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Debate,

Is It OK to Quit?

Jordan wants to quit the clarinet. Alex doesn’t think that’s a good idea. Whose side are you on? 

From the February 2021 Issue
Lexiles: 500L-600L, 600L-700L
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 Alex,

You know that clarinet Mom bought me? I haven’t touched it in weeks. The truth is, I just don’t enjoy playing the clarinet anymore. Even when I practiced, I wasn’t getting better. I want to quit!

I know people think it’s bad to quit, but I also know that playing the clarinet doesn’t make me happy. Activities are supposed to be fun! Why should I waste my free time on an activity that I don’t care about?

You know that clarinet Mom bought me? I haven’t touched it in weeks. The truth is, I just don’t enjoy playing the clarinet anymore. I tried to practice. But I wasn’t getting better. Now I want to quit!

I know people think it’s bad to quit. But I also know that playing the clarinet doesn’t make me happy. Activities are supposed to be fun! Why should I waste my free time on an activity that I don’t care about? 

Plus, every time I practice, I get frustrated. Quitting the clarinet will make me more relaxed. It will also give me time to figure out what I really love doing. Who knows? Maybe I’ll love soccer, skateboarding, or painting!

You always say that part of growing up is choosing how to spend your time. I’m choosing to look for an activity that I love. I think I should donate my clarinet to someone who actually wants it and try something new. Don’t you?


Love,

Jordan

Plus, every time I practice, I get frustrated. Quitting the clarinet will make me more relaxed. It will also give me time to figure out what I really love doing. Who knows? Maybe I’ll love soccer, skateboarding, or painting!

You always say that part of growing up is choosing how to spend your time. I’m choosing to look for an activity that I love. I think I should donate my clarinet to someone who actually wants it. Then I’ll try something new. Don’t you agree? 


Love,

Jordan

Dear Jordan,

I’m sorry to hear you don’t enjoy the clarinet. I remember hearing you practice. You sounded pretty good to me!

I get that it’s annoying to feel like you’re not improving. But as your older (and wiser!) sibling, I encourage you to keep trying. Part of growing up is learning to not give up—even when something is difficult. This will help you get through other challenges in life.

I’m sorry to hear you don’t enjoy the clarinet. I remember hearing you practice. You sounded pretty good to me!

I get that it’s annoying to feel like you’re not improving. But as your older (and wiser!) sibling, I encourage you to keep trying. Part of growing up is learning to not give up. That’s true even when something is difficult. This will help you get through other challenges in life. 

When I was younger, I hated going to ballet practice. I wanted to quit. But I’m so glad I didn’t! Even though I don’t do ballet anymore, it brought me to tap dance, my favorite activity. And I met some of my best friends at ballet practice. The clarinet could do the same for you! You’ll never know what you’re missing out on if you quit.

Besides, you might get bored of soccer or skateboarding in a few years. I bet you’ll be glad you have your clarinet then! I really think you should stick with it.


Love,

Alex

When I was younger, I hated going to ballet practice. I wanted to quit. But I’m so glad I didn’t! Ballet brought me to tap dance. That’s my favorite activity now. And I met some of my best friends at ballet practice. The clarinet could do the same for you! You’ll never know what you’re missing out on if you quit.

Besides, you might get bored of soccer or skateboarding in a few years. I bet you’ll be glad you have your clarinet then! I really think you should stick with it. 


Love,

Alex

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.

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.

Image Credits: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (all images)

Image Credits: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (all images)

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Can't Miss Teaching Extras
From the Storyworks 3 Archives

If your students loved this debate, share the one from our March/April 2017 issue, Should You Always Get a Trophy? After reading, ask your students if this debate changed how they feel about sticking with activities they might not enjoy or excel at.

Helping Kids Persevere or Pivot

Get tips from Berkely’s Greater Good Science Center and Responsive Classroom for fostering perseverance and grit. Psychology Today has a blog post about quitting that’s written for parents but has good tips on why quitting can be the best choice and how to help a child through the process.

Pro and Con Grids

Introduce your students to a powerful decision-making tool: a pro and con grid. Have students practice identifying pros and cons by imagining they are Jordan and are trying to decide whether or not to quit playing the clarinet.

 

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? (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 (available in your Resources tab in PDF and interactive formats).

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

Text-to-Speech