ASSIGNMENTS YOU WISH THE TEACHER HAD GIVEN

(Or you can just say she did. A partly serious idea.)

Suggested activities that might fit nicely in the sciences category and include observation, experimentation and recording results.

1. Clean one set of windows with plain water and the other with vinegar. Compare the results. Complete windows using the better method, and write one sentence on the outcome

2. Clean windows with coffee filter, newspaper and paper towels (used sparingly). Continue using the better method. Write one sentence on results.

3. Wash cupboards and determine which works better for corners,

q tips, old tooth brushes or wooden skewers. After cleaning all cupboards record the results.

4. After laundry is dried experiment with folding methods that work the best. Watch a video on folding laundry. Choose two methods to try, for example, rolling neatly or folding in the Marie Kondo method. Write one or two sentences about which works best for fitting into the drawers.

5. Sweep under bed and put the gatherings in a zip lock bag for future analysis. (Similar to the owl pellet assignment common in grade four.)

6. A matching activity. Pair Tupperware tops with containers. Write a sentence describing the result. Where are the most mismatched.? Dispose of ones without partners.

7. Examine all toys with small pieces for this matching activities. Put all toys that are alike together, e.g. all Legos, all action figures, all Happy meal toys. Write a sentence about what you discovered. What attribute did you use to determine what belonged together, e.g. size, color or function? Then put the collections away.

8. Vacuum the floor three times using different patterns and make a judgment regarding which one might be the best for cleaning the floor in the most thorough and efficient way. Write a sentence about your results.

9. Do a chart of how many seconds it takes to tidy up your room, marking the time for each day and noting variables that might have an influence.

10. Timed activities can be a little risky as are competitions between siblings where quality control is a factor, but these could work in some settings. An example might be, who can fill the bag with raked up leaves the fastest?

11.Parents choice. Please create a lesson (tell your child this is also at the direction of the teacher) and share with other parents. Ones that requires measurement or comparison can usually appear “legitimate.”

In my work as a school psychologist I sometimes suggested that parents borrow the authority of the teacher in certain situations. Maybe in such challenging times, it would be OK to fabricate the authority of the teacher. Make sure to keep all the recorded results to share with your children in 10 or 15 years.