School boards often must try to hammer together a consensus on difficult issues. A Colorado school district handled the issue of sex education by using the tools of democracy. The school board's role was to broker the dialog, to clarify community values, and to provide a detailed challenge process for citizens who disagree with the board's…

Outlines and discusses a series of activities using puppet theater to explore social community issues. Draws inspiration from the street theater of the 1960s that used puppetry and engaged the audience in lively conversations during productions. Includes instructions for building puppets and suggestions for plays and performance material. (MJP)

Describes the author's experience when the director and teacher-trainers of a writing program persuaded him that the oral interpretation he wished them to perform was too troubling and explosive to use. Outlines his questions and anguish about the incident, and the urgency of dealing with the dilemmas of multiculturalism, racial intolerance, and…

A classroom exercise to teach cross-cultural issues has students wear a mask of anonymity to express and defend highly controversial topics. Role playing heavily polarized positions enables all participants to discuss frankly and explore issues drawn from contemporary events that are otherwise too sensitive for open discussion. The outcome is a…

A Grinnell College (Iowa) study investigated whether students (n=200) felt that balanced discussion of racial/diversity issues was possible and why they did or did not want to discuss the issues. Most thought balanced discussion was impossible, feared a single viewpoint would dominate, and feared reprisal for speaking against the dominant…

Examines the narrative and propositional approaches to teaching about tolerance in relation to moral and political controversial issues. Indicates that students gave the teacher higher approval ratings, perceived the teacher as more attractive, and remembered more when the teacher used the narrative approach to explain conflicting positions on an…

In an eight-month interdisciplinary seminar at the University of Dayton (Ohio), professional faculty members determined that ethical and religious issues should form an integral part of their research and teaching. Seminar activities, texts used, main points of discussion, and types of questions and research generated by participants are…

Presents a lesson plan based on the instructional practice of "Academic Controversy.""Academic Controversy" involves using student research and classroom debate to decide issues with clearly defined positions. Uses a civil rights case as source material and includes lesson procedures and a student handout. (MJP)

Proposes a framework for school sex education within a plural society based on three themes: social changes contributing to uncertainty about sexual values in British society, sex education policy changes' impact on claims to moral legitimacy in this area, and initiatives renegotiating a moral consensus on school sex education values. (DSK)

Presents the results from a survey of middle and high school social studies teachers that asked if and how the impeachment of President Bill Clinton was being taught. Discusses implications for social studies curriculum, current issues, the media, and teaching middle school students. (CMK)

Notes that there is a rich literature within social studies education promoting the teaching of controversial issues. Observes that, despite this, teachers continue to be cautious, only giving controversies a token nod in curricula. Suggests four reasons why controversial content continues to be difficult for teachers to implement. (DSK)

Provides historical information on Harold Rugg and the Social Reconstructionist movement. Contends the social issues-centered method should be used within social studies education. Discusses a social issues model that exposes preservice teachers to the social issues-centered model and focuses on a case study on California Proposition 187. (CMK)

Refutes Mike Cole's article "Racism, Reconstructed Multiculturalism and Antiracist Education" by addressing five main topics: (1) the new racism as a means to changing multicultural education; (2) representation of antiracist educators; (3) advice to teachers of controversial aspects of other cultures; (4) identifying students'…

Examines an Advanced Placement U.S. history classroom as a miniature common school to assess students' abilities to develop historically-grounded perspectives and engage in a moral debate. Finds that (1) students with little historical-grounding lacked an inclination toward a collective, ethical critique; and (2) exchange of historically-grounded…

Although most high school students want their biology classes to include evolution, most high school biology classes in Minnesota do not emphasize evolution. This lack of an emphasis on evolution defies state educational standards and is associated with most students (high school and college) having serious misconceptions about evolution. The…