This paper presents findings from a study of high school students (N = 165) engaged in discussions of controversial political issues within Close Up Washington's civic education program. We report findings from pre- and post surveys to investigate how the group's views about the issues were affected by the discussion strategy they experienced. We…

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,…

This article reports from an empirical study on the affordances and constraints for using staged socio-political debates for authentic summative assessment of scientific literacy. The article focuses on conditions for student participation and what purposes emerge in student interaction in a socio-political debate. As part of the research project,…

Have you ever avoided discussing controversial issues in the classroom? Teachers report often avoiding these types of discussions due to concerns about the unpredictability of student reactions, accusations of trying to push a political agenda, and insufficient knowledge or skills to work through complex issues. Debates, however, have been shown…

Social work's professional commitment to working toward social justice for vulnerable groups is well known. However, as a profession, social work has been criticized for proposing professional perspectives that may be interpreted by some as political indoctrination. The purpose of the current study was to examine social work students'…

Structured classroom debates (SCDs), whereby teams of students debate a question prepared outside of class, help advance two goals many political science instructors struggle to achieve with their students: classroom participation beyond the "usual suspects" present in every classroom and critical thinking and analysis of political issues. This…

Discusses the use of classroom debate as a teaching resource which generates argumentation and, hence, new ideas. Advocates the use of debate to increase student involvement and commitment to a topic. Describes case construction, debate protocol, and student evaluation procedures. (GEA)

This curriculum unit focuses attention on the evolving relationship the United States has with the emerging East Asian giant, China. Developed by the Choices for the 21st Century Education Project, Choices material places special emphasis on the importance of educating students in their participatory role as citizens. The unit considers the global…

Describes programs sponsored by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) to promote civic participation. The programs are National Issues Forums (NIF) in the Classroom; Jefferson Meetings; Great Decisions; Public Issues Series; and C-SPAN in the Classroom. (SLM)

Presents a lesson plan designed to increase students' participation in the electoral process and help them to create their own political opinions. Students examine political advertisements, candidate debates, and political cartoons. Includes tips on "How to get the most out of a debate" and suggested further activities. (MJP)