I’m a big believer in having a plan B. I like to have some idea what to do if something doesn’t work out. If I can think of a way to reduce the possibility of a bad outcome, then I’ll do it.
I can apply that same thinking to bonus questions and extra credit - in this scenario, the bad outcome is a low grade.
If there’s a bonus question at the end of a quiz or test - attempt it. It can’t hurt you. I don’t take off points for getting the bonus question wrong. I only add points if you get it right - and sometimes I award partial credit.
The only reason I can think of for not at least trying the bonus is time. If you’ve run out of time, well, then you’ve run out of time. But that’s not usually the case. Nearly all my students finish tests and quizzes in less then the allotted time.
The same goes for extra credit. It’s like an insurance policy for your grade. It’s a boost. All you have to do is some extra work and, voila´, you get extra points on your grade.
During the Christmas break, Mrs. Minaker and I offered a joint extra credit project to the 6th, 7th and 8th grades: Read the H.G. Wells classic sci-fi thriller War of the Worlds and write a 4-page paper on a choice of two literature and science questions.
Only three students turned in the extra credit project. And, despite some confusion between H.G. Wells and Orson Wells, they all got a 100% quiz grade in both English and Science.
It never hurts to have an extra 100% averaged in to your grade. You just have to do the extra work.
I offered my students an extra credit assignment for the February break, too. I wonder how many will do it?
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