ties that provide a basic understanding
of international trade, the globalization
of the economy, and the effects of trade
policies on people around the world.
Students role-play economic decision
makers to understand the incentives for
trade, evaluate changes in the world
economic system from multiple
perspectives, and analyze and graph
economic data on changing global trade
patterns.
As the final instructional element of
the unit and an informal assessment of
student learning, the class simulates a
congressional hearing on U.S. international trade policy. Students explore
four contrasting options: ( 1) keep the
U.S. economy on top, ( 2) protect U.S.
workers, not the multimillionaires who
own the businesses, ( 3) use trade policy
to promote global concerns such as
human rights, and ( 4) work for free and
fair trade.
The simulation leads into an assignment in which students write a formal
position paper either arguing for one of
the four options or presenting a fifth
option of their own. Their formal assessment for the unit is participation in a
Socratic seminar in which they wrestle
with such questions as, What is a just
distribution of the costs and benefits of
a particular policy, such as a tariff?
When workers’ interests collide with
consumers’ interests, whose interests
should come first? To what extent, if
any, should the “winners” compensate
the “losers”? Who has the right to make
these decisions? Throughout the
seminar, Otlin’s students apply their
knowledge and reasoning skills, test
theories, probe the counterarguments,
and adjust their views as the discussion
progresses. This process enables them to
find their own voice and to take a stand
in a safe, nonconfrontational setting
(Otlin, n.d.).
“I have found that this in-depth,
deliberative approach to studying
controversial current issues yields
powerful results,” says Otlin. “It leads to
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deep content knowledge, promotes
analytical thinking, and, perhaps most
important, helps students understand
nuance, appreciate differing perspectives, and value deliberation on
contested issues.”
The Rules of the Road
Engagement with controversial issues in
the classroom provides a powerful
vehicle for developing civic skills.
However, to meet the full potential and
to avoid some of the pitfalls, a few
guidelines are helpful. They will be
familiar ideas to many teachers who are
incorporating discussion of controversial issues into their classrooms. What is
new is that emerging research data (see
Hess, 2009, for example) now provide
evidence supporting the contention that
study of controversial issues is important to the development of civic skills.
The most important rule is this:
When raising controversial issues, don’t
avoid the controversy. Instead, put
students into its heart, where they can
explore multiple perspectives. No
student should sit through a discussion
thinking there’s one right answer.
Rather, students should be actively
analyzing multiple perspectives in light
of solid information and learning to
wrestle respectfully with competing
values to come to their own considered
judgment on the issue.
Learn what teachers and
students have to say about the
Choices Program. View a video
at www.choices.edu/about
/video/ promo.html.
Ensure Openness to Multiple Views
It’s not hard to imagine the problems
that could come up when discussing
immigration policy in a diverse classroom on the Mexican border. But
Barbara Williams’s students have
successfully tackled this hot-button
topic because Williams makes sure to
give legitimacy to a range of views, to
enable students to ground their discussions in solid content knowledge, and to
challenge students to think about and
adapt their views in light of new
understandings.
What if all students in the class
appear to have the same view? In these
circumstances, the teacher needs to
create an environment in which
students understand that reasonable
people view the issues differently. There
may even be a few students with
