Standards Correlations

R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.6, R.7, W.1, SL.1, L.4, L.6

Learning Objective

Students will read and summarize an article about the possibility of a future TikTok ban.

Key Skills

summarizing, text features, vocabulary, author’s craft, interpreting text, tone, critical thinking, argument writing

Complexity Factors

Purpose: The article explains why TikTok might be banned in the U.S. and what that would mean for users. 

 

Structure: The text is informational and includes cause-and-effect structures.

 

Language: The language is straightforward. Domain-specific terms are defined in the vocabulary box.

 

Knowledge Demands: Familiarity with the U.S. Constitution may be helpful.

Levels

Lexile: 700L-800L 

Guided Reading Level: R

DRA Level: 40

SEL Connection

This story and lesson plan promote social awareness.

Lesson Plan: Is TikTok Going Away?

Essential Questions

  • How much privacy can internet users expect?
  • Why does the government ban or outlaw certain things? 

Literature Connection

  • Nonfiction: Your Freedom, Your Power: A Kid’s Guide to the First Amendment by Allison Matulli

1. Preparing to Read 

Do Now: Ask your students to raise their hands if they use TikTok. Then ask them to keep their hands up if they use it every day. Point out the callout in the article that says “58% of 13- to 17-year-olds scroll TikTok daily.” Work together to calculate the percentage of your students who use the app daily. Is it higher or lower than 58?

Preview Text Features (15 minutes)

Have students open their magazines to page 4. Guide them to preview the text features by asking the following questions:

  • Read the article’s title and subtitle (the text beneath the title). Make a prediction: Why do you think TikTok might be banned? Answers may vary. Some students might already have some knowledge of the issue. Others might guess that TikTok is being used for illegal activities or is harmful in other ways.
  • Read the sidebar “What Is the First Amendment?” Based on this sidebar, what are some rights that the First Amendment protects? Based on the sidebar, freedoms protected by the First Amendment include freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of the press.  

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Point out the vocabulary box. Read the words (data, privacy, ban, target, violates) aloud and discuss their definitions.
  • Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading 

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan:

  • Set a purpose for reading by telling students that the article “Is TikTok Going Away?” will tell them about a major change that might soon take place in the world of social media.  
  • Point out the Pause and Think boxes. Tell students they can check their understanding of what they’ve read by answering these questions.
  • Point out the activity at the end of the article and tell students they’ll complete it after reading. Encourage them to briefly scan the questions and to keep them in mind as they read.

2. Reading and Unpacking the Text

Read the article. (Higher- and lower-Lexile versions are available on the Story page at Action Online. Click Presentation View to access an audio read-aloud.) Then discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

  • The author begins the article by describing a few videos you might see on TikTok. What point is she trying to make? (author’s craft) The video examples help support the idea that people enjoy TikTok and that it makes us smile and laugh, which she says in the next paragraph. 
  • Look at the section heading “Getting to Know You.” What does it mean? Who is getting to know you, and why? (interpreting text) The section heading refers to tech companies gathering information about you so they can suggest content, and also so they can sell the information.
  • What is the tone (such as serious, humorous, or disappointed) of the article’s last line? (tone) The last line has a humorous tone. It mentions having to find videos of dancing grandmas somewhere else, as if videos of dancing grandmas are necessary, when of course they really aren’t.

Critical-Thinking Question (5 minutes)

  • The article mentions that banning TikTok in the U.S. might violate Americans’ right to free speech. Do you think it does? Answers may vary. Some students might say that the ban would violate the right to free speech because people should be able to express themselves in any way they choose, including on TikTok. Others might say it wouldn’t, because there are many other apps and platforms where people can express themselves and communicate. 

3. Skill Building and Writing

  • Have students work in pairs to complete the Spotlight Skill activity at the end of the article.
  • Go further: Assign students to work independently on our Summarizing activity, available in higher- and lower-level versions. (Click here to view all your Skill Builders for this article.)
  • Writing Prompt: Do you think TikTok should be banned in the U.S. if it isn’t sold? Why or why not? Write a short essay stating your opinion and supporting it with details from the article (and from other sources if you like).

Learn-Anywhere Activity

An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey at home or in the classroom

Project the task below on your whiteboard or share it with students in your LMS.

Learn More About Freedom of Speech

The article “Is TikTok Going Away?” tells you that the First Amendment protects Americans’ right to free speech. To learn more about the types of speech it protects, watch our video “Free Speech—and Its Limits.” Then gather in a small group (three or four students) to discuss the following questions:

  • Why is it illegal to falsely yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater?
  • What is defamation? Is it protected by the First Amendment?
  • Did any of the information in the video surprise you?
  • In what ways might a TikTok ban in the U.S. violate Americans’ right to free speech?

As a group, come up with a question about free speech that is not answered in the video. Do some research to find the answer. Choose one member of the group to tell the rest of the class what question you chose and what the answer is.

Print This Lesson Plan

Text-to-Speech