LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Read opposing viewpoints and take a side; evaluate potential reasons for and against raising the driving age to 18.

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 2: Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others.

CASEL: Social awareness

Lesson Plan: Should the Driving Age Be 18?

Some say raising the driving age to 18 could keep teens safer, but others say getting your license at a younger age is important for high schoolers who work part-time. What do you think?

PREPARING TO READ

Before you read the debate “Should the Driving Age Be 18?” ask your students the following pre-reading question:

What are the pros and cons of raising the driving age to 18?

READING AND DISCUSSION

  • Have your students read the debate “Should the Driving Age Be 18?” 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:

Have your students imagine that lawmakers in their state want to raise the minimum driving age to 18. They’ll take a side by writing an OPEN LETTER to their school newspaper expressing their opinion on the subject. Encourage them to use the student-facing prompt to organize their thoughts. If there is time, you can have students share their letters in small groups.

Print the Lesson Plan

Text-to-Speech