocked to see it was The Chronicles of Narnia. She is to read that book, and do a group project on the final 2 full days of school. They are to wirte an essay, with each child doing a part. And act out 2 chapters in the book. The chapters cannot be concurrent. Now--since it is a group project that means that unless the group can meet next weekend, they need to get this all done by Friday. 8 days after receiving it.

Is this a bit much for the final week and a half of school??

Completely ridiculous, and I'd call the teacher and the principal about it. "The Hobbit"? In 5th grade?? Last time I looked, JRR Tolkien wasn't exactly 5th grade reading level. "Chronicles of Narnia" I can see--it's a relatively easy read. But seriously, these projects are so out of control I don't even know what to say. What ever happend to making a book report?

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I'd be willing to bet the grade won't even count and that the administration had them turn in their grades already.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

What ever happend to making a book report?

Book reports are boring, only focus on one type of intelligence, and can be pulled off quite easily without actually reading the book if there is a movie version.

 

[DisneySaver28]

Book reports are boring, only focus on one type of intelligence, and can be pulled off quite easily without actually reading the book if there is a movie version.

Isn't that true! I received quite a few A's in high school for my "movie" reports...

 

[Teacher03]

I agree with the posters who said that teachers can't win! Our principal stresses that we teach to the very last minute of the last day of school. And believe me, she checks to make sure that we do.

As for grades, our last day was Friday and our grades are due tomorrow.

I personally think it's a great assignment. One essay question each and act it out is not that huge of a project.

 

[kydisneyfans]

Cliff notes would be my friend.

Our son was given a fairly large project near the end of 5th grade this year, and as parents we decided that he was not going to do all of the project. He learned a life lesson of "pick your battles". We really don't care if the grade drops from an A to a B since we refused to buy our growing 11 year old a suit, who remembers their 4th quarter 5th grade English grade anyway.

Forcing students to read books that may not interest them does more damage than good. Forcing them to do it in a tight time frame is even worse. I have been out of college for 13 years and the only book I have ever touched since then is the bible.

If significant class time is used, then go for it. If not, the words "wing it" come to mind. I'm not pulling my kid out of church or sports to do a book scene that was crammed into the last week, that is the teacher's problem, not mine.

 

[Disney Doll]

Seems like a lot for the last couple of weeks of school. My neighbor is a teacher and she said they usually do some "fun" educational stuff...movies, walks outside and discussing photsynthesis etc.Not big huge projects. But she's been a teacher fr quite a while and plans her lessons to give her kids the proper amount of points etc. so she doesn't have to stuff some big thing in at the end of the year.

 

[Cindy B]

Sounds like a great easy final project. Readers theater is wonderful.

As for the group aspect, kids do what it takes... My daughter is in 7th grade (the year of projects!) She had done tons of group projects without really meeting anywhere. They all just Facebook chat or text each other and it gets done. The chats go something like: In Humanities, I'll do question 1 and you do two... One time they had a menu project in Spanish and the girls each took the project home one night a week and did it at home. Mostly they all do their own part on their own computers, print it out and present it.. its not that bad at all.

 

[bananda]

My 5th grader gets out on June 18th. The last 3 days are 1/2 days with the end of the year ceremonies on the 16th. They will be doing nothing on the final 2 days.

This past week, she completed a project in reading. She had 10 or 12 days to complete it. She has to read "the hobbit" and write her own fantasy story, complete with maps, dictionary, make a prob sword, and poster. OK, a bit rushed but she really buckled down, missed a family trip over the holiday weekend, and got it done, and did well.

This past Thurs (3 days ago) they were given another book. I was shocked to see it was The Chronicles of Narnia. She is to read that book, and do a group project on the final 2 full days of school. They are to wirte an essay, with each child doing a part. And act out 2 chapters in the book. The chapters cannot be concurrent. Now--since it is a group project that means that unless the group can meet next weekend, they need to get this all done by Friday. 8 days after receiving it.

Is this a bit much for the final week and a half of school??

that seems like a huge assignment. i didn't have to do that much work in 12th grade. and the hobbit one sounds even worse.

 

[kamik86]

This doesn't seem that bad. Ok so their are like 5 kids in a group. They have to read the lion the witch and the wardrobe which is a short book (I read it in 3rd grade, then did it in school in 4th so a 5th grader should easily knock this out in a weekend unless they have a LD which makes it take longer) Then write and essay question on their own (they just decide as a group who does which one, which would take like 5 min before class starts or at recess). Then act out 2 non-consecutive chapters, which depending on which ones they choose they could pick ones with fewer characters and split their group into two subgroups (1 does the chapter with Lucy and the fawn, 1 does the part where edward first meets the witch) both have few characters and thus they can do the work at the same time and get it done with pretty quickly.

 

[disneydreamer98]

Is this a bit much for the final week and a half of school??

I think so! My boys get out on the 17th and the oldest is in 4th grade. There are so many things going one during this last week and a half (field days, field trips, school picnic...). Thankfully his teacher stopped giving homework already too! This past week was the first week they didn't have homework and I'm telling you...that's a huge gift for the kids AND the parents!

 

[kamik86]

Actually now that I read the rest of the posts it is even easier if you want to slack a bit. One question each can't cover most of the book and even if it does could probably be answered by either A) watching the movie or B) using the movie to tell you where in the book the section is find and and read that one piece to do the question.

To act out a chapter you really only need a decent understanding of the character and to know what happened in that scene, the movie gave you the character and read the chapter for the scene.

If everyone watched the movie before the day in class this could be completed in one day of class. If actually reading the book then the book would be read before the day in class and it still could easily be finished in one day.

Actually I think the stupid art projects like dioramas or whatever they are called are worse since they take more time to make look good and all the time past planning what it will look like (buying supplies, putting it together, painting) has no educational value.

 

[ajk912]

So there's no value to work unless it has a grade attached to it?

I think of busy work as colouring, crossword puzzles, etc. Since this assignment appears to have educational value, I think it would be a good experience for the kids.

Not two weeks till the end of the school year! They worked hard all year, let them have fun. Maybe if it was an in-class-only-assignment, ok, that's fine. But two weeks till school it out, I think homework and at-home-projects should be a thing of the past!!!

I get they need to be semi-productive, though. But no homework, please. I need a break. We'll see what my 5th grade class does. They finished up state testing this week, and normally after state testing is done the curriculum is done so they just have fun. I am fine with that, I think it's great. It will be interesting to see if he still comes home with homework, with school letting out June 18.

 

[clh2]

I am on the side of the fence that "school is 180 days long" please keep my child busy and engaged in school/homework.

Until high school - the bulk of work for group project should be done in school. That way, the teachers can see who is actually doing the work.

Although...with group projects...I can't stand them. Although...I've always taken the stance to support the teacher in the assignment. In my DD's HS, she usually has the option to do a group project, or do a single project. Last week, DD was attending a tournament in TN, and missed 4 days of school. She had a project assigned in Spanish, that could either be a 15 minute video group project, or a solo 9-minute video porject. She opted to do the solo project, due to her time constraints of missing so much school. In reality, she spent far less time managing the project on her own, than working with others.

Other times, she will gladly do the group project (i.e. she recently had to conduct a 30 minute work-out for her gym class) that one was much easier to do with a partner.

Group projects also became infinitely easier since DD can now drive herself to meet with groups.

(sorry to hijack this thread...) In high school - DD usually has a big project due at the end of every quarter IN EVERY CLASS. Some are group projects, others are independant. Add to this that at the end of every semester, there are exams that need to be studied for too.

So - to the OP - please get used to this type of project...PLUS a whole lot more as your child moves to the upper grades.

 

[Tink9721]

For high school, or even middle school, this would be okay. But elementary school? Kids that young shouldn't have to be stressing out like that the last week of school

 

[minkydog]

Book reports are boring, only focus on one type of intelligence, and can be pulled off quite easily without actually reading the book if there is a movie version.

Book reports are only boring if you make them boring. DD17 makes video reports all the time. Or power points. They are very interesting. When I taught 3rd grade I had the kids do book reports every 6 weeks. Usually they had some sort of project attached to it, like making a poster or acting out part of it. The best book reports were the Cereal Box book reports. They covered an empty cereal box with paper and made it look like a book, with the title on the side and on the front, maybe some pictures. On the back of the box they had to write the the 5 Ws & an H--short paragraphs, cuz it 's on a cereal box. I would line them up on the window sill like a book shelf and you'd be surprised how they would draw kids in. They just couldn't help but pick them up and read the book reports.

 

[Teacher03]

For high school, or even middle school, this would be okay. But elementary school? Kids that young shouldn't have to be stressing out like that the last week of school

It's school! 180 days, that's all. I can see having a little fun on the last day of school, but I don't get the idea that school work should end because it is close to the end of the year.

I plan accordingly, I have enough grades, but my students have assignments, tests, homework, etc. up until the last day of school. To be honest, my kids appreciate the structure. No complaints from them or the parents that I am aware of. I know some teachers that don't teach on Friday afternoons because it's Friday .

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Wow, it does sort of seem like the teacher is scrambling to finish up the year. I have a DD in 5th grade and you have me nervous. They have 12 more days of school. One is their class trip to the amusement park, one isfield trip to visit the middle school and one is field day so that leaves 9 days. I don't expect her to not have to work those days, I don't expect her to not have homework but I also don't expect any huge projexts. If we get it of course we will deal with it, but I'd be really surprised if we got one.

DD15 has just 3 more days of classes before exams start. She will have piles of homework every night through the week then will be in study ore for exams. BUT, she is in HS not elementary.

You won't hear me complain about their teachers, they planned the year well and I am pleased, but I'll be honest, I wouldn't be pleased with a huge project right at the end of the year that didn't appear to allow enough time.

As for working in groups, it is hard enough to fit in everything within our own family but trying to work with several kids outside of school with schedules like they are is hard, if there was more time yo ucould do it but with just days it may be tough.

Good luck, OP...and just think it will soon be over for a couple months!!!