A Patriot S Progress

This bitingly satirical account of an ordinary youth's experiences in World War 1 is a classic of war writing. Unintelligent, unimaginative, volunteering to fight he knows not quite why, John Bullock is the archetypal common soldier. As we follow his puzzled progress through his first brutal initiation into army life to the terrors of trench warfare in France, a vivid picture of the senselessness of war emerges.

Published to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the end of WW1, A Patriot's Progress presents a uniquely detailed account of life in the trenches.

"Massachusetts, 1774, a few months after the Boston Tea Party, and everywhere there were muttered rumblings of discontent and revolt although fighting had not actually broken out. In a small settlement not far from Lexington and Concord, John Frayne, the young village doctor, believes, like many another intelligent and educated man, that political differences can be resolved peaceably. The girl he loves is the daughter of a prosperous Tory, his brother and some of his friends are convinced that the hot-headed rebels will soon be brought to heel, but the majority of the villagers are drilling and assembling arms and are outspoken in their distrust of any man with Loyalist or neutral feelings. As the war develops John gradually realizes that he must choose sides and joins the Continental Army as a surgeon" -- Dust jacket.

"Upending deficit narrative of learning loss, combating broken approaches to racial equity, and wading deep into the contested waters of democratic principles of learning within today’s schools, Dr. Skerrett and Dr. Smagorinsky offer an accessible guidebook for making our classrooms sites of justice and joy. Perhaps most importantly, theirs is a book that reveals classroom practices as they really are--the voices of teachers are situated as co-authors in this important journey. I cannot think of a more timely or relevant book for English educators than Teaching Literacy in Troubled Times." — Antero Garcia, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Graduate School of Education, Stanford University Relevant instruction to move education forward instead of "back to normal" Educators often bemoan the so-called learning gap that followed the upheaval to schooling in 2020, but the real learning gap will occur if the watershed events and social shifts of the early 2020s are not integrated into school instruction and learning. For today’s learning to be relevant to today’s students, it must reflect their lives and the true social worlds they inhabit. But how? Teaching Literacy in Troubled Times empowers educators to engage students in critical thinking, literacy activities, and inquiry to investigate the personal and social issues of pressing importance to today’s middle and high school students. Six units of study, each co-authored by a teacher who road-tested the activities in their own classroom, guide teachers through the process of teaching literacy around the topics of identity, social inequity, global justice, empathy, racism and racial literacy, and conflicting ideas of patriotism. This urgent, timely guide to creating a relevant classroom includes: Instructional methods, content knowledge, and learning activities for each unit that engage students in critical inquiry and social action. Insights and guidance from teachers who put the full unit plans in action with students. Reflection questions to help teachers envision the work in their own classrooms. Templates, rubrics, examples of student work, and other tools that help teachers to plan and implement activities that grow students’ capacity to understand and act in society. Prime your students with the critical thinking, investigative, and communicative skills they need to connect themselves to broader social movements and create a new generation of educated changemakers.