Lesson Plan - Ding! Buzz! Ping!

Watch a Video
As you watch the video “Digital Decisions,” pause after each situation and have students discuss what they should do. Then play the expert advice. Discuss: Can you think of other situations that call for online smarts? How would you handle them?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• inundated 
• excessive

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about how phone notifications can be both helpful and harmful.

1. What is the meaning of the word inundated? What context clues in the article help you understand the word’s meaning?
The word inundated means “overwhelmed with a large amount of something.” The article gives context clues to help you understand this meaning when it says that a study “found that about half of [kids] get at least 237 notifications each day. Some get close to 5,000!”
^{R.4 Determine Meaning}

2. What are the main ideas of the section “Health Threat”?
The main ideas of this section are that even though phones are very useful, too much screen time can have negative health effects. Using a phone right before bed can make it difficult to fall asleep, and getting a lot of notifications can make kids feel overwhelmed.
^{R.2 Main Idea}

3. According to the article’s sidebar, what are three ways tech companies try to keep people hooked on their phones?
According to the sidebar, tech companies try to keep people hooked on their phones by having videos start automatically, having new content keep loading, and offering content based on what users like.
^{R.7 Text Features}

Featured Skill: Reading Editorial Cartoons
Use the skill builder “What’s the Message?” to explore editorial cartoons related to kids and digital devices.
^{R.6 Point of View}