Read Text 2

Read and memorize the following words.

Suggest some possible types of homework.

Look at the heading of Text 2 and try to guess what it is about.

Subjects

Study the table and answer the questions.

You can normally do/study these subjects at university but not always at school:

Medicine	Law	Philosophy	Engineering
Psychology	Sociology	Architecture	Politics
Business studies	Agriculture	History of Art

– Which subjects do the students do at University?

– Which subjects do the pupils do at school?

– Which subjects do you think are the most important to study at school\university?

4. Here are some school subjects but the letters are mixed up. What are the subjects?

Example: MGREAN – German.

1. TAHMS

2. IRTHOSY

3. CNECSEI

4. NISGEHL

5. HOGTCEYNLO

6. EHGORAGPY

7. RAT

8. SIMCU

9. EHNFCR

10.NEOCCIOSM

waste марнування

survey обстеження, інспектування

to conclude дійти висновку

to perform well добре встигати

amount кількість

issue спірне питання

to prove довести

assignment завдання

rote механічне запам’ятовування

concept поняття

value цінність

grade оцінка

to encourage заохочувати

score кількість набраних очок

to emphasize надавати особливого значення

to research досліджувати

proof доказ

resource можливість; засіб

to share a room жити в одній кімнаті

chore робота по дому

inequality нерівність

to fly in the face суперечити

opportunity можливість

low achiever невстигаючий учень

sick note лікарняний

strict punishment суворе покарання

library facilities можливості бібліотек

to skip lessons пропускати заняття

Text 2. HOMEWORK: IS IT GOOD FOR YOU?

Do You Like Homework? Did It Help You in School?

Is Homework a Waste of Time?

In the middle of the 1980s, a commission conducted a survey of American education and concluded that pupils were ‘at risk’: they were not getting a good education and not performing well in school. One easy way to improve was to increase the amount of homework.

But now, some educators think homework has gone too far. Even six-year-old pupils get homework. In some schools in California, primary school pupils do an average of two hours a week. Educators disagree on homework. There are two main issues they disagree on. The first issue is whether or not homework actually improves your studies. The second issue is whether or not homework is fair.

Does Homework Help?

There are a lot of different types of homework. Some teachers give assignments that are ‘rote’ assignments. You repeat an idea, word or concept over and over again. This might mean writing ten sentences using the verb to be or doing ten math calculations using the same formula. Critics of homework say that this work has no real learning value. Other kinds of homework include reading, writing papers or studying for tests.

Some of these types of homework assignments may indeed help you get a better grade or get a better test score. That would mean your academic achievement is higher. But are you really learning more? Some educators encourage homework that is more creative and emphasizes understanding. If you are studying Japan, for example, you might be asked to create a costumed doll or do a report on Buddhism or research food in Japan.

Is Homework Fair?

Etta Briggs from a college in California says there is no proof that homework makes you do better in school. She believes that homework is unfair.

Why? Some children have well-educated parents and lots of books and resources, including a computer, at home. They have their own room and a quiet place to study. Other children have poorly-educated parents. They have to share a room with a sister or a brother. They have no place to study, and no resources at home. They may even have a job. Etta Briggs thinks homework increases social inequality and flies in the face of the American ideal of equal educational opportunity.

Some students say that homework is good because it means they spend time with their parents. Some educators found that students who were low achievers and did very little homework had less educated parents.

Etta Briggs and other educators believe that the pupils should have time for independent work, like doing exercises, researching, writing papers and studying for exams, during the school day. What do you think?

Дата добавления: 2014-11-29