This article looks at the efforts at Overland High School, near Denver, CO to help students learn to engage in civil discourse. Students in government class learn important 21st century skills as they engage in “deliberations,” a form of structured civil discourse, in which students must argue on both sides of a relevant topic like gun control or voting laws.
Educators from other schools may get ideas from the work done at this school. The snippets from interviews with students bring to life the impact this type of deliberate training and practice can have on student’s outlook and ability to engage with others respectfully and argue strongly in support of an opinion.
Source Organization: Education Week