Teaching controversial issues can be challenging for any teacher, but especially so when the teacher is a cultural outsider. In this article, we provide a snapshot of one social studies educator's experiences teaching about two hotly contested elections--the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the 2017 Korean special election--to middle school…

This case study investigated how two 8th-grade teachers planned for, delivered, and reflected on their teaching of the 2016 Presidential Election. Data sources included classroom observations, teacher interviews, and lesson plans. Despite integrating student-centered lessons about the election with social and political events in US History from…

Researchers have found that when young people participate in discussions of controversial political issues, they often become more politically engaged and informed (Hess, 2009). Nonetheless, some educators avoid fostering such discussions because they can become heated and distract from academic learning (Hess, 2002). Presidential elections,…

Schools throughout the United States provide instruction on democracy, voting, and major institutions of government, but often excluded from the curriculum is a central reality of our political system: the role of money in elections. This article provides background information and pedagogical strategies to help teachers foster productive…

Presents observations gathered from interviews with young citizens of post-Communist Hungary. Reports Hungarians' dissatisfaction with the slow pace of change and discusses their interest in the U.S. Bill of Rights. Emphasizes the need for young Hungarians to devote themselves to nation building. Expresses a wish for liberty for the Hungarian…

The rhetoric of political campaigns is loaded with references about the economy. Terms such as unemployment, recession, and GDP are often used carelessly, without regard to definitions or qualifications. That makes economists cringe and is a special problem for social studies teachers who are expected to know about such things. In this article,…

From the beginning of the U.S., the political values of freedom and equality have received top billing. However, these core values can come into conflict in the making of public policy. For example, affirmative action can provide substantive equality in the form of a job or college admission to some at the expense of others' freedom. The same…

Educating students to understand overt, subtle, and erroneous claims made by partisan advertisers is no small feat. Often students are passive consumers who need to learn how to become critical listeners, viewers, readers, and producers of all types of media. Because of this, media literacy--the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and produce…

Outlines several approaches and strategies for using political buttons to enliven classroom study of political campaigns and issues. Notes that reproductions of historical buttons are inexpensive and accessible. Includes classroom activities and discussion questions related to various buttons. Lists several reference works and related…