LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Read opposing viewpoints and take a side; evaluate potential reasons for and against replying to messages immediately.

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 2: Analyze the influence of technology on health behaviors

CASEL: Responsible decision-making, social awareness

Lesson Plan: Should You Text Back ASAP?

You just got a message. But you’re in the middle of watching a movie with your family. Do you check your phone?

PREPARING TO READ

Before you read the debate “Should You Text Back ASAP?” ask your students the following pre-reading question:

What are the pros and cons of responding to messages immediately?

READING AND DISCUSSION

  • Have your students read the debate “Should You Text Back ASAP?” 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

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

  • Comprehension Quiz

EXPANDING SEL OPPORTUNITIES

Continue the learning journey with the following extension activity:

Before beginning the CIRCLE DISCUSSION, pass out the provided question sheet, and have students jot down their answers to each discussion question. Then, divide the class into two equal groups. Have the first group stand up and form a circle facing outward. Have the second group form a circle around the outside of the first circle, facing inward so that each student from one circle is facing a student from the other circle. For each question, give each pair of students a minute or two to discuss their answers. Then, have students in one of the circles take a step to the right so that each student now has a new partner to discuss their answers with. If you like, you can go through the list of questions more than once so that the circles can complete a full rotation, giving the students an opportunity to hear a wide range of ideas. At the end, have the students complete the reflection about whether the discussion changed their perspective at all.

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