Cell phones have become a regular part of students’ daily lives, providing opportunities to communicate, learn, and access information. At the same time, many schools have adopted policies restricting or even banning phones out of concerns about distraction, mental health, and school safety. In this inquiry, students examine competing arguments and supporting evidence to answer the compelling question, “Should cell phones be banned in schools?”
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About the inquiry
Compelling Question
Should cellphones be banned in schools?
Standards
D2.Civ.13.9-12. Evaluate public policies in terms of intended and unintended outcomes, and related consequences.
Instructional Snapshot
Class begins with an examination of a collection of sources presenting competing perspectives on school cell phone use (e.g., learning, digital safety, distractions, etc.). As they analyze each source, students identify the claims being made and how the data support arguments for and against in-school cell phone use, adding the evidence to a T-Chart. Students are also given an opportunity to add “student perspectives” that the data may be missing. For example, students might cite their need to easily contact parents or to check assignments.
Next, students rank the data by argument, from strongest to weakest, weighing differences in evidentiary support. For example, students may determine that cell phone use on students’ mental health is important, but not as impactful at school as cell phone distractions. After students have ranked all data, they craft individual or group claims using the top two ranked data from each argument to write a claim + counterclaim response to the compelling question, “Should cell phones be banned in schools?”
Formative Tasks
COLLABORATE: Complete a T-Chart to compare competing arguments related to cell phone bans. Add student perspectives to the data.
DELIBERATE: Rank the data (strongest to weakest) for each argument.
PRODUCE: Craft a claim + counterclaim response to the compelling question using the top-ranked data sources from each argument.
Sources
Source Set: Arguments For and Against Cell Phone Ban
Summative Performance Task
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Taking Informed Action
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