2024 New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF for Middle School Students (FUNNY and FREE!)

December 26, 2023

Here’s a FUNNY (and FREE!) 2024 New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF Activity for Middle School and High School students.

Is this a motivational letter?

Or an anti-motivational letter?

What will your students decide?

Table of Contents: The BEST “Anti-Motivational” Motivational 2024 New Year’s Resolution Letter for Students

Read the “anti-motivational” motivational letter
Reading Comprehension Questions (2 pages)
Point of View / Media Literacy Questions (2 pages)
Was this written by ChatGPT?
Should ChatGPT be allowed in School? (debate lesson)
Just because I say I didn’t copy ChatGPT, doesn’t me that I didn’t plagiarize

How to Download the New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF

We’ll also send you other freebies and special offers to help you empower your Middle School students and High School students!

Full disclosure: There are annoying ads here to encourage teachers to print the handout. All they have to do is click here to download the free 2024 New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF.

2024 New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF Answer Key

Answers are not included.

So, if you’re a student and you’re thinking about downloading the 2024 New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF to get the answers… oops! There are no answers in there!

Now what?

Oh, have you tried googling 2024 New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF answer key? Here are the answers.

Look at the discussion questions.
Figure out key phrases from the question (or synonyms or other ways to say those key words.)
Skim and scan the document for those key words.
When you find one of those key words, read the sentence. Does that help you find the answer to this New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF?
If not, read the sentence before and after the key word for clues.
Remember: the answers to the 2024 New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF won’t always be straight-forward.
You’ll probably have to make connections to things you know (or think you know.)
Try to make an inference. Take evidence from the text (stuff around the keywords) and combine it with things you know (your schema, your life experiences, stuff you know about the world) to come up with the answer.
Write the answer to the 2024 New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF question in the space provided.
Some teachers like it when you repeat part of the question in the first sentence of your answer.

Yes. Every year, I have a few enterprising students reach out to me pretending to be a teacher looking for the answers to the New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF.

How do I know they’re students?

My teacher Spidey-sense starts to tingle. I look for evidence in what they wrote, combined with stuff I know about how Middle School students communicate, and I make an inference.

If you’re really a teacher and you’re looking for help with one of the questions from the New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF, please contact me using your work email address.

(Also, if you’re really a teacher and you like what you see so far, you’d probably also like this Goal Setting PowerPoint / Lesson for students.)

THE LETTER: Happy New Year 2024!

SOURCE: New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF (pages 1-5)

Hey Middle School and High School Students!

Yup, it’s that time of the year! It’s time to think about not thinking about New Year’s Resolutions!

Think about that sentence for a moment.

Why would you think about not thinking about something? Don’t you already not think about stuff all the time? (Does your head hurt from trying to figure out how to think about not thinking about thinking?)

We don’t think about New Year Resolutions all the time.

Actually, we think about them briefly right about now. You might have even done a goal-setting activity at school last year. But then your teacher had to get back to the real stuff – getting through the curriculum, preparing you for standardized tests, and getting marks for report cards. Important and urgent stuff instead of the long-term important and non-urgent stuff like saving for a rainy day or regular dentist appointments.

Let’s be honest. Is there anything magical about the new year? It’s just an arbitrary date when some people choose to make resolutions. It’s not like we can’t set goals any time we want.

This handout is supposed to motivate you or something.

You’re expected to read this and then all of a sudden feel inspired to take action. Everything will instantly go your way because you implement the ideas in this letter: no more problems, no more bullies, no more homework! Everything works magically, life becomes easy, and the internet never fails.

If you’re lucky, there will be some inspirational quotes that will change your life. Maybe an anecdote that the author thinks you’ll connect with. The person who wrote this probably searched for “popular teen trends 2023.”

Let’s see… What happened in 2023 that might be an example you could relate to? What kind of story would a teacher choose, hoping you would think if they could do it, maybe I could too?

The reality is that reading one single handout isn’t going to change your life. Making a New Year’s Resolution won’t make a difference. Wanting to be an NBA player, famous influencer, professional gamer, or popular celebrity doesn’t mean it will happen.

(Uh-oh. This sounds dangerously motivational. Don’t worry, it’s not.)

You’re going to be average.

(See? No sneaky pep talk. It’s all good — nothing to be suspicious about. Keep reading. Or at least pretend to read so you don’t get in trouble. Stay under the radar. Everything will be okay.)

You’re going to have an average life.

You’ll do what everyone else does. You’ll want things that other people on social media have. Money is tight, prices are soaring, and many people live paycheck to paycheck trying to figure things out.

Don’t worry. You’ll be able to flex now and then on TikTok or Snap, so it’s all good. Your feed will be lit with the fun times. No one shares the downers. Duh. This is just the way it is. Be average. Don’t change a thing. Keep it chill.

How do I know you’re going to be average? Statistically speaking, most people are average or in the middle. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be the average.

Besides, it’s safer in the middle. If you’re like everyone else, maybe people won’t make fun of you (or so we hope.) And, for some reason, the negative things can seem so much bigger than the positive stuff, so isn’t it better not to try?

(The reality is that haters gonna hate, regardless of where you stand in the line. Apparently, the way to win is to genuinely enjoy life being your authentic self – but that’s easier said than done.)

Don’t ask questions. Laugh at the same jokes as everyone else. Don’t admit that you secretly still play Minecraft. (It’s kinda fun, but don’t admit that.)

Yup, you should be average. Just keep trusting everything you read. It’ll be okay. It’s written on a handout you got at school, so it must be true.

Wait… Now, this letter almost seems anti-motivational.

Are we in a multiverse here? What is this? There must be something positive here; otherwise, the teacher would never have given this to you.

Unless your teacher just found this beside the school photocopier, saw the title, and photocopied a class set without fully reading it. I mean, if another teacher used this, it must be okay. Let’s do what everyone else does. There’s safety in numbers. Stay in the herd. Be proud to be a sheep. The nail that sticks out gets hammered.

(Also, don’t laugh. The teacher might get nervous. Remember, a quiet class is a working class. But not too quiet. This is about staying in the middle, right?)

I’m just being real. I mean, honestly, do you disagree? Have I said anything that isn’t true?

There’s nothing wrong with being average.

By definition, most people have to be. I’m average in most areas of my life. I’m pretty ordinary in most ways, and I’m okay with that. But, I do try to be extra ordinary when I go after my goals. That’s what extraordinary means – to go extra beyond the ordinary.

My name is Mike Fuchigami. I used to teach Grade 8 in Ottawa, Canada, but then life happened, and I don’t do that anymore. Now, I spend my time figuring out how to help people turn the worst moment of their lives into the best moment.

I still teach, just not in a classroom right now. I’m rewriting my story as a content creator. (Yup, baby influencer here. Less than 1K subs. Nothing to see or pay attention to because if I had anything good to say, I’d have 1M subs, right?)

I create resources to help teachers empower students to pivot in a changing world. I also coach teacherpreneurs on their journeys toward personal development and financial freedom.

But that doesn’t matter.

You don’t know me. And I don’t know you.

I don’t know who you are or what you’re going through. I don’t know how easy or tough your life is. I don’t know what your family is like. I don’t know what you want. I don’t know who you want to be secretly, deep down inside.

I probably don’t look like you. We’re definitely not the same age. I might not talk the way you talk. I’m not from your community. I don’t know anything about you. How could I possibly say something that might catch your attention long enough to get you to reflect on your actions?

(I can’t change your life. I can only say something that might shift what you do. That’ll last for a second before you’re distracted by… squirrel!)

I don’t know you. But here’s what I do know.

There are 8.1 billion people in the world. Somewhere out there, there’s someone that you can relate to who has done what you are trying to do.

I don’t know how to help you escape poverty. I don’t know how to help you achieve something no one in your family has ever done.

But I wonder if someone in your community or a similar community has done it? How did they do it? Would that work for you? Can you modify what they did to fit your situation? Maybe, maybe not. If you can, then use their story as a playbook. If you can’t, then find a different story.

I don’t know how to help you become a millionaire. But is there someone who has done it that you can learn from? Obviously, be careful of internet gurus and random text messages from strangers. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Critical thinking is important; don’t get scammed. But, once you find high-quality information, what can we learn from people who got there before us?

I don’t know how to help you become a better student. But is there someone similar to you who has done it? If not in your class, what about a different class? What about someone in another city? How did they crack the code to success? Yes, you’re unique, but can you find some similarities with other people? Are there strategies that might work for you? Why or why not?

I don’t know how to help you get through the worst moment of your life. Maybe that moment has already happened. Maybe it’s going to happen in the future. Who knows? Not me!

The only thing I know about is me (and I’m still learning about myself): what I like, what I don’t like, what works for me as a learner, what doesn’t, how I manage my actions, what sets me off.

I know how I’m working through the worst moment of my life (so far.) That’s by reminding myself:

I’m not alone (and if other people have gotten through this, I probably can too.)

I’m pretty good at learning and figuring out stuff along the way.
That’s my unfair advantage. What’s your unfair advantage? What’s your secret blend of skills and abilities that makes you, you (and not everyone can do this?)

There are billions of other people on this planet. Someone else has gotten through a similar situation, and if they could do it, then it’s proof that it can be done. I just need to learn from their story and see what I can adapt into my life.

Being able to learn is like a superhero power where you can absorb other powers to become stronger.

Everyone learns in a different way. If you learn how you learn, you can figure out how to learn anything, which means you can eventually crack the code to win.

Could this work for you? Why or why not?

Find someone in a similar situation and see how they did it. This person might be sitting right next to you. Or, they might be in a different part of the world. You don’t have to meet or chat with them in person. Many people share their stories and experiences in books, videos, and online. Can you be open to the idea that you can learn something from anyone? Even your nemesis?

Are you feeling tricked? Is this anti-motivational speech actually motivational? Don’t worry; it’s not. If you think I’ll end on a positive note, you’re sadly mistaken. I’m going to end with the truth. Whether that’s positive and inspirational depends entirely on you.

The reality is that most of you, even after reading this letter, will remain average.

Think about how much time you spend watching TV, scrolling on social media, or playing video games. How many minutes do you spend per day? Then check the “screen time” on your phone to find the real answer.

The average person in the world apparently spends around 7.5 hours per day consuming media. If you want great results in life, you can’t do what everyone else does. How could you create great results instead of passively flipping through YouTube shorts?

There’s an idea floating around that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Who do you spend the most time with? Are they moving in the direction you want to head towards? If not, then find books, podcasts, videos, interviews, or posts to surround yourself with stories from people who have done what you want to do. Learn how they did it.

Information alone is not enough. Otherwise, we would all be fit and wealthy. The average person isn’t willing to do the consistent work required to achieve greatness. The grind is real.

If you want to be the next Lebron James, find out how much he has to hustle on and off the court. If you want to be the next Emma Chamberlain, find out how she started. If you want to be average, keep doing what everyone else does.

Prove me wrong.

Sincerely,

Mike Fuchigami

Dec 2023

PS Was this written by a human or ChatGPT? (How can you tell?) The answer might surprise you. Click here to find out

Reading Comprehension Questions

SOURCE: New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF (pages 6, 7)

Question 1. According to this article, what does “average” mean? [RECALL]

Question 2. The author writes, “You’re going to be average,” but does the author actually want you to be average? Explain your thinking. [UNDERSTAND]

Question 3. How could you prove the author wrong? Use evidence from the text combined with your own ideas to come up with a game plan to prove the author wrong. [APPLY]

Question 4. Some people might think this is a motivational text. Other people might think this is anti-motivational. Fill out a Venn diagram to compare and contrast motivational and discouraging elements of this article. Use information from this article and your own ideas to identify how people might interpret the article. [ANALYZE]

Question 5. How effective is this article at motivating “Middle School and High School students”? Use evidence from the text and your own thinking to support your answer. [EVALUATE]

Question 6. Create a better way to motivate Middle School and High School students than this article. (A better way would incorporate the best aspects of this letter and improve upon problem areas that you identified in Questions #4 and #5.) Explain why this is a better way. Identify any potential problems or concerns raised by this new approach. [CREATE]

Critical Thinking – Point of View / Digital Literacy Questions

SOURCE: New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF (pages 8, 9)

Hey Teachers! Click here to download the free 2024 New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF.

PRO TIP: Although it might look like questions #7, #8, and #9 all have the same answer, go beyond the first idea you come up with. Different people have different goals and points of view.

Question 7. What is the point of this letter? What makes you say that?

Question 8. What do you think was the teacher’s point in giving this letter to you? (I mean, your teacher didn’t have to hand this letter to you. They could have just used the handouts.)

Question 9. What do you think was the author’s intent in writing this letter? Support your idea with evidence from the text combined with your understanding of the world.

Question 10. How might the author benefit if the message in this letter is accepted? How might the teacher benefit? How might you benefit?

Question 11. Who is at a disadvantage or loses out if the message in this letter is accepted? What makes you say that?

Question 12. Think about what your teacher (Question 8) or the author (Question 9) was trying to do with this letter. How effective was this letter in achieving that goal? Explain your thinking.

Question 13. Create a more effective way for either the teacher (Question 8) or the author (Question 9) to achieve their goals. Explain why this is a better way. Identify any potential problems or concerns raised by this new approach.

Was this letter written by ChatGPT?

Yes and no.

Yes, I used ChatGPT to help me write this year’s Anti-Motivational, Motivational New Year’s Resolution letter to students.
No, I didn’t just copy what ChatGPT told me. I used it as a writing tool to help me brainstorm what to say.

But, wait!

Just because I say I didn’t just copy what the Artificial Intelligence tool told me, doesn’t me that’s true.

Read the stuff below about what plagiarism is

Then read my ChatGPT transcript to decide for yourself if I cheated:

https://chat.openai.com/share/36433f63-93fe-4ea8-a7a0-534f1e52fe4e

A lot of students think if you change a few words, it’s not plagiarism.

Wikipedia explains that “Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person’s language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one’s own original work.

So, if you only replace words with synonyms and hand in that work as your own, you’re probably still representing someone else’s language, thoughts, ideas or expressions as your own.”

Original Sentence:

“A lot of students think if you change a few words, it’s not plagiarism.”

Modified (Plagiarized) Sentences:

A lot of students think if you change a few words, it’s not plagiarism.
Many students think if you change a few words, it’s not plagiarism.
A lot of students believe if you modify a few words, it is not plagiarism.

In this case, I modified a few words, but not enough to turn the original sentence into something of my own:

I didn’t change the same sentence structure
I didn’t challenge any of the ideas
I didn’t add any of my own ideas.
I didn’t combine these ideas with other ideas to come up with my own idea.

So those modified sentences would be plagiarism if I didn’t cite the source. (It would be plagiarism because if I don’t cite the source, I’m implying I wrote it and came up with the idea – which fits the Wikipedia explanation of plagiarism. Remember:

Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person’s language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one’s own original work.
Source: Wikipedia

Hey, Teachers – tired of all the ads? Me too! Click here to download the free 2024 New Year’s Resolution Reading Comprehension PDF. Print it for your students and they’ll be less distracted. Fingers crossed.

Should ChatGPT be allowed in school? Or is this cheating?

Here’s a free classroom debate video lesson for teachers to use in the classroom.

It’s a one hour video lesson that walks students through pros and cons of using ChatGPT in the classroom.

The video tells you when to pause for classroom discussion.

Just because I say I didn’t copy what ChatGPT told me, doesn’t me that I didn’t plagiarize.

I said I didn’t just copy what ChatGPT told me, so it’s not plagiarism.

But just because someone says they didn’t just copy what ChatGPT told me, doesn’t mean it’s not plagiarism.

So, here’s a link to my conversation with ChatGPT: