making a castle

[NotionPotion]

Thank you so much for your suggestions (and your amusement sarah).
I'm on the case!
I too doubt the educational value of such an exercise but I suppose at least it's memorable.

[deontological]

NotionPotion/magwich2,

Your scepticism (of the educational value of building castles) is a very healthy academic attribute - it helps injecting rigour to your own conclusions or views. But if we suspend our presumptions for a moment and perhaps write down what we mean by "learning" (at school or elsewhere), we might be surprised by the definitions that we come up with.

Critics of the modular development of the curriculum of recent years would argue that we're forgoing the rigorous and intellectual contents in favour of the “softerâ€

[sj355]

I always dread these 'make a model' tasks.
DD has to make a model of a medieval castle-presumably from cardboard and such like.
Has anyone got any tips?-please don't mention the word paper-mache though or I may hyper-ventilate!

My son was asked in year 7 to make a model of a cell. Anyway we made a tennis ball sized one using hair gel. The next day he went to class and a boy had brought an enormous cell model (the size of a bouncing ball you sit on!). He had apparently spend all night working on it. The teacher said "Oh, this is wonderful D..... Buuuuut, where is the nucleus??"

[mike1880]

"Surely the process through which the young learner and her family have been put through the paces by building castles can be a valuable and meaningful learning experience for both"

If that's the school's objective then I'm afraid it's an illegal breach of the parents' "right to enjoy family life".

Mike

[SunlampVexesEel]

Unfortunately DD hasn't had Castles set yet... she did a 3D Topological thing with contours... (which was great fun!). DS last had to do some models of polyhedra (which also has great possibilities)...

Sounds like this task is as easy or hard as you decide to make it...

But for hard...

http://www.buildmodelcastles.com/html/castles.html



Regards
SVE

[paula]

My DD is currently in yr 7 at middle school and has so far had to build a model castle, a plant cell and a wind turbine.
At first I thought what a waste of time but for once it was refreshing to see my academic high flyer actually having to think. I am all in favour of children having a broad education.
This is probably because my DH can program the computer but please don't ask him to change the plug on it!
Life is not purely theory or recalling facts.

[NotionPotion]

Ok.
The castle is under construction-decided on the Motte and Bailey one (appeared easier to make). It involves bits of a cornflake packet made into cone/hill type shape, lollypop sticks, toothpicks, small box shapes in brown paper.
It actually looks reasonable but ended up with very late dinner, child also fitting in washing and drying hair, stressed parents (a bit like that Father Ted episode where they were composing a song for Europe!) and going to bed a bit late too.
Deontological-interesting points made. theoretically I agree with you but as paula says "Life is not purely theory.." -no but seriously we did all get together trying to assist in the project and I think a certain degree of satisfaction was gained from the experience and it also calls into question how busy our lives are and how we should plan our time more effectively, etc.
I'll let you know how I feel when the final construction is fully completed.

[cam]

I recall my children using vast quantities of cocktail sticks on the top of a cake to repell marauding Romans. All great fun and not even for homework, but an edible castle that would have to be an A.

[Marylou]

Y7? My youngest has just been asked to make a castle for homework and she's in Y1! Better hang on to it for a few years, then!

(Just so that she can say "Here's one I made earlier - a lot earlier.)

[Tattycoram]

Homework is a necessary evil to reinforce what should have been learnt in lessons

I totally agree!