Should Homework Be Banned?
Ages: 10-13
Suggested length: 1-2 class periods (45-55 minutes each)
Device accessibility: 1 device per 1-2 students
Lesson Information
At a glance
In this lesson, students will explore a partly made Kialo discussion on the question, “should homework be banned?” This lesson is designed for students to engage with a familiar topic so that they can form a conclusion and articulate a series of reasons to support it. Students will be assigned a position for or against the discussion’s thesis. Breaking into small groups, students will try to convince other students in their group of their position.
Students will be assessed on their participation and completion of an Exit Ticket.
Learning objective(s)
In this lesson, students will:
- Develop argumentation skills to persuade others.
- List a series of reasons to back their beliefs.
- Articulate their opinions to support or rebut a position.
Prior knowledge
No specific prior knowledge is required for this lesson.
Teacher preparation
- Make 1 clone of the discussion for each student group.
- We recommend about 4-5 students per group.
- In the provided Kialo discussion, there is a default discussion task for students to add 3 claims. You can alter discussion task settings in your own clone and then use it as a template for any subsequent clones you wish to make.
- You can also edit the student instructions to reflect any changes.
- When inviting students to their clones of the discussion, give them either Writer or Editor permissions.
Provided materials
- The Kialo discussion, “Should Homework Be Banned?” This consists of:
- A brief background on the topic.
- A partly developed Kialo discussion for students to engage with. This contains arguments for and against the thesis “Homework should be banned,” to which students can add their own thoughts.
- Lesson plan for educators (.docx / .pdf).
- Exit ticket for students (.docx / .pdf).
Lesson Plan
Suggested length: 1-2 class periods (45-55 minutes each)
Lesson components:
– Opener (5 minutes)
– Activity
– Part A: Explore and contribute to the Kialo discussion (partial period)
– Part B: Persuade group members (1 class period)
– Closer and filling out Exit Ticket (15 minutes)
Assessment
Students will be assessed on their participation in the discussion and the completion of an exit ticket.
Opener (5 minutes)
- Spark student interest by posing one or both of the following questions. Encourage students to share their answers with the whole class.
- What is the purpose of homework?
- What is your earliest memory of doing homework?
Activity
Part A: Explore the Kialo discussion (partial class period)
- Have students independently explore the discussion.
- Once students are finished, ask those who are in favor of banning homework to go to one side of the room and those who are against it to move to the opposite side of the room.
Part B: Contribute to discussion and persuade classmates (1 class period)
- Divide students into groups of 4-5 students. Ensure that there is a diversity of opinions in each group.
If there is an uneven number of students for and against the thesis, you may assign some students to argue for a particular side.
- Assign each group their own clone of the Kialo discussion. Direct each student to add 3-4 claims to the discussion with examples from their own experience. For example, under the claim, “Homework gives students the opportunity to gain independence,” students can add a con claim such as “Sometimes homework is frustrating, especially when I get stuck.”
You can keep track of how many claims each student has added by pressing the ≡ Discussion Menu icon in the top-left of the discussion and looking at the Tasks tab.
- Direct students to take turns sharing their conclusions with the group and trying to convince other group members.
Closer and filling out the Exit Ticket (15 minutes)
- Once more, ask the students to go to one side of the room if they agree with banning homework and to the other side if they are against it.
- Discuss with the class: “Has anybody switched sides? If so, why?”
- Have students fill out the Exit Ticket individually before they leave class.