This month’s lesson features writing by 18-year-old Gray Fuller from Missouri. If your students want their writing used in lessons like this, encourage them to submit.
Mini-Lesson: What Does “Progress” Really Mean? (10-15 minutes)
Ojective: By the end of class, using teen writer, Gray Fuller's essay, "What is Progress," students will be able to define an abstract concept (or a big idea) (progress, freedom, success, justice) and support it with historical and present-day evidence with 75% accuracy.
Step 1: Read teen writer, Gray Fuller's, "What is Progress?"
Say: As you read, annotate for:
Note: this is not an exhaustive list. You may choose one annotation or as many as you think your students can identify.
Say: As you read, annotate for:
- How the writer defines progress
- Examples of where reality doesn’t match that idea
- Tone
- Connections
- Figurative Language
Note: this is not an exhaustive list. You may choose one annotation or as many as you think your students can identify.
Step 2: Discussion
Tell students: Writers often take a big word we hear all the time, like progress, and question it. In this piece, the writer:
Key idea:
Good writing doesn’t just define a word, it tests it against real life.
Ask: What can you infer about how the writer feels about progress? Make sure you include the line from the text that made you feel this way.
Tell students: Writers often take a big word we hear all the time, like progress, and question it. In this piece, the writer:
- Starts with what America says it stands for
- Shows where reality doesn’t match those ideals
- Uses historical and current examples
- Adds a personal perspective
Key idea:
Good writing doesn’t just define a word, it tests it against real life.
Ask: What can you infer about how the writer feels about progress? Make sure you include the line from the text that made you feel this way.
Step 3: Write
Choose one of these ideas from the essay: progress, freedom, equality, success, or justice. Then, in at least one paragraph, compare what it means to what it actually looks like in real life.
Choose one of these ideas from the essay: progress, freedom, equality, success, or justice. Then, in at least one paragraph, compare what it means to what it actually looks like in real life.
Step 4: Share
Students share what they wrote or one line that stands out to them.
Students share what they wrote or one line that stands out to them.
Step 5: S-I-T (Surprising - Interesting - Troubling)
Students can share something they read, heard, or wrote that is surprising, interesting, or troubling.
Students can share something they read, heard, or wrote that is surprising, interesting, or troubling.
Differentiation
Support
On-Level
Advanced
Support
- Sentence Starters:
- People say ______ means ______, but in reality... .
- “We’re told ______ is improving, but…”
- “If this is really ______, then why…?”
- One-pager: draw what the idea (progress, freedom, etc.) looks like to you.
On-Level
- Be sure to include at least one real-world example.
Advanced
- Add a second example (historical or current).
- Include a counterargument (Some people believe ______. However______.).
- Turn the response into a short argument paragraph.
- Create a detailed one-pager that includes:
- Key quotes or phrases
- A clear claim about the idea
- Multiple examples (historical + current)
- Visuals that represent the gap between idea vs. reality
TEKS (English I-IV):
(5)(B), (5)(C), (5)(J), (7)(E), (8)(A), (8)(D), (9)(A), (9)(B), (10)(C)
CCRS (ELA):
I.A.1, I.B.1, II.A.2, III.B.2
(5)(B), (5)(C), (5)(J), (7)(E), (8)(A), (8)(D), (9)(A), (9)(B), (10)(C)
CCRS (ELA):
I.A.1, I.B.1, II.A.2, III.B.2