1.  How does a franchise work?

2.  a) What is McDonald's corporate headquarters asking all of its franchisees to do?
b)  Why is McDonald's asking its franchisees to do so?

3.  a) How many McDonald's stores are there in the U.S.?
b)  What percent of the U.S. McDonald's are not franchises (instead they are owned by the company)?

4.  How much could McDonald's potentially make in sales on Christmas Day if 100% of its stores were open?

5.  When was the first time McDonald's even talked about being open on Christmas Day?

6.  a) Ask a grandparent to list the stores (retail, grocery, fast food, etc.) that were open on Christmas and Thanksgiving when he/she was a teenager.  
Then ask them about other holidays: Easter, Fourth of July, Labor Day, etc.
b)  Ask a parent the same question.

7.  a) What do you think about this cultural shift in America? Discuss with a parent.
b)  Do you think McDonald's should require franchisees to be open on Christmas Day?
c)  If you worked for McDonald's (or do work at a McDonald's) would you like to work on Christmas Day?