Civics Forum: Current Status of the U.S.

Activities and Strategies

Current Status of the U.S.

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OK guys, I can't stop watching the news and am wondering how you teachers are planning on handling any student questions about what's going on in today's America.

I'm not calling for a debate by any means, but am just looking for general thoughts of how to approach all of the mess that's happening and it's relation to a historical context.

Great question Shannon. What an exciting time to be teaching government in classrooms. There are many strategies that I use in my class. I love posing questions and using a continuum, four corners (Agree, Disagree, Strongly Agree and Strongly Disagree),and silent debates. I also set rules in my class and show students how to respectfully disagree. We often use power objects to help with talking over each other and taking turns (you can only speak if you have the power object. Sometimes it takes modeling and practice, but the kids love it. Happy debating!