Students will read an article about cell phone usage in schools and add to their graphic organizer by listing the positive and negative effects of cell phones in school. They will discuss their findings and evaluate which reasons are the most compelling. Students will also identify school policies that support the positive use of phones or discourage the negative use of phones in their own schools.
This learning activity was created as a result of the ALEX - Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) Resource Development Summit.
Describe the pros and cons of the use of technology as it affects personal, family, and community health.
The article is available at two reading levels; accelerated students can read the more advanced article.
Students may work with a peer to complete a shared positives/negatives graphic organizer. Students may also wish to utilize the read-aloud feature of the article or use the “Highlights and Notes” to highlight positives or negatives instead of writing them down.
This lesson is intended to follow the activity Cell Phones and You. It references a graphic organizer that students will have begun filling out in that lesson. However, if the teacher wishes to skip that lesson, the graphic organizer can be found here and used as a stand-alone tool in this lesson.
Teachers should preview the article and be familiar with it prior to using the article. The AVL resource Gale Opposing Viewpoints updates frequently, so the teacher may wish to use the most up-to-date article. If so, please note that the Overview articles provided by Opposing Viewpoints are usually available at two different Lexile levels. Teachers may choose to use the most appropriate for their audience.
Additionally, the activity refers to the "Turn and Talk" method of having students share with a partner for a minute or two prior to launching a whole-class discussion, which is utilized in the “Pros and Cons of Cell Phones in Schools and You” lesson. The teacher may want to review this strategy with students or use language/strategy that is already in place, such as "Pair and Share."
This activity includes sharing some conclusions about the effects of cell phones in schools. The teacher may want to employ a familiar digital tool like Padlet or Jamboard or can have students share out in a discussion. If using a digital tool, make sure it is set up and ready to use.
Students need to be able to locate their schools' cell phone use policy online.
