Castle Project

[RUDisney]

This morning, I was going to post a complaint about a project my DS had to do, and every 7th grader has to do over the Christmas break. They have to construct a castle in groups of 2. It is for 15 points on their lowest test score.

Of course, my DS and his partner didn't start the project until Saturday night. Of course, I had to stay in the living room to make sure that they weren't screwing around instead of working.

My problem with the project was that I have no idea what this project is supposed to teach them. They have no idea either.

I mentioned the project to my 8th grade CCD students yesterday and they said that the sole purpose is to select the best one so the students who did it can get their picture in the paper. This didn't make me feel any better.

So, I drove my DS and his partner to school (luckily his partner lives a block away from us) with their castle. It was made out of a cardboard box, and some cut down gift boxes and everything was covered with aluminum foil and gold foil. It looked like 2 7th grade boys put it together.

When my DS got home, he told me that his teacher said that there was only one castle better than my DS's. Really, there was nothing special about it. I can only imagine how bad some of them must have been if theirs was one of the best ones.

I still don't know the purpose of the assignment, though, and the boys are still scratching their heads about the point of it, too.

 

[Pigeon]

I'm sorry. My dd had a similar complete waste of time assignment over the vacation. Hers required the purchase of many specific, expensive and nearly impossible to locate craft supplies. I know driving all over creation and spending a small fortune on this stuff is exactly what I wanted to do over the holidays.

There are some teachers who simply can't sleep nights if the kids aren't saturated with busywork every minute they aren't in school.

 

[JMD]

I can only imagine how bad some of them must have been if theirs was one of the best ones.

Sorry, I have no input on the castle project, but this line made me laugh.

 

[DeluxePrincess]

I am all for projects that have a purpose, but when they start getting into the obvious "busywork" category, I start to go crazy! Last year over spring break DD, a thrid grader at the time, had to construct something from an egg carton. I thought they were learning about recycling, but the teacher didn't even draw upon that point. The parent letter explained that the teacher thought it would be "cute" to see what the kids could come up with. The project itself was fun for DD, but what on Earth was her point in assigning it? Oh, I just can't wait for the middle school years when the projects start to get really crazy.

 

[PrincessCLM]

Ugh I remember having to make a castle and a crown one year in middle school. We were supposed to be learning about the Middle Ages (royalty, serfs, etc). To this day, I have no clue what making a castle taught me about the Middle Ages...

 

[DarthKTrava]

That it's easier to build one out of cardboard than the stones they used back then?

Maybe it's to teach kids how to work together....

 

[Gina]

There are some teachers who simply can't sleep nights if the kids aren't saturated with busywork every minute they aren't in school.

I have to agree with this. So many teachers (and waaaayyyy too many DIS'ers) completely flip out when people like me pull their kids out of school for vacations and family stuff. "They miss so much work" yadda yadda yadda. But if families can't travel or whatnot during ACTUAL HOLIDAY BREAKS, because they'll miss just as much then, when exactly should we go on vacation??

 

[kkmcan]

It's so funny I saw this posted because my dd (6th grade) just came home with a paper that said the kids will be making a Castle project due Jan. 29th. Yikes, we have our next DL trip for the 24th-27th. UGH!

 

[Dismom+two]

I have to agree with this. So many teachers (and waaaayyyy too many DIS'ers) completely flip out when people like me pull their kids out of school for vacations and family stuff. "They miss so much work" yadda yadda yadda. But if families can't travel or whatnot during ACTUAL HOLIDAY BREAKS, because they'll miss just as much then, when exactly should we go on vacation??

My sister was just saying yesterday that her daughter had a book to read and paper to write over vacation. She was complaining and I agree with her,
Heaven forbid we take our child out of school for a few days but they think NOTHING of giving them a big project over THEIR school vacation.

Mind you...this is coming from someone who works in a school and a husband that is a high school teacher!

 

[RUDisney]

That it's easier to build one out of cardboard than the stones they used back then?

Maybe it's to teach kids how to work together....

That HAS to be it! I'll mention that to my DS... easier from cardboard than from stones.

As for working together, most of his projects are done in groups because it's easier for the teachers to grade a percentage of projects vs. 100% of the students' work. At least that's how it was explained by my next door neighbor... a HS teacher.

It's so funny I saw this posted because my dd (6th grade) just came home with a paper that said the kids will be making a Castle project due Jan. 29th. Yikes, we have our next DL trip for the 24th-27th. UGH!

May I suggest this website to you... http://www.yourchildlearns.com/castle.htm

I told my BFF when I saw her before Christmas about this project. Basically, you print out the pieces of the castle and glue or staple them together after you color them. That's what her DD used in 6th grade and she got full credit for it. I just couldn't convince my DS that he should use this website, too.