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Debate,

Are You Playing Among Us Too Much?

Sam thinks her friend spends too much time gaming. Rohan says it’s good for him. Whose side are you on? 

From the September 2021 Issue
Lexiles: 400-500L
Featured Skill: Supporting an Argument,
Common Core Standards
  • R.1, R.2, R.6, R.8, W.1, W.4, W.10, SL.1, SL.3
TEKS Standards
  • Grades 2-3
    1a, 1c, 1d, 5a, 6b, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 9e, 11a, 11b, 11c, 12b

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Dear Rohan,

TALLY18/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

I missed you on the playground last night! Tag is way more fun when you’re there. Your mom said you were playing Among Us. I think you spend too much time on that game.

My mom showed me an article. It says we should play video games for only 30-60 minutes a day. It seems like you play Among Us for way longer than that. And I found a study online. It says that gaming for too long can make it hard to fall asleep. You don’t want to be tired all day, right?

I know that Among Us is exciting. It’s not as exciting as tag, though! And getting exercise is fun too. It’s also important. Plus, don’t you miss seeing your friends who don’t play video games? I know I’ve missed seeing you.

So what do you think? Can you stop playing after 30 minutes? Then you’ll have time for the playground!

Your friend,

Sam 

Dear Sam,

TALLY18/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

I love tag. But I didn’t mind missing it last night. I was busy winning three rounds of Among Us!

I hear what you’re saying, though. I have been playing that game a lot. What you learned about video games and sleep is interesting. But I never have trouble sleeping after playing Among Us. I usually feel pretty relaxed!

I found a study too. It talks about how video games can be good for you. They can help kids concentrate and be more creative. And they teach skills like teamwork. Among Us has taught me to listen to my teammates’ ideas. This’ll help when we do group work in school.

So how about this? You join my next game of Among Us. We’ll stop playing after one hour. Then we’ll meet up on the playground for tag. I’ll be “it” first!

Your friend,

Rohan 

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What do you think?

Go back to the letters and find reasons to support each side of the argument. Write down the information, then study the points on both sides. State your opinion in one sentence, which can be the introduction to an opinion paragraph 

Audio ()
Activities (2)
Skills Activities
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Audio ()
Activities (2)
Skills Activities
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Can't Miss Teaching Extras
From the Storyworks 3 Archives

Our February 2021 paired texts, “The Rise of Roblox” and “5 Ways to Stay Connected,” explore different ways to stay connected and pair perfectly with this issue’s debate. 

From the Storyworks 3 Archives

Share another debate about video games from the December 2018/January 2019 issue, “Is Fortnite OK for Kids?” 

Try This

Introduce your students to “10 Fun and Unusual Ways to Play Tag” from the Left Brain Craft Brain site. We suspect that Toilet Tag will become a new class favorite!

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

1. PREPARING TO READ

Have students preview the text features. Ask:

    What is the topic of the debate? (Prompt students to use the debate title and the     heading on the chart as clues.) 

    What are the two opinions people might have about this topic?

2. READING THE DEBATE

Depending on the reading level of your students, read the debate as a class or break the class into groups.

Have students read the debate a second time. Prompt them to highlight evidence supporting each side as they come across it. Using two different colors of highlighters would be useful here.

3. DISCUSSING

As a class or in groups, have students discuss:

Which opinion has the best evidence to support it?

Is one side stronger than the other? Why?

What is your opinion? What evidence helped you form your opinion?

For more advanced readers: Do you think the author has an opinion on this issue? What is your evidence?

4. WRITING

Have students complete the chart in the magazine or our full-page printable chart.

Guide students to write an essay on the debate topic, using the chart they filled out.

5. CHECK COMPREHENSION

Have students complete our comprehension quiz.

Text-to-Speech