At SERP, we believe middle school students deserve opportunities to engage with the most pressing and relevant issues of their time. That’s why we are so grateful to the Brinson Family Foundation for their generous support for revisions and updates to the WordGen Weekly program.

With the Brinson Foundation’s partnership, we’ve been able to ensure that WordGen materials don’t just build academic language and vocabulary skills, but they also spark curiosity and invite students to weigh in on the debates shaping their world. The updated units feature current data, fresh perspectives, and topics that resonate deeply with middle school learners today.

Brand New Units

These new additions tackle some of the most challenging topics in schools today:

• Is using AI for schoolwork cheating? (new!)
• Should school meals be free for all students? (new!)
• Should schools ban cell phones? (new!)

Updated Units

We’ve refreshed some favorite units to reflect the latest data and debates, ensuring that classroom conversations are current, relevant, and meaningful:

• Teens using nicotine: Who is responsible? (updated!)
• Should we invest more in green technologies? (updated!)
• Today’s news: information or entertainment? (updated!)
• Should corporal punishment be outlawed? (updated!)

These updates keep WordGen true to its mission: bridging academic learning with real-world issues that students recognize, care about, and want to discuss.

We’re proud to continue this important work, and we thank the Brinson Foundation for making it possible. Together, we’re creating classrooms where every student can strengthen their academic language and argumentation skills, while finding their voice on issues that matter.

Access all WordGen units from the SERP Download Center