Technology has undoubtedly improved the lives of people around the world—but has it improved communication? Seventh graders read two informative passages about the rise of texting and emailing versus in-person conversations before arguing whether electronic communication has been helpful or detrimental for communication.

Concepts

argumentative writing, arguments, persuasive arguments, electronic media, Social Media, online communication

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Have learners research the origins of social media, starting with the NASA message referenced in the second reading excerpt
• Create a formal debate about the benefits and drawbacks of social media after pupils write their final essay

Classroom Considerations

• Article's statistics are from 2017, and may become outdated as technology advances
• Mostly focuses on email and texting, while members of your class may be more familiar with social media

Pros

• Provides two options for the final writing assignment, each of which is linked to different standards
• Teacher guide breaks down the activities and contains helpful instructional tips 

Cons

• None

Common Core

RI.7.1 RI.7.6 RI.7.8 RI.7.9 W.7.1.a W.7.7 W.7.9.a SL.7.1.a