Controversial Topics and Academic Focus Words

Classroom Discussion

Why such controversial topics?

Students require information about controversies currently attracting national attention, and skills for analyzing these issues, in order to be prepared to participate effectively in our democracy. Yet American schools tend to de-emphasize civics, leaving students ill-equipped to join the national conversation surrounding such issues as funding for stem cell research, use of affirmative action in college admissions, or the possibility of amnesty for undocumented immigrants.

In an editorial, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor asserted:
I believe that the civics curriculum should focus on getting more students in the game. To do so, it must concentrate on issues of importance to their world; teach them to analyze and engage in constructive discussions regarding controversial and important issues of the day, in a setting that inculcates thoughtful discussion.
While the weekly topics, in most instances, will not connect directly to the regular curriculum, they will give teachers an opportunity to help students explore issues that are deeply relevant to their content area.

Some topics are emotionally charged; the text is designed to encourage students to look beyond their initial response to examine the facts surrounding a particular controversy. The program includes suggested structures for facilitating debate and exposure to multiple points.
Focus Words

Why these words?

Most of the focus words for each week are drawn from the Academic Word List (AWL), which was originally developed as a support for instruction to second language learners of English. Although there are many word lists that provide candidates for explicit teaching and implicit enrichment of student vocabulary, the Academic Word List has compiled well-organized sublists of word families that occur with frequency in academic texts across academic domains.

While students may have prior exposure to the words selected, they may not understand them in novel contexts or abstract uses. For example, students tend to be familiar with only one meaning for the words substitute and suspend–a substitute teacher, and suspended from school. Yet these words are just two examples of high-frequency, high-importance, broadly useful words that deserve sustained attention so that they can be understood (and used) across a wider array of contexts. The focus words in Word Generation are widely used in academic discourse across disciplines, are at an appropriate challenge level for middle school students, and have properties that provide opportunities for teaching transferable word study strategies (e.g., polysemy, Greek/Latin roots, cognates, etc.).

Also included in the list of focus words are "topic-specific" words (if applicable). These are words that, while potentially useful in a variety of contexts, have particular applicability to the topic under discussion. Students cannot debate the content of the Pledge of Allegiance, for example, without a detailed understanding of what "allegiance" means, nor can they consider the risks associated with the use of nuclear power without a firm grasp of "contamination." These topic-specific words therefore facilitate thought and discussion.

Unit Topics and Focus Words

Series 1

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Unit 1.01: 

What is the purpose of school?

 

  • analyze
  • factor
  • function
  • interpret
  • structure

 

Unit 1.02:  

When should someone be considered an adult?

 

  • guideline
  • mature
  • ambiguous
  • due
  • status

 

Unit 1.03:

What makes an American?

 

  • complexity
  • culture
  • element
  • resourceful
  • tradition

 

Unit 1.04:

Cloning: threat or opportunity?

 

  • design
  • feature
  • impact
  • potential
  • transfer

 

Unit 1.05:

Should schools be responsible for students’ mental health?

 

  • considerable
  • contribute
  • demonstrate
  • sufficient
  • valid

 

Unit 1.06:

Animal testing: Is it necessary?

 

  • rely
  • react
  • alternative
  • justify
  • proportion

 

Unit 1.07:

Censorship: Who should decide what young people read?

 

  • access
  • civil
  • despite
  • integrate
  • promote

 

Unit 1.08:

Climate change: Who should pay for the consequences?

 

  • attribute
  • interest
  • project
  • relocate
  • statistics

 

Unit 1.09:

School dress codes: not strict enough?

 

  • adjustment
  • exposure
  • modify
  • monitor
  • transition

 

Unit 1.10:

Who is responsible for doping in professional team sports?

 

  • fundamental
  • alter
  • conflicted
  • substitute
  • compound

 

Unit 1.11:

Mummies: Who owns the dead?

 

  • diversity
  • enhance
  • migration
  • presume
  • reveal

 

Unit 1.12:

Junk food: Should schools sell it?

 

  • acknowledge
  • incidence
  • incorporate
  • initiative
  • transport

 

Unit 1.13:

Is the death penalty justified?

 

  • advocate
  • contrary
  • prohibit
  • release
  • reverse

 

Unit 1.14:

Asthma: more than a medical problem?

 

  • intervention
  • phenomenon
  • priority
  • suspend
  • transmit

 

Unit 1.15:

Today’s news: information or entertainment?

 

  • abandon
  • frivolous
  • contemporary
  • dramatic
  • exploit

 

Unit 1.16:

Teen using nicotine: Who is responsible?

 

  • accumulation
  • contradict
  • exhibit
  • inevitable
  • manipulate

 

Unit 1.17:

Solitary confinement: legitimate protection or cruel and unusual punishment?

 

  • isolation
  • confinement
  • system
  • mental
  • solitary

 

Unit 1.18:

Should drugs be legalized?

 

  • decade
  • incompatible
  • temporarily
  • unify
  • violation

 

Unit 1.19:

Is using AI for school work cheating?

 

  • artificial
  • intelligence
  • inclined
  • nonetheless
  • model

 

Unit 1.20:

High school dropouts: What can be done?

 

  • convince
  • enormous
  • integrity
  • persistent
  • reluctant

 

Unit 1.21:

Should victims’ families all receive the same compensation?

 

  • financial
  • compensation
  • fund
  • sum
  • recover

 

Unit 1.22 :

Politics and privacy: What do we need to know about a candidate?

 

  • candidate
  • campaign
  • ethics
  • issue
  • display

 

Unit 1.23:

Explicit photos and cell phones: illegal or just risky?

 

  • accountable
  • disseminate
  • constant
  • inappropriate
  • legal

 

Unit 1.24:

How should teen dating violence be addressed?

 

  • assault
  • abuse
  • trigger
  • distort
  • physical

 

Series 2

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Unit 2.01: 

Should colleges require standardized test scores for admissions?

 

  • standardized
  • assess
  • criteria
  • correspond
  • formulate

 

Unit 2.02: 

Should colleges use affirmative action?

 

  • affirmative
  • discrimination
  • aspect 
  • relevant
  • retain

 

Unit 2.03: 

Should schools or parents be responsible for sex education?

 

  • capacity
  • distribute
  • method
  • morality
  • abstain

 

Unit 2.04: 

Do professional athletes deserve multi-million dollar salaries?

 

  • guarantee 
  • contrast 
  • parallel 
  • industry 
  • logical

 

Unit 2.05:

Should students be paid for performance in school?

 

  • implement 
  • motivate 
  • undertake 
  • incentive 
  • enable

 

Unit 2.06: 

Does Title IX promote gender fairness in sports and education?

 

  • inequity 
  • resources 
  • adequate 
  • illustrate
  • disproportionate

 

Unit 2.07:

Should the government fund embryonic stem cell research?

 

  • embryo 
  • paralyzed 
  • theory 
  • investigate 
  • obtain

 

Unit 2.08:

Who is responsible for childhood obesity? 

 

  • obesity
  • multidimensional
  • primary
  • restrict 
  • emphasize

 

Unit 2.09:

Nuclear power: our energy future or danger to society?

 

  • generate 
  • derive 
  • advantage 
  • consume
  • contaminate

 

Unit 2.10:

Should the Pledge of Allegiance say “one Nation under God”?

 

  • recite 
  • allegiance 
  • signify 
  • principle 
  • conclusion

 

Unit 2.11:

Should English be the official language of the United States?

 

  • specify 
  • establish 
  • cohesive 
  • constrain
  • xenophobia

 

Unit 2.12:

Are kids responsible for stepping in to prevent bullying?

 

  • amend 
  • equity 
  • constitute 
  • resolve 
  • legislate

 

Unit 2.13:

Should doctors be allowed to assist seriously ill patients with suicide?

 

  • prevention
  • critical
  • pursue 
  • alter 
  • approach

 

Unit 2.14:

Should American students be required to learn a second language?

 

  • economic
  • multicultural
  • attribute 
  • facilitate 
  • distinct

 

Unit 2.15:

Are green technologies worth the investment?

 

  • conserve 
  • renewable
  • invest
  • proceed
  • maximize

 

Unit 2.16:

Violence and media: Are ratings systems necessary?

 

  • rating 
  • ban 
  • interact 
  • occur 
  • complex

 

Unit 2.17:

Should intelligent design be taught in school?

 

  • design 
  • creationism 
  • concept 
  • evolve 
  • perspective

 

Unit 2.18:

Should drug companies be allowed to advertise prescription drugs on TV?

 

  • disclaimer 
  • prescription 
  • potential 
  • assume 
  • rely

 

Unit 2.19:

Should voting be compulsory in local and national elections in the United States?

 

  • civic 
  • apathy 
  • enforce 
  • decline 
  • evidently

 

Unit 2.20:

Should there be amnesty for undocumented immigrants?

 

  • amnesty
  • undocumented
  • orient
  • exclude 
  • compound

 

Unit 2.21:

Should corporal punishment be outlawed?

 

  • privacy 
  • invasion 
  • consist 
  • secure 
  • corporal

 

Unit 2.22:

Should students have to meet a grade requirement to participate in sports?

 

  • eligible 
  • affect 
  • maintain
  • prerequisite 
  • previous

 

Unit 2.23:

After-school jobs: helpful or harmful to middle and high school students?

 

  • resumé
  • responsibility 
  • acquire 
  • perceive 
  • sustain

 

Unit 2.24:

Should middle and high schools use academic tracking?

 

  • tracking 
  • aptitude 
  • policy 
  • component 
  • involve

 

Series 3

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Unit 3.01:

Should school be a place for debate?

 

  • controversy 
  • justify 
  • perspective
  • bias
  • debate

 

Unit 3.02:

Should our use of paper or plastic be regulated?

 

  • strategy 
  • research 
  • cite 
  • phase 
  • data

 

Unit 3.03:

Is an extended school day the right choice for U.S. students?

 

  • extend
  • radical
  • crucial
  • attain
  • initiative

 

Unit 3.04:

Should adoption information be kept from children?


  • adopt 
  • consent 
  • tension 
  • ensure
  • duration

 

Unit 3.05:

Should secret wiretapping be legal?

 

  • wiretapping 
  • source 
  • suspicious 
  • patriot
  • eliminate

 

Unit 3.06:

When should the U.S. send troops to other countries?

 

  • diminish 
  • regime 
  • displace 
  • stable 
  • estimate

 

Unit 3.07:

Should the government impose a mandatory year of service?

 

  • voluntary 
  • literacy 
  • impose 
  • allocate 
  • rigid

 

Unit 3.08:

Should the government regulate genetic testing?

 

  • genetic 
  • conception 
  • range 
  • circumstance 
  • regulate

 

Unit 3.09:

Should the U.S. have tighter regulations on genetically modified food?

 

  • modify
  • DNA 
  • undernourished 
  • consequence 
  • extract

 

Unit 3.10:

Should people continue to eat meat?

 

  • symbolic 
  • export 
  • domestic 
  • efficient 
  • integrate

 

Unit 3.11:

Do the benefits of renting a pet outweigh the potential harm it can cause the animals?

 

  • whereas
  • capable
  • ongoing
  • compatible
  • notion

 

Unit 3.12:

Should single-gender education be an option for students?

 

  • gender 
  • conduct 
  • adapt
  • comprise
  • paradigm

 

Unit 3.13:

Should schools have a vocational track?

 

  • vocational 
  • inherently 
  • exceed 
  • equivalent 
  • focus

 

Unit 3.14:

Should children be prohibited from becoming actors at an early age?

 

  • emerge 
  • exploit 
  • furthermore
  • confront 
  • interfere

 

Unit 3.15:

Who is responsible for protecting teens from online predators?

 

  • pose
  • contact 
  • prime 
  • minimum
  • unmonitored

 

Unit 3.16:

Teen curfews: Helpful or harmful?

  • revenue
  • institute
  • incident
  • escort
  • invoke

 

Unit 3.17:

Should everyone have access to medical marijuana?

 

  • distribution 
  • outweigh 
  • anecdotal 
  • front 
  • sought

 

Unit 3.18:

How should organ recipients be chosen?

 

  • intrinsic 
  • commodity 
  • practitioner
  • evaluate 
  • infer

 

Unit 3.19:

When is it okay to lie?

 

  • conceive
  • unethical
  • benefit
  • detect
  • rationalize

 

Unit 3.20:

Should the U.S. have stricter gun regulations?

 

  • scheme 
  • subsequently 
  • dominant
  • import
  • commission

 

Unit 3.21:

Should everyone get a trophy?

 

  • yield
  • participate
  • superior
  • resilient
  • consensus

 

Unit 3.22:

Is Barbie a bad influence?

 

  • undergo
  • empowering
  • implications
  • deny
  • role

 

Unit 3.23:

Are schools responsible for protecting kids from cyberbullying?

 

  • anonymous
  • underlying
  • capacity
  • adequately
  • harassment

 

Unit 3.24:

Child protesting: duty or danger?

 

  • disperse
  • catalyze
  • segregation
  • reform
  • injustice

 

Development of Word Generation was led by Catherine Snow (Harvard University) and Suzanne Donovan (SERP). Major SERP contributors to program development include: Claire White, Alyse Krantz, Halley Wheeless, Matt Ellinger, David Dudley, and Patrick Hurley. Boston Public Schools and other districts in Massachusetts and Maryland collaborated with SERP to develop Word Generation.


Support for Word Generation was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Noyce Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Leon Lowenstein Foundation and the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education through grant numbers R305A090555 and R305F100026. The information provided does not represent views of the funders.