LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will evaluate both sides of a debate about whether friends should exchange holiday gifts and support their personal opinions with text-based evidence.

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 4: Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self and others.

CASEL COMPETENCY: Relationship Skills

COMMON CORE ELA: RI.8: Evaluate arguments in a text.

Lesson Plan: Should Friends Exchange Holiday Gifts?

PREPARE TO READ

Project the article spread and read the debate question aloud: Should friends exchange holiday gifts? Designate one side of the room YES and the other NO. Ask students to move to the side of the room that matches their opinion on the debate, then share their reasoning with the class. Record students’ pros and cons on the board to preview key ideas in the debate.

READ AND RESPOND

Have students read the article independently. Once students finish reading, divide them into pairs to discuss:

  • What are the main arguments Prisha and Zachary each make?
  • How does each person define what makes a gift meaningful?
  • Did the article change or confirm your initial opinion?

Distribute the comprehension quiz and critical-thinking questions to check student learning.

EXTEND

Invite students to write a short explanation of their stance on the debate, using at least two reasons from the article and their own experiences. Optional: Students may create a “Kindness Coupon” for a friend that offers a nonmaterial way to show appreciation.

Print the Lesson Plan

Text-to-Speech