Reasoning with Democratic Values 2.0, Volume 1: Ethical Issues in American History, 1607–1865 - Softcover

Harris, David E.; Halvorsen, Anne-Lise; Dain, Paul F.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0807759287 ISBN 13: 9780807759288

Publisher: Teachers College Press, 2018

Synopsis

Now thoroughly updated and extensively revised for use in today’s history classrooms, this time-honored classic has never been more important than right now. The new edition, Reasoning with Democratic Values 2.0, presents an engaging approach to teaching U.S. history that promotes critical thinking and social responsibility. In Volume 1 students investigate 20 significant historical episodes, arranged chronologically, beginning with the colonial era and ending with Reconstruction. Each carefully researched story examines an ethical decision made by an individual or group from the American past, and is guaranteed to excite students’ imaginations and spark lively classroom discussions involving core values of American democracy―liberty, equality, life, property, truth, and diversity. The discussions aim to develop more mature moral reasoning by students while deepening their knowledge of American history. Each chapter contains five types of learning activities: Facts of the Case, Historical Understanding, Expressing Your Reasoning, Key Concepts from History, and Historical Inquiry.

In Volume 1, students can grapple with such ethical dilemmas as:

• Should the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have granted reparation to the enslaved woman, Belinda Royall?
• Should Thomas Jefferson have freed his slaves?
• Should Juan Seguín have fought against the United States in the Mexican–American War?
• Should Robert E. Lee have accepted command of the Union Army?

You can also purchase a comprehensive Instructor’s Manual that includes the rationale for the teaching approach, guidance for selecting chapters, direction for leading classroom discussions of ethical issues, suggestions for assessment and grading, answers for the learning activities, and more!

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: The authors are available, at no fee, to conduct professional development programs for teachers and/or administrators regarding teaching with RDV 2.0. Visit www.rdv2.org for more details, including author contact information. The authors have committed their royalties to teacher education.

ALSO AVAILABLE―

Reasoning with Democratic Values 2.0, Volume 2: Ethical Issues in American History, 1866 to the Present by David E. Harris, Anne-Lise Halvorsen, and Paul F. Dain

Reasoning with Democratic Values 2.0: Ethical Issues in American History Instructor's Manual by David E. Harris, Anne-Lise Halvorsen, and Paul F. Dain

About this title

Book Description

"
Reasoning with Democratic Values 2.0
is a powerful approach to learning history that is highly engaging for young people. The lively writing of exciting and true stories provides ample background to engage students in discussions of well-framed questions that are perennial and important.”
—
Diana Hess
, dean, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison

"I cannot imagine a more valuable or timely resource for teachers of U.S. history. Ethical reasoning is joined with historical reasoning—values with inquiry—in an array of well selected cases. This curriculum belongs in every U.S. history classroom."
—
Walter C. Parker
, professor, College of Education, University of Washington

“How can American citizens learn to converse across their differences? Part of the answer surely lies in history instruction, which can teach us about divisions that have wracked the nation and--most of all--about how we have bridged them. These superb books will help do exactly that. Clearly organized and eminently balanced, these volumes are suffused with the same democratic spirit they aim to promote.”
—
Jonathan Zimmerman
, professor of history of education, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania

“These volumes will help build a deeper understanding of significant historical concepts and present wonderful opportunities to engage in critical thinking around complex ethical issues.”
—
Amy Bloom,
social studies education consultant, Oakland Schools, Oakland County, Michigan

"
Reasoning with Democratic Values 2.0
enriches learning in social studies classrooms. The chapters not only provide thorough historical accounts, the narratives enhance teachers' and students' understanding of the complexities of decision-making in an imperfect democracy. These books are a useful resource not only in U.S. history classrooms, but also for government, sociology, ethnic studies, and ethics classes."
—
LaGarrett King
, assistant professor, College of Education, University of Missouri

"
Reasoning with Democratic Values 2.0
serves as an important contribution to help students think—and act—as ethical, prosocial members of a democratic society, which is certainly needed in this age of reactive and polarizing political discourse and action. I'm fully behind educators' efforts to inject discussions about ethical issues in the classroom as a way to help students better understand who and what is affected by their decision-making."
—
Paul Barnwell
, education consultant and former teacher, Jefferson County, Kentucky Schools

From the Author

David E. Harris is a retired professor of teacher education at the University of Michigan. Anne-Lise Halvorsen is an associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University, College of Education. Paul F. Dain is a retired government teacher and social studies department chair at Andover High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Edition details

• Publisher: Teachers College Press
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 0807759287
• ISBN 13: 9780807759288
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 240