Article
Carolyn Ridsdale
Debate Scavenger Hunt,

Should the School Week Be Shorter?

Should Elksville Middle School switch to a four-day school week? Two students make their case to the superintendent.

From the February 2019 Issue

Learning Objective: to analyze and evaluate two opposing argument essays 

Complexity Factors
  • Purpose
    This debate has a clear purpose: to present arguments for and against shortening the school week.
  • Structure
    The debate consists of two short letters: one explains why switching to a four-day school week is a good idea, and the other explains the drawbacks of switching to a four-day school week.
  • Language Conventionality and Clarity
    Vocabulary: some challenging academic vocabulary (e.g., myriad, perspective, substantial) Figurative language: rhetorical questions
  • Knowledge Demands
    The article refers to school superintendents.
Featured Skill: Argument Writing,
Common Core Standards
  • Anchor Standards
    R.1, R.2, R.4, R.6, W.1, W.4, W.5, L.4, L.6
  • Grade 6
    RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.6, W.6.1, W.6.4, W.6.5, SL.6.1, L.6.1, L.6.2, L.6.3
  • Grade 7
    RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.6, RI.7.8, W.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.5, SL.7.1, L.7.1, L.7.2, L.7.3
  • Grade 8
    RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.6, RI.8.8, W.8.1, W.8.4, W.8.5, SL.8.1, L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.3
TEKS Standards
  • Grade 6
    6.1; 6.2; 6.11; 6.14; 6.18; 6.19; 6.26, 6.27
  • Grade 7
    7.1, 7.2e, 7.11; 7.14; 7.18; 7.19; 7.26, 7.27
  • Grade 8
    8.1, 8.2e, 8.11; 8.14; 8.18; 8.19; 8.26, 8.27

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Lower-Level Scavenger Hunt

YES

We’d have more time for fun stuff.    

Carolyn Ridsdale    

Dear Mrs. Michaels,

You recently announced that our district is considering switching to a four-day school week. I thought you might find it helpful to hear a student’s perspective on the issue. I’ve been researching other districts that have made the switch, and I have discovered that a four-day week has many exciting benefits—for both students and teachers.

First, let’s talk about students. For me, juggling homework with my extracurricular activities gets overwhelming. If we had a four-day week, things like soccer practice and club meetings could be scheduled for our day off instead of after school. This could help make the school week more manageable. Plus, we’d have more time with our families. Sometimes when I get home late after soccer, I have to go straight to my room to do homework. I don’t get to shoot hoops with my little sister or even tell my parents how my day went. That’s kind of sad, don’t you think?

Switching to a shorter week would also improve our education. With an extra day off, we’d have the opportunity to learn outside the classroom. I could use that day to go hiking or work on the robot I’m building with my friends. Some four-day schools offer trips to museums or libraries on that day off.

As for teachers, many have reported that the four-day week has given them more time to plan. What’s more, a shorter week could save money. The Colorado Department of Education says switching to a four-day week can save schools 20 percent on transportation and meal costs!

Now, there may be concerns about the school day getting longer, but in most four-day schools, the days are longer by about an hour—not a huge difference. Considering the myriad advantages of a shorter week, it’s no surprise that schools are loving their new schedules. Bob Gragg, the superintendent of an Oklahoma school district that switched to a four-day week, said in an interview with NBC News that the teachers and students there have “never been happier.” I don’t know about you, but I like the sound of that.

I hope that you will take these points into consideration as you make this important decision.

Sincerely,

Dylan Fields

NO 

The school day would be soooooo long.    

Carolyn Ridsdale    

Dear Mrs. Michaels,

I know that you are in the process of deciding whether Elksville Middle School should switch to a four-day schedule. I am writing today to tell you that as a student of Elksville, I am against this idea.

It might be surprising that a student would be against spending fewer days at school, but as you know, a shortened week doesn’t mean less time in school overall. Our school days would have to be longer to make up for the extra day off. I’m exhausted by seventh period as it is—and I know my friends are too—so that extra time at school wouldn’t be productive. I mean, your brain can only absorb so much information in a single day, right?

Here’s another problem: Longer weekends could interrupt learning. It might be hard to get back into the swing of school after three consecutive days off. This means that teachers will have to spend more time reviewing old material each week instead of moving on to new things. Even worse, cutting the week short could mean cutting into holidays and vacations. What a bummer!

I understand that some people are excited about a shorter week because it would allow for more family time, but that wouldn’t be the case for everyone. In many families, like mine, both parents work full-time. I might be home more, but my parents wouldn’t be. And parents with young kids would have to arrange for child care while they are at work, which would put a financial burden on them.

Speaking of costs, many schools switched to a four-day week to save money. However, these schools don’t seem to be saving as much as they thought they would. For example, a school in New Mexico projected they would save $160,000—but ended up saving less than half that.

Besides, the long-term effects of a shortened school week haven’t been studied enough yet. Georgia Heyward, a research analyst at the Center on Reinventing Public Education, said in an interview with PBS: “We don’t know what the effect [of shorter school weeks] is on students yet—and this is a pretty substantial thing to introduce to children without knowing its effects.”

I think Ms. Heyward makes a pretty good point, don’t you?

Thank you for considering my point of view,

Bethany Jones

Scavenger Hunt

Directions: Hunt through each letter for the following elements.

    1. The central idea, or central claim.

    2. Two pieces of supporting evidence.

    3. The counterargument.

    4. The writer’s rebuttal.

YOU decide: Who made the stronger argument?

This article was originally published in the February 2019 issue.

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Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
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Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Download the Lesson Plan

1. PREPARING TO READ

  • Give students a minute to preview the text features­—the headlines, illustrations or photos, any charts or graphs, etc. Ask students what they think the article is going to be about.
  • Project the Vocabulary and Definitions.
  • Follow up with the Vocabulary Activity to practice using the words that are highlighted in bold in the debate.

2. READING AND TEXT MARKING

  • Read both texts once through as a class.
  • Ask: “No matter what you personally think about the issue, which author do you think makes the better argument?” Take a poll and tally the results on the board.
  • Project the first text. For this text only, have students complete the Scavenger Hunt box at the end of the article, modeling text marking on your whiteboard while students mark their magazines. Or print and distribute the Scavenger Hunt graphic organizer to help students develop their arguments. Note that a lower-level version of the graphic organizer that does not include counterargument is available.
  • Have students complete the Scavenger Hunt box in the magazine and/or the Scavenger Hunt graphic organizer for the second text in small groups.

3. DISCUSS

As a class, discuss the question at the end of the Scavenger Hunt: Who makes the stronger argument? Then ask:
        1. What do the authors agree about? What do they disagree about?
        2. How do the images support each author’s argument?
        3. What is each author’s tone? Explain your answer.

4. DEBATE

  • Divide students into groups according to which author they think makes the best argument. Have the groups stand on opposite sides of the room.
  • Students should then debate: One student offers a reason (support) for his or her opinion; a student from the other group responds.
  • Students should quietly switch sides if at any point during the debate they change their position on the issue; be sure to ask any student who does this why he or she did so. Encourage students to use evidence to support their opinions.
  • At the end of the debate, compare the number of students who support each author with the number who supported each author before the debate.

5. WRITING

  • Have students work individually to complete the Essay Kit guided-writing activity to write an argument essay supporting their points of view. Students can use the Argument Essay Checklist to evaluate and edit their essays.
  • If they are provided, use the extension resources provided in the “Resource” tab that bring in other articles to deepen the conversation. NOTE: Extra resources are not provided with every debate.  
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