THINKING is so hot right now!

The assignment:  Read 2 easy pragraphs that summarize why the ERA never passed.  Look at a pretty, color-coded map of the US showing which states ratified and did not ratify the ERA.  Answer 7 basic questions.  In other words, busy work for a class that misbehaved for the sub.


Question 2 on the handout asked "How many states ratified the ERA?" The answer could be found directly in the 2 paragraphs, or the more adventurous (or anti-reading) students could count the number of gray states on the map find the answer that way.  I knew that some students would not read thoroughly or would not count carefully, and thus expected a couple of incorrect answers.  However, I never expected this gem:

58.

That's right, 58 states ratified the ERA. 

This student was seeking a free pass to the bathroom in exchange for answering 2 questions, mind you.  So, I sent her back to her desk to check that information.  She returned with her updated answer:

50.

That's right - all 50 states ratified the ERA, which is why it is in place today, which is why I am giving my students an assignment analyzing why it did not pass.  When I tried this sarcasm on the student, the student's response was "Well, that's what another student told me to write."  Am I more annoyed that she might have made this up this blatantly incorrect to take any responsibility off herself without actually thinking about what she was saying first, or that there may be other students in class who simply do not take the time to look at a map or read a couple of sentences anymore? 

Guys - I know that these types of assignments are not the most interactive, HD, iPad friendly assignments.  But they exist and you need to learn how to complete them and more importantly, how to learn from them.  Because you'll get them in other classes, in college, and at work.  Most shockingly, this mistake did not result from a lack of knowledge.  The answer was right there in the half-page reading and map.  If you all are not taking these kinds of things seriously, how do you ever expect to do well on an assignment that actually challenges you? How do you expect to be competitive in this job market when this is the kind of work you try to turn in at school?