I had a question regarding giving homework. How often, if ever do you "cover" material solely through a homework assignment? It seems like at the secondary level that there can be so much material that appears at the end of the year that it cannot be all covered in class right? I'm going mainly with Social Studies but I'm sure this thought process can be applied to other disciplines.
For my AP students....quite often. Sometimes readings cover material that are not used in class and often times class covers material not in the readings. I could lecture right out of the book, but that would defeat the purpose of actually having my students read. Generally, my classes build upon the readings that were assigned as homework.
Sadly, it happens a lot for me in my World History course. Indiana standards for World History require we cover Paleolithic Man to 2001 in one year for the entire world . . . so I feel forced to cover material with homework. I give my students Choice Boards to cover those areas not covered in class. With these choice boards, students have several options to complete the project on the topic; they choose some type of writing assignment and two other assignments from creating a mobile, designing a BB based on a standard, writing a song, timeline, etc . . .
At the secondary level this shouldn't be a problem. It is supposed to be prep for college, and we all know how much material is covered outside of lectures in college.
Much depends on the ability of your students. If the majority of your students are not capable of reading primary sources or their textbooks and comprehending the material, you can assign work for them to "cover" outside of class but it will be an exercise in futility and in my opinion, not the fault of the students when it is not learned.
I don't cover any material through homework. In my district, homework is for practice of material that is learned in class. However, most of my students don't do homework anyway, so I'd never be able to get them to learn something new that way.
Katel makes a good point. I know many students just copy or don't do the HW anyway. Then my question shifts to how do you determine how much time to spend on a topic.
"Covering" material sounds like preparing for a standardized test. Instead, let us say we "Uncover" material. Kyle
I tend not to assign reading homework because, well, it doesn't get done. I WILL assign writing, vocab and grammar - things kids CAN do on their own and I would LIKE to do in class but I never have time.
And that is what I get with assigning a choice board as a project for homework - drawings, writing songs, journal entries, obits, creating BB's ect . . . .
