Image of a cheeseburger and slice of pizza
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Debate,

Burgers vs. Pizza

Leo and Pria are having a joint birthday party. Author Gabby Bing presents their points of view. Whose side are you on?

From the February 2025 Issue
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 Pria, 

We’re almost ready for our party. Birthday cake? Check. Playlist? Check. We just need to decide on the menu. I think hot, juicy burgers are the way to go!

First, burgers are more popular than pizza. Every year, Americans eat 50 billion burgers, compared with only 3 billion pizzas. I know burgers will be a hit at our party—especially since my mom offered to grill them! 

Plus, if we serve burgers, everyone can customize their own. (I know yours will be piled with cheese and ketchup. Mine will be covered in bacon and barbecue sauce.) If we have pizza, our friends will have to accept whichever toppings we choose. Burgers make sure even our pickiest friends will be happy!

Burgers also have a lot of protein—an important nutrient in food that keeps us full. We don’t want anyone to be hungry on our birthday. Burgers will keep everyone in a great mood for the entire party!

Should we start ordering buns and toppings?


Your burger-loving BFF,

Leo

Dear Leo, 

We have such a fun birthday party planned. I don’t want to miss out on a single second of it. That’s why I think we should have pizza! 

A melty, gooey slice is a quick meal all by itself. We don’t even need plates! But if we have burgers, people will expect fries too. And they’ll want to sit down for a full meal. With pizza, we can gobble it up and get back to playing games!

Pizza is also cheaper and easier for our parents. They can just call our local pizzeria and have some pies delivered. Then your mom won’t have to worry about grilling. And pizza is usually less expensive than buying beef, buns, and toppings.

The best part? Pizza makes amazing leftovers! Party guests can take a slice when they leave and continue the pizza party at home. One time, my mom even let me have leftover pizza for breakfast! The real question is, do you like your leftovers hot or cold?

If we get pizza, our party is sure to be a slice time!


Your passionate-about-pizza pal,

Pria

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What do you think?

Go back to the letters and write down reasons to support each side of the debate. Then study the points on both sides. State your opinion in one sentence, which can be the introduction to an opinion paragraph. 

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Answer Key (1)
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Can't Miss Teaching Extras

Have your students weigh in on other food-related debates, like “Would You Eat Bugs?,” “Should Chocolate Milk Be Banned From Your School?,” and “Should Sweets Be Banned From School Parties?” Afterward, click on the Resources Tab for in-depth skill builders (including an opinion-writing activity).  

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
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1. PREPARING TO READ

Have students preview the text features. Ask:

  • What is the topic of the debate? (Students can use the debate title and subhead as clues.)
  • What do you think the two sides of the issue are?

2. READING THE DEBATE

  • Read the debate as a class or in small groups.
  • Have students read the debate a second time. Prompt them to mark the types of support the author presents to back up each side, including:
    • Facts and statistics (F/S)
    • Quotes from experts (Q) 
    • Stories or examples (EX)  

 

3. DISCUSSING

As a class or in groups, have students discuss:

  • What is your opinion? What evidence do you find the most convincing?
  • For more-advanced students: Do you think the author agrees with one point of view more than the other on this issue? What is your evidence?

4. CULMINATING ACTIVITY

  • Distribute the “Opinion Writing Kit” skill builder which guides students to write a three- paragraph essay on the debate topic.

  OR

  • Stage a classroom debate, offering students practice speaking in front of a group.
    • For more-advanced students: Have each side conduct additional research for the debate.

5. CHECK COMPREHENSION

  • Have students complete the comprehension quiz.

6. PARTICIPATE IN THE ONLINE POLL

  • Students can vote for which side they support and see what other Storyworks 3 readers think in our online poll at Storyworks 3 Digital.

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARD

RI.1, RI.2, RI.6, RI.8, W.1, W.4, W.10, SL.1

Text-to-Speech