Teaching the Tough Issues: Problem Solving from Multiple Perspectives in Middle and High School Humanities Classes

Teaching the Tough Issues introduces a groundbreaking teaching method intended to help English, social studies, and humanities teachers address difficult or controversial topics in their secondary classrooms. Because these issues are rarely addressed in teacher preparation programs, few teachers feel confident facilitating conversations around culturally and politically sensitive issues in ways that honor their diverse students’ voices and lead to critical, transformative thinking. The author describes a four-step method to help teachers structure discussions and written assignments while concurrently assisting them in addressing Common Core State Standards. Designed to aid students in both developing their own viewpoints on contentious issues and in actively critiquing those of their teachers and peers, these practices will enhance any humanities curriculum.

Book Features:

• Offers guidance for exploring difficult and/or controversial aspects of course content.
• Provides an excellent means of differentiating instruction and promoting critical literacy.
• Helps teachers to foster positive behavior and decision-making with their students.
• Enables students to improve their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and observation skills.
• Assists teachers in attaining the CCSS and other curricular mandates in their secondary humanities classrooms.

Jacqueline Darvin is associate professor of secondary literacy education, program director for adolescent literacy education, and deputy chair of the Secondary Education and Youth Services (SEYS) Department at Queens College–City University of New York.