Zeroes Zonk Your Grade
School Site: Shepherd Jr. High
Topic: What zeroes do to grades and why it is important to not have them
Grade Level: 7-8
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ASCA National Standards and Students Competencies supported by this lesson:
Academic Development Domain A: Students will acquire the attitudes, knowledge and
skills that contribute to effective learning in school and across the life span.
A: A1.2 display a positive interest in learning
A: A2.5 demonstrate how effort and persistence positively affect learning
Resources/Materials Used: Study Skills Matinee by Patty Shafer; Zack Zeros in on Zeros,
calculators,
Do: Read the Play/answer questions at end
Do the worksheet to demonstrate the effect of zeroes.
Create a list of the missing assignments you can complete.
Level of Thinking: Knowledge, evaluate, and Analyze
Instructional Procedure:
1. Let’s read the play Zack Zeros in on Zeros. Read the questions at the end and have them
answer them orally.
2. Ask questions: “Do you know how teachers grade here at Shepherd?” (They figure your
grade percentage.)
“How do you find your grade percentage?” Demonstrate a sample, using a zero in the
mix. “Here, let me show you. If you had a 100 and then a 60 because you didn’t want to
finish the work then next week you just didn’t do the work so you received a 0, your
teacher would figure the grade this way. He/she would add 100, 60 and 0. That would
be 160 points total. You would then divide by three hundred (assuming each assignment
was worth 100) because you figure a grade by dividing the points earned by the number
of points possible. We won’t weight for this exercise, but be aware teachers do weight
grades to be worth more for tests. Now when we divide by 300, and the answer is 53%.
Your teacher can’t give you an A because even though there is an A (100), there is also a
D (60) and a F (0).
In this district, the cut off lines are these:
A= 90-100
B=80-89
C=70-79
D=60-69
F= anything below 60
Let’s see what happens if we can change the 0 to even 50. Remember 50 is still failing
but when it is averaged the total points would be 210. Divided by 300 the total is 70%, a
C. Getting rid of zeroes is the fastest way to raise a grade.
3. Hand out the worksheets and have them pair up to find the percentage for a particular
student. (I hand out calculators to speed things along.) This takes about 3 minutes. Have
each pair read the back story, the grades and tell what average they calculated.
OR
Do the math together, and notice what happens each time a student fixes a 0.
4. Have them look at their grade printouts. Tell them to look at the high-lighted zeroes. Let
them know that zeroes are why they have lower grades. Have them make a list of
missing work that they feel they can do between now and Monday. Give them their
behavior card for the week and read it with them. If they turn in missing assigments and
have the teacher sign for them, they will earn $.
5. Assessment:
The grade worksheet, and students’ contributions to the discussion.
Step By Step Lesson
1. Read the play. Give every student a copy but choose two people to read the parts.
2. Demonstrate averages:
100 out of 100
60 out of 100
__0_out of 100_
160 divided by 300 = 53%
Notice what happens when the 0
turns into a 50. How can even
getting half credit make a big
difference in the grade?
100 out of 100
60 out of 100
_50 out of 100
210 divided by 300 = 70%
3. Pair up and figure averages for students on the sample sheet. If test grades are counted
twice and each grade is figured to be worth 100, each time, students should divide the total by
1000 to see what the grade is.
What happens to the grade when the student has 0’s in the homework section?
What happens to the grade when the student has a 0 in the test section?
Why would you want to get SOME points for an assignment rather than NO points?
4. Complete goal card for the week. Ask students to go into their grade printouts and circle
any 0’s they have and then determine which one they can turn in for an improved grade by next
week.
Zeros Zonk Your Grade!
Directions: Figure the grades for each student below. Use each homework
grade once and each test grade twice (since tests count for more of the grade).
Each assignment or test is worth 100 points.
Hi! I’m Terry,
I’m an average student. I do my
work, but sometimes I forget to turn
in my homework. Will it make a
difference?
Test scores: 73, 80 (count these TWICE)
Homework scores: 72, 70, 78, 76, 70, 0 (count these ONCE)
Total = ________________________
Divide by 1000 (because there are 10 scores, each worth 100 points)
Grade = __________________________
Hi! This is Terry again.
My teacher let me turn in my
missing homework. I got them all
correct, but she took off 50% for it
being late. See what a difference it
makes in my grade.
Test scores: 73, 80 (count these TWICE)
Homework scores: 72, 70, 78, 76, 70, 50 (count these ONCE)
Total = ___________________________
Divide by 1000
Grade = __________________________
What did you notice?
Hi! My name is Susan. I get
really good grades on my
tests but I don’t always do my
homework. See what that
does to my grade.
Test Scores: 95, 90 (count these twice)
Homework Scores: 100, 0, 90, 0, 0, 90 (count these once)
Total = ___________________________
Divide by 1000
Grade = __________________________
Hi! It’s Susan again. I decided
to turn in my missing
homework. The teacher took
off half the points for being
late, but at least I got some
credit.
Test scores: 95, 90 (count these twice)
Homework scores: 100, 50, 90, 50, 50, 90 (count these once)
Total = ___________________________
Divide by 1000
Grade = __________________________
What did you notice?
Hi! I’m Mark. I turned in
all of my homework but I
was sick and missed a
test. Figure my grade.
Test scores: 95, 0 (count these twice)
Homework scores: 100, 90, 95, 90, 92, 90 (count these once)
Total = ___________________________
Divide by 1000
Grade = __________________________
Hi! It’s Mark again. Now,
figure my grade since I
went in and made up that
missing test.
Test scores: 95, 87 (count these twice)
Homework scores: 100, 90, 95, 90, 92, 90 (count these once)
Total = ___________________________
Divide by 1000
Grade = __________________________
What did you notice?
I have _____________ 0’s in English.
Turned in one missing assignment: _____________________
I have _____________ 0’s in math.
Turned in one missing assignment: _____________________
Teacher’s initials
Teacher’s initials
I have _____________ 0’s in social studies. Turned in one missing assignment: _____________________
Teacher’s initials
I have _____________ 0’s in science.
Turned in one missing assignment: _____________________
Teacher’s initials
On your grade printout, put a big circle around at least one 0 assignment in each class. Complete those
assignments and turn them in by next week’s group. Have your teacher initial this card to confirm turn-in
of at least one missing assignment.
1 teacher initial = $1
2 teachers’ initials = $2
3+ teachers’ initials = $3
I have _____________ 0’s in English.
Turned in one missing assignment: _____________________
I have _____________ 0’s in math.
Turned in one missing assignment: _____________________
Teacher’s initials
Teacher’s initials
I have _____________ 0’s in social studies. Turned in one missing assignment: _____________________
Teacher’s initials
I have _____________ 0’s in science.
Turned in one missing assignment: _____________________
Teacher’s initials
On your grade printout, put a big circle around at least one 0 assignment in each class. Complete those
assignments and turn them in by next week’s group. Have your teacher initial this card to confirm turn-in
of at least one missing assignment.
1 teacher initial = $1
2 teachers’ initials = $2
3+ teachers’ initials = $3
I have _____________ 0’s in English.
Turned in one missing assignment: _____________________
I have _____________ 0’s in math.
Turned in one missing assignment: _____________________
Teacher’s initials
Teacher’s initials
I have _____________ 0’s in social studies. Turned in one missing assignment: _____________________
Teacher’s initials
I have _____________ 0’s in science.
Turned in one missing assignment: _____________________
Teacher’s initials
On your grade printout, put a big circle around at least one 0 assignment in each class. Complete those
assignments and turn them in by next week’s group. Have your teacher initial this card to confirm turn-in
of at least one missing assignment.
1 teacher initial = $1
2 teachers’ initials = $2
3+ teachers’ initials = $3