Who should do your homework?
'This House believes that online homework sites should be banned'
Homework is an essential part of school life. You may at times resent homework cutting into your free time or you may think that doing extra school work at home is essential to your education and just get on with it. Recently, sites that will do your homework for you have been popping up on the internet. Should these sites be banned? Kate and Benny, our two keen debaters, have opposing views on this topic and have organised a debate so they can air their views. Where do you stand on this issue?
For the motion
Kate is for the motion. She believes online sites that help you with or do your homework can play an important role in a student's education. She has written down some notes for the presentation of her argument. Can you complete what Kate has written in her notebook?
1 Online homework sites can play a valuable part in a student's education ...
a. if they are used responsibly.
b. if they are used for every piece of homework in every subject.
2 The companies who run online homework sites use ...
a. experienced teachers to provide model answers to homework tasks.
b. other students to answer homework questions.
3 A student can gain a lot of confidence by ...
a. knowing that he has cheated.
b. knowing that a piece of homework he hands in is going to get a good mark.
4 Homework can be time-consuming and repetitive so using an online site to help you ...
a. saves you time that you can use more constructively.
b. frees up time for you to do nothing at all.
5 When an online homework site opened recently in France, ____________ signed up straightaway. This shows that such a service is valued by students.
a. more than 1 billion
b. more than 10,000
6 Using an online homework service is like having ...
a. your own personal tutor to use when you want.
b. a personal examiner to mark your answers.
7 Online homework sites offer a useful service and teach a student ...
a. about freedom of choice and how to act responsibly.
b. how to be dishonest.
8 Have you ever copied a friend's homework? Tell the truth!
a. students never copy other students' work.
b. We all do it occasionally. No long-term harm is done and it's the same with using online homework sites.
Against the motion
Benny is against the motion. He believes online sites simply encourage students to cheat and should be banned. He, too, has written some notes for his presentation. Can you complete what Benny has written in his notebook?
1 There is no argument. Online homework sites only encourage students ...
a. to think for themselves and be independent.
b. to be lazy and become cheats.
2 If you pay money to a homework site to do your homework ...
a. you are paying money to receive a quick service but no knowledge.
b. you are doing your best.
3 Using an online homework site ...
a. is cheap and effective.
b. is unfair to other students in your class who put time and effort into doing their homework.
4 Online homework sites are expensive. This means that ...
a. only students from rich families can use them.
b. they are available for everyone to use.
5 The existence of pay homework sites ...
a. puts less well-off students at a disadvantage.
b. offers knowledge to everyone.
6 Using a homework site and then handing the work in as your own ...
a. is a worthwhile thing to do.
b. is dishonest and time-wasting.
7 The idea of pay homework sites goes against ...
a. equal opportunities in education.
b. private education.
8 If you ever use a homework site, you ...
a. learn no new skills.
b. receive a lot of useful information.
Think about
Think about where you stand on the points noted by Benny and Kate. Whose side would you be on in this debate? Can you think of any more points either for or against the motion? Now you can organise your own debate on this very hot topic!
