In a highly polarized political environment, political discourse on divisive topics is all the more important. Heeding the many calls for higher education to teach political discourse skills, this study investigates the impact of political discourse lessons in a college-level, political science classroom. Further, it explores the effectiveness of…

People often make choices that go against their own best interests. In the controversial bestseller "Nudge," Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein argue that people can benefit from simple "nudges" to improve their decision-making. In an upper-level undergraduate course on political decision-making, I created a series of assignments around "Nudge." In…

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…

Presents three short Internet assignments that can be used in an introductory undergraduate U.S. government course. Explains that the assignments foster students' understanding of political science concepts, political behavior, and government structures while also improving students' information seeking skills. Provides results from student…

Designed to be an integral part of the second-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course, this skills kit provides supplementary student activities for four documentary "Political Issues" units. The kit is divided into three sections on skills. The analytical skill section provides exercises on six analytical skills…

This teacher-oriented guide presents information and resources for use in increasing political literacy of K-12 social studies students. The main objective of the guide is to further civic literacy through increased knowledge and understanding of political structures and processes and of effective citizen participation. Emphasis is on helping…

The rationale, goals, curriculum components, instructional strategies, and curriculum development process of a two-semester, secondary-level political science course, "Comparing Political Experiences," are described in this paper. Developed as part of the High School Political Science Curriculum Project at Indiana University, the major…

This is the third unit to the second-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course which focuses on a specific, controversial, political issue. The unit analyzes the concept of political maintenance by studying the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) between 1918 and 1975 and its fight to secure mine safety standards. A documentary…

This teacher's guide to unit three of the second-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course provides specific objectives and instructional procedures for each of five activities that focus on the United Mine Workers of America (UWMA). In addition, the guide provides instructions for coordinating the use of the student book,…

This paper describes and evaluates a political skills course for college students. Course objectives include teaching students to do the following: organize and run a meeting; bargain effectively; communicate within and between groups; manage a crisis; organize a political coalition; be aware of personal stress and some of the ways to reduce it;…

This teacher's guide to unit 5 of the 12th-grade second-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course provides specific objectives and instructional procedures for each of the five activities that focus on the case study of the Cummins Engine Company. In addition, the guide provides instructions for coordinating the use of the…

Unit two to the second-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course focuses on a specific controversial political issue: court-ordered busing in Boston. A documentary approach represents the core of instruction in this 12th-grade unit. This approach avoids lengthy narratives of a theoretical approach and yet is more in-depth than…

This teachers guide to unit two of the second-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course provides specific objectives and instructional procedures for each of the four student activities on the Boston busing controversy. In addition, the guide gives instruction for coordinating the use of the student materials, audiovisual…

This teacher's guide to unit four of the second-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course provides specific objectives and instructional procedures for each of five activities which focus on the smog problem in Riverside, California. In addition, the guide provides instructions for coordinating the use of the student text,…

This text presents high school students with up-to-date findings of social scientists about political behavior in order to increase their political knowledge and sophistication. Case studies which describe the various political activities of typical citizens and political leaders are used throughout the work. Simulations, games, political attitude…