Facilitating Civil Discourse: Resources for Educators

Author / Organization

Description

Resource Link

University of Michigan: Center for Research on Learning and Teaching

This article outlines strategies and approaches for supporting older students (e.g. 9-12th or post-secondary) in discussing difficult and intense topics.

Guidelines for Discussing Difficult or High-Stakes Topics (2020)

Facing History and Ourselves

This guide provides suggested activities and ideas that support both teachers and students as they develop the critical skills necessary for civil discourse.

Fostering Civil Discourse (In order to download the free guide as a PDF you will need to create a log-in with the non-profit organization, Facing History and Ourselves)

ASCD | Ranjit Sidhu

This article includes a variety of teaching resources designed to help educational professionals facilitate learning experiences and classroom conversations related to civil discourse. *Additional resource links are included in the article.

Resources for Talking to Students About Politics, Civic Engagement, and Uncertainty 

(January 8, 2021)

Sara K. Ahmed (Author of Being the Change, Heinemann, 2021)

This Google Slides presentation provides an example and template from educational author, Sara K. Ahmed, that can be used to facilitate discussions with students about current events that are tragic, difficult, traumatic, and/or disturbing.

Slide Deck *When you click on this link, you will be prompted to make your own copy in your Google Drive.

Jess Lifshitz (5th-Grade Teacher & Speaker)

This Google Doc provides a framework and structure for facilitating an online (or even face-to-face) discussion with students around current events / news. This framework and structure are best suited for upper elementary and middle-school students.

Asking Questions As News Unfolds *When you click on this link, you will be prompted to make your own copy in your Google Drive.

For more support or additional resources, please contact: Annie Hicks | ahicks(a)ecsdnv.net