| Think about incorporating a variety of homework | | | | look at the stars and observe them every night for 15 |
| activities into your lesson plans. To come up with some | | | | minutes. What do they notice changing? |
| great homework activities, think of things that will | | | | · Give your students a magnifying glass to |
| extend their comprehension of things you are studying | | | | study the world of their backyard or a park up close. |
| in class. Also, be sure to think of activities that will | | | | Have them write about what they see. |
| incorporate your students' home environment. | | | | Indoor homework activities: |
| Here are some innovative homework activity ideas: | | | | · Have your students think of ways that they |
| Homework activities using the World Wide Web: | | | | can conserve electricity or water at home. |
| The internet is an important part of daily life these | | | | · Give your students safe, at-home science |
| days. Think about incorporating it into your students' | | | | experiments. For instance, have them put two ice |
| homework. Here are some homework activities that | | | | cubes in separate cups and add salt to one of the ice |
| use the World Wide Web: | | | | cubes and see what happens. Or have them mix corn |
| · Create a classroom page or group and have | | | | starch and water and see what they get. |
| your students post their homework assignments on it. | | | | · Have your students use household objects to |
| Also, have your students post a comment or question | | | | create musical instruments. |
| once a week or answer or respond to another | | | | · Have your students turn on TV for just 10 |
| student's comment or question. | | | | seconds, write down as much as they heard and saw, |
| · Have your students check online | | | | and then have them turn that information into a story. |
| newspapers for stories that relate to whatever lesson | | | | Other homework activities ideas: |
| you are teaching. | | | | · Give each of your students a chance to |
| · Have your students make and update their | | | | come up with their own homework activities (within |
| own web pages | | | | certain restrictions) to assign the other students. |
| Outdoor homework activities: | | | | · Create a scavenger hunt for your students |
| · Have your students help the environment by | | | | to follow throughout the week. |
| picking up litter in their neighborhoods. | | | | · Divide your students into groups and have |
| · Have your students gather different types of | | | | them work together as a team to come up with |
| leaves, rocks, insects, etc. and bring them to class. | | | | inventions. |
| Have them guess what they are, and then have | | | | · Have your students call or e-mail |
| guides in your classroom to figure out what they | | | | representatives of your states with ideas or questions, |
| actually are. | | | | etc. |
| · Make a flower press to add plants to every | | | | · Have your students write to a company to |
| week. You can then take the pressed plants and add | | | | learn more or to express a problem, etc. - teach your |
| them to a craft project. | | | | kids how they can elicit change in their own |
| · Have your students take binoculars out and | | | | environments. |