Student handout — Discussion & Debate
The 'Graduation Gift' Plastic Surgery Trend Splits Korean High School Classrooms
Discussion: Graduation Gifts and Plastic Surgery
Vocabulary
- cosmetic surgery — a medical procedure to change how you look
- confidence — feeling good and sure about yourself
- pressure — feeling like you have to do something
- natural — not changed by surgery or makeup
- beauty standard — a shared idea of what looks "good"
Warm-up: What's a typical high school graduation gift in Korea? Make a list with your partner.
Read and pick: Look at the pros and cons your teacher wrote on the board. Circle ONE you agree with most. Underline ONE you disagree with most.
Line debate: Stand where your teacher tells you — agree side or disagree side. Be ready to explain why. You can move if someone changes your mind.
Discussion questions
- Is getting surgery before college different from getting it as an adult? Why or why not?
- Should parents ever push a teenager toward surgery, even gently?
- Does surgery actually change how confident someone feels, or just how they look?
- If a close friend asked your opinion before a procedure, what would you say?
Final task: With a partner, write three sentences of advice to a fictional friend who is thinking about surgery before starting college.