The coming election is poised to be the most divisive in living memory. In middle and high schools across the country, educators bear the brunt of this polarization as they work to develop the dialogue and discussion skills that students will need to navigate a complex, diverse, multifaceted future.
As a result of this mini-curriculum, your class will be better equipped to discuss difficult, divisive, or explosive political topics with dignity, curiosity, and care.
This brief curriculum leverages EP's Dialogic Classroom framework to help students build a strong collective resilience against polarizing forces through deep reflection, intentional listening, and authentic relationships. Implemented in more than 150 secondary schools across the United States, the Dialogic Classroom framework is a research-driven, flexible, effective way to build classrooms where robust discourse about challenging topics is grounded in deep connection and belonging. After completing this series of lessons, students will have:
- Come to a deeper understanding of the experiences and values that shape their perspectives on the coming election;
- Practiced the art of intentional and resilient listening across differences of identities, experiences, and values;
- Practiced structures and routines that can be used to design conversations—such as reflecting and writing about a prompt before speaking, listening to ask questions of curiosity and better understanding, timed responses, and taking turns sharing in a circle.
If you have any questions about the lessons or instructions in this curriculum, please do not hesitate to reach out. You can also engage in our work further by registering for our summer Dialogic Classroom workshop, by inquiring about bringing our one-day professional development workshop to your school, or by scheduling a free one-on-one consultation with a member of our program team to see how EP can support your entire school—from teachers and students to parents and administrators.
