LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Read opposing viewpoints and take a side; evaluate potential reasons for and against moving school start times for teens later.

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 2: Analyze the influence of school and community on personal health practices and behaviors.

CASEL: Social awareness

KEY VOCAB

implemented

time management

Lesson Plan: Should School Start Later?

Experts agree: Most teens don’t get enough sleep. Is starting the school day later the solution?

PREPARING TO READ

Before you read the debate “Should School Start Later?” ask your students the following pre-reading question:

What are the pros and cons of later school start times for teens?

READING AND DISCUSSION

  • Have your students read the debate “Should School Start Later?” independently; read the debate out loud to them; or have one student read one side of the debate and another student read the other side.
  • After they’ve read the debate, revisit the pre-reading question. Have their answers changed?

BUILDING COMPREHENSION AND VOCAB

Check students’ comprehension of and engagement with the story with the following assessment tools:

  • Comprehension Quiz
  • Vocab Builder
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Debate

Comprehension Quiz: Should School Start Later?

Answer the multiple-choice, close-reading, and critical-thinking questions.

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Debate

Vocab: Should School Start Later?

Use a word bank to complete the sentences with vocabulary from the article.

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EXPANDING SEL OPPORTUNITIES

Continue the learning journey with the following writing prompt:

In LETTER TO THE BOARD, have students imagine that the school board in their district will hold a vote to decide whether or not to move school start times later. To share their opinion about the upcoming decision, they should write a one-page letter to the school board. After a brief introduction, they should write the body of the letter using the questions in the student-facing prompt for guidance. Remind them to include their own original ideas where possible and to thank their readers before closing.

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Debate

Writing Prompt: A Letter to the Board

Write a letter to your school board to share your opinion on school start times.

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Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan: Should School Start Later?

A step-by-step guide to teaching this article in your classroom.

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Text-to-Speech