Year 7 make a model castle

[Tinkers]

This is a a question from a friend of mine who isn't on here, but I offered to ask. Our DDs were at primary together, but now go to different secondaries.

As the title says it's about making a model castle in year 7.

Her DD has to make a model castle. Tbh, the mum is fed up of the number of model type home works her DD has been getting and had a whinge about, only to be told by another mum that it's on the NC and EVERY year 7 has to make one.

My DD hasn't, but then we are only half way through year 7.

Can anyone else who has gone past this point shed some light whether it really is a part of the year 7 NC that they have to make a castle. (And from a personal pov, whether I need to start stashing suitable stuff for when my DD comes home with the same homework)

[Guest55]

No it's not required to make a castle. My DS had to research different types and several schools I know don't make them.

Looking at some of the pictures of the results seen online, it's pretty obvious to me that parents have been busy!

[Tinkers]

Thanks, as I suspected. I did think it would be a much better project if they had to research different types of castle, draw them and explain what the various bits were and what their function was.

I guess with all these model type home works, parents often get more involved than perhaps they should.

[southbucks3]

Ds did not have to make one, but the school did organise a year 7 history day full of activities, so the extra bit of curriculum may have been covered then.

Apparently it is river basin model in year 8 (done that, got the merit postcard ) and a volcano in year 9?

Currently we are making sugar skulls for art, which is actually good fun, and we all have one waiting to dry (except boring farty husband) This did backfire a bit, as ds1 is not arty and his littlest bruv is very much so and managed to mould a skull in two seconds flat, annoying big bruv in the process! Mine is the best..of course...

Personally I think if it gets parents "playing" with their teenagers then it is a good thing, as a parent you have to be very strong and resist taking over, or prodding about when they have gone to their rooms. (All I did was make the skulls teeth a bit more prominent) )

[DC17C]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-Castle-Usb ... d+a+castle" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
DD and I built this together- took ages lots of cutting out and stuck it all together with narrow double sided tape - easier than glue. DD then stuck little flags all over it and described all the different parts of it and worked out from internet research that it was a copy of a castle near Hastings so fitted in with the Normans theme.
I thought it was a bit of a cheat but it was fun to do together.
I kept it just in case DS had to make one the following year -as it was a different school -but they had to do research about different sorts of castles and their features so it was not needed.

[scary mum]

Mine haven't made models of anything since primary school except for model DNA that got eaten by the teacher! Or if they have, they haven't told me!

[estelle]

Neither of mine have had to make castles thank goodness!

[Tinkers]

Thanks everyone. I have sent her the link to this post so she is seeing your replies.

[pheasantchick]

No model castles here, either, although dc1 did have to write an essay on the development of castle through the ages.

[stroudydad]

Son had to make one, so made a minecraft and did a guided tour. Then built a basic replica model of his minecraft one.