Homework

[Caran]

Daughter rang me today. Problem with the 7 year old twins homework. They are doing the First World War, this is what she wanted to know.
Did I know of any relatives who fought in WW1
How old was he when he went in
What was his job before
What was his job after
Where did he live before
Where did he live after
Did he have any medals
Photos in uniform
The list went on and on.
My grandfather was in the war but I was only about 8 when he died. There are no relatives alive who can help. Daughter spent five hours on line trying to find out what she could but nothing.
If she couldn't find anything don't you think it's a bit hard for seven year olds?
She discovered a lot of mothers were complaining on Facebook so she went into school and explained to their teacher that it was not possible.
Teacher has now said it does not have to be a relative, they can pick anyone off the internet and investigate that way.
What do you think?

[woofgang]

wow 7 years old!! I think that's a bit much.

[Psybbo]

So this is homework for the parents! Surely not for 7 yr olds?

[sherrardk]

God grief, should think many children could do this homework. Some teachers are such dimwits. They have a syllabus to cover and try to think of a good way to do it without thinking it through. Thing 1 was supposed to draw clock faces the time shown on it, but all of the clock faces would have shown the same time (4 or 5 clocks showing 3.15). Most teachers do a brilliant job but some just don't think it through.

[Caran]

Exactly. They are much too young for this, they play games on PC but do not know how to investigate anything seriously.

[Prudie]

Since it started 100 years ago I think the teacher could have made it clearer. I'm a very grown-up but couldn't answer that about anyone in my family.

[sherrardk]

Shouldn't/couldn't

[ferlew]

Totally out of order, IMO.

[Maydup]

I'd be tempted to make up a little story for a 7 year old and apologise to teacher that there are no photos from those times.

[emmie]

that seven year olds are probably too young to be asked to do this, however this site might help, can't remember if you have to pay. But google can help,
John Gordon Shallis, its an incredibly sad story as many were,
i will find a link....

http://www.findmypast.co.uk/content/search-menu/military-armed-forces-and-conflict

[emmie]

he didn't fight but his brothers did, i read this the other day and honestly wept for the young men lost to this awful conflict.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2543881/World-War-Ones-conscientious-objectors.html

[EcclesCake]

Well done to the teacher for choosing a 'current' subject i.e. 100year anniversary.

Major fail for not calculating the age of relatives of the class.

[woofgang]

I think that the subject matter in detail is not a good idea for seven year olds.

[Caran]

Thanks for those links emmie I will forward them on.

[DaisyNonna]

Caran, you can borrow my Grandfather.

[Caran]

Thank you Daisy

[emmie]

just google ww1, so much info. We lost several members of the family in WW1, one to being gassed, the other no one knows.

[DaisyNonna]

Just let me know. Have some information.

[EDDIE51]

Ridiculous, I am 63 but I could not answer that.
Remember as well that a large % of those that went to war never came back. Many thousands died every day in the worst times.

[knowabit]

Would have been better to just ask the children to find some facts about ww1... My daughter is 7 and her school are doing ww2.... She had to make a poster with different facts on it.

[emmie]

it does too much to expect homework for 7 year olds, but google can provide quite a lot of info. and Daisy has said can borrow her granddad.