Presentation Format
Lesson: Teaching Controversial Issues in the Social Studies Classroom
Essential Objective(s): Participants will review the research base on the importance of
including controversial issues in their classrooms, review guidelines for teaching
controversial issues, and apply a suggested methodology to teaching controversial issues in
a public school environment.
Materials:
 ppt presentation
 Example of HCPSS policy, BCPS Policy,
 OH Evidence Base for Teaching Controversial Issues (procon.org)
 Example of MCPS Ferguson Broadside
 Glenelg Confederate Flag Article from the Washington Post
 Controversial Issues Suggested Framework
 Brainstormed List of Controversial Issues
Anticipatory Set/Context Setting:
1. Participants will enter the classroom to find a number of controversial issues
displayed around the room.
2. Participants will be asked to meet in small groups to discuss if or how they usually
teach controversial issues? Have they taught any of these issues? How did it go? What
other issues might they consider addressing?
3. What are the benefits and roadblocks to teaching controversial issues in the
classroom?
4. This will conclude with a whole group share out of successes and challenges for
teaching controversial issues in social studies.
Development/Procedures:
1. Session facilitator should share some research with teachers to support teaching
controversial issues in the classroom.
a. This may in fact lead to some debate among teachers – it is important to
acknowledge the expertise of the teachers and really listen to the issues each
teacher faces in their districts. This will vary widely across the state of
Maryland.
2. Once the group has reached consensus on at least the theoretical idea of the benefits
of teaching controversial issues in social studies, transition to methodology.
3. Introduce HCPSS and BCPS district policy, any other LEA policies that can be supplied.
4. Have participants review policies, highlighting similarities, differences, key ideas and
points. Also discuss the overlap of policies, religion, guest speakers, instructional
materials…
5. Introduce the guidelines for teaching controversial issues, highlighting the
importance of student questioning, inquiry, and connections in skill, civic education,
and content to the C3.
6. Finally, review the MCPS example of support for teaching Ferguson.
a. Make a special note of certain items in the Broadside: comments sections,
balanced research and sources, etc.
Transition:
Take the time to introduce a real life, recent controversial issue, by having participants read
about the Glenelg confederate flag controversy. Ask teachers to talk in small groups about
how they would have handled this if it had happened in their community. Ask teachers to
think about how to apply the guidelines to the incident. Discuss some of the comments that
may have been linked to articles.
Development/Procedures:
1. Ask participants in small groups to brainstorm a list of controversial issues they
would like to have taught, but have not in their career. Why did you avoid rather than
teach? Would you do it the same today?
2. Then have the groups share out examples.
3. Once all groups have shared, ask teachers to work in small groups, using the guide,
the resources, the research, and any available technology to create a plan to teach any
issue on the list created by the group.
4. Teachers may work individually, with partners, or in small groups.
Transition:
Ask participants to share out their plans.
Summary/Closure:
Ask participants to reflect for a few moments on the plans created, the ideas presented, and
the methods for addressing controversial issues in the social studies classrooms.
 What steps would they take before addressing?
 Do they feel more comfortable doing so?
 Do they feel that they have both pedagogical and ideological support for discussing
and teaching controversial issues in the classroom?
 What hesitancies do teachers/participants still feel? How could MSDE and other
teachers support them?
Teaching Sensitive Issues in the Social Studies Classroom
A Practical Guide
Adapted from the work of Paul C. Gorski for EdChange
Prerequisites:
1. Classroom Environment – founded on positive relationships both student to student and teacher
to student. It might even be a good idea to do a blind classroom environment survey. Are there
underlying tensions of which you are unaware?
2. Classroom Environment – safe and supportive of risk taking. Do students and the teacher feel the
classroom is a safe place to talk openly and take academic risks?
3. Explicit Skill Instruction – have students been taught academic and civil discourse? Have these
patterns been established over time and with less controversial topics?
4. Teacher Self Reflection – are you fully aware of what you think and feel about a controversial
topic or as aware as you can be? Are you aware of personal beliefs and biases? Are you prepared
to release those in the face of student questions or do you feel obligation bound to support one
side or the other?
Classroom Procedures:
1. Problem Identification – Identify or name the particular situation, event, or related issue.
(This should be a student led process, if appropriate.)
o Don’t ignore controversial issues.
o Ask students
 What do you already know or think you know?
 What do you want to know about this situation, event, or issue?
o Don’t make it a “blind” conversation
 Color blind
 Gender blind
 Orientation blind
 Perspective blind
2. Perspectives – Create a list of every person, group, and institution impacted by the incident.
(Students may need some help with this step, teacher supported modeling is
developmentally appropriate with decreasing support in the upper grades)
o Ask questions, gather inquiry points
 How was each person or group impacted?
 Incorporate as many voices as possible.
o This should be a value free process. This is not a question of who is impacted more or how,
it is just a processing assignment that asks students to allow for multiple perspectives of
the same event.
3. Challenges and Opportunities – Based on the list of perspectives, people, and institutions
impacted, what are the challenges and opportunities each subset faces that we are aware of
right now?
o What challenges are faced?
o What institutional constraints are faced by each individual, group, or institution?
o What opportunities for growth exist for each individual, group, or institution?
4. Research – Students should research the incident as widely as possible.
o Students should create a research question based on Steps 1-3 for themselves with
appropriate levels of guidance from the teacher.
o Based on the developmental stage of the students use guided research with teacher
selected sources or allow independent research; however, the key here is that the sources
be as varied in perspective as the list created in step 2!
o Teachers should carefully monitor student review of sources, should model critical
thinking, and incorporate disciplinary literacy, historical, and critical thinking skills
explicitly.
 Teachers should be aware – this is the stage most likely to reflect personal bias.
o This is a great place to extend inquiry beyond the classroom.
 Have students implement technology to access expertise beyond the classroom.
 Have students engage in dialogue and conversation with people outside their
community.
 Have students engage with experts and impacted people within their community.
5. Strategies – Authentic learning is taking place when students brainstorm strategies for
addressing the situation, event, or issue.
o Brainstorm approaches for addressing the situation.
o This can be done as a whole class, in small groups, or by individual students guided by the
teacher.
o This is still a brainstorming step and should be considered that way – this is not a step for
critiquing the ideas of others; however, teacher guidance may take the role of helping to
highlight and accentuate the positive outcomes while minimizing the negative impacts.
6. Imagine - Students should imagine the best possible outcome to the situation, event, or
issue.
o Based on the research conducted, students should identify what seems the best possible
outcome, considering all the impacted people and perspectives.
o This is a crucial step that reinforces hope, citizenship, and civic engagement.
7. Solutions – Students should suggest one or multiple possible solutions.
o Consider all of the perspectives researched.
o Consider all of the challenges and opportunities
o Consider the probability of the best possible outcome.
o Suggest two of three specific responses to the situation.
o Identify what parts of the situation the student’s solutions are addressing: is it systemic,
specific, societal?
8. Expected Outcomes
o What outcomes do you expect to see? Why? What will the impact of those outcomes be?
o How might you revise your solutions in light of unexpected outcomes?
o Consider having students share out expected outcomes, obtain feedback and insight from
other students etc. (this step may help students to practice reflection)
Suggested Resources
http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/courses/tech190/eric_controversial_issues.htm?cc=t
“Controversial Issues in the Classroom” by Harwood, Angela M. - Hahn, Carole L.
This article addresses the research base for addressing controversial issues and offers some guidelines
especially for discussion based learning.
http://learner.org/libraries/socialstudies/issues/issues/index.html A basic review of best practices in a
slightly dated video format.
http://teachinghistory.org/issues-and-research/research-brief/25748 This is a quick tips guide based on
an article by Diana E. Hess, this gives specific examples and offers a link to the Public Issues Model from
Harvard University.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education-update/feb14/vol56/num02/Resources-forTeaching-%C2%A3Controversial%C2%A3-Topics-in-Social-Studies.aspx An amazing list of resources
from ASCD.
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/activities/groundrules.html A great guide for setting ground
rules for classroom discussion.