How to Teach a Controversial Issue Without Becoming One

Dr. Lance Grigg

Agenda Defining terms

• What is an issue?• What is a controversial issue?• What are some examples of controversial issues in schooling

Establishing relevance of teaching controversial issues• Why bother getting controversial?

Teacher woes: • When teaching controversy goes awry

How to to teach about a controversial issue without becoming one

Closure

What is an issue?

An issue is a matter which is unsettled or in dispute or up for debate, stated in neutral language, phrased as a question.(Bailin & Battersby 2011; Grigg 2010)

What is a controversial issue?

Controversial issues are those topics that are publicly sensitive and upon which there is no consensus of values or beliefs.

What are some examples of controversial issues in the classroom?o Science: Should creationism be taught in the science classroom?

o Social studies: Should globalization shape identity?

o Math: Are mathematical concepts discovered or created?

o Language arts: Should language arts education be student-centered or literature-based?

What are some examples of controversial issues in the staffroom? o Should our school make condoms and/or the morning after pill available

to students?

o Should our school have a Christmas concert?

o What should our school do with the $50,000 the government just gave us?• Sports equipment, new textbooks, etc.?• Staff trip to Vegas?

Why get controversial?

Given all the curricular, extra-curricular and co-curricular stuff teachers do, why throw controversy into the mix?

Justifying controversy in the classroom:

The argument from logical necessity:

• All knowledge is controversial (knowledge is never complete; always contestable)

• Curriculum is knowledge (packaged information, concepts and definitions over a specific scope and sequence)

• Therefore, curriculum is controversial. 

The argument from democratic engagement:

• "Controversy-the very word causes people to stop and listen when it is mentioned. It is the stuff of which history is made, a driving engine of democratic government, and often the handmaiden of conflict...In a democratic society, it is the teacher's responsibility to train students to deal with controversial issues; for only through an examination of controversy can students observe the clash of ideas, determine their sources, validity and possible solutions, and propose alternatives to the views presented. What a powerhouse of motivation controversy provides!” (Kirman 1996)

The argument from Inspiring Education (Alberta Education):

• Using controversial issues in the classroom can be an effective way of engaging students in thinking activities that nurture ethical citizenship.

The argument from the fun perspective:

• It's fun.

• Students get into it!

• It’s professionally empowering for teachers.

• Therefore, do it.

NOTE: Within reason of course.

But some preliminary cautions are worth noting:

Teachers can become the focus of the controversy when students and parents aren't sure about:

• The nature of the controversial issue

• The relevance and appropriateness of the controversial issue

• What the teacher actually said about the controversial issue

• Parents get quite annoyed if their child goes home and says, “We

had a great Health class today. The teacher talked about all the

neat ways to have sex.”

• How students are to go about resolving the controversial issue

This last point is a crucial one:

• Serious issues arise when parents don’t see any procedure, steps

or method their children followed in discussing the controversial

issue.

So, what steps might we use teach a controversial issue without becoming one?

Step One: clearly identify the issue, Step Two: briefly outline the various positions on the issue, Step Three: introduce the issue using support materials, Step Four: ask students to take a position on the issue, Step Five: identify knowledge needed to resolve the issue, Step Six: review key knowledge with students, Step Seven: ask students to complete a reasoning map, Step Eight: ask students to share reasoning maps ins

small groups (2-3), Step Nine: translate reasoning map into a short essay or

position paper.

So, let’s do it!

Research note:

Research project using these steps in an urban, middle school Gr. 8 science classroom:

• 143 Gr. 8 science students participated in a two year research project

focused on dealing with controversial issues in the middle school,

science classroom.

• Project began with only 12 G&T students.

• Parents lobbied the principal to expand project to include entire grade 8

student body.

• Students used this method of teaching controversy to address three

issues in bioethics and medical ethics:

o Allocation of scarce medical resources

o Blood transfusions involving minors

o Cloning

Teachers and researchers found that students exploring controversial issues in this way were able to:

• focus on the issue itself

• gather relevant information

• apply relevant concepts

• form and revise reasoned judgments

• identify further, related issues.

So, let’s do what 143 Grade 8 kids did

(but only partially due to time constraints).

Exploring controversy in a Grade 8 science classroom:

Explore the controversial issue of allocation of scarce medical resources

• Resource: Discussions in Bioethics (NFB)

• A Critical Choice (12 minutes). Video link:

https://www.nfb.ca/film/discussions_in_bioethics_critical_choice

• (Use Jon Oliver on climate change if NFB doesn’t load

• Issue: Should we reduce green-house gas emissions?)

Step One: clearly identify issue:

Should everyone have equal access to quality health care?

Step Two: briefly outline the various positions on the issue Yes: complete access to everyone Yes: access is available but within a public/private system No: access is financially determined but a public system is

available to those who can’t pay. No: access is on a user-pay basis.

Step Three: introduce the issue using support materials Video: A Critical Choice (12 minutes). NFB Viewing activity:

students fill out handout identifying stakeholders, teacher goes over handout after viewing video (large group

activity).

Step Four: ask students to take a working position on the issue, In a large group session, teacher asks students:

Should the girl be sent to the US for a liver transplant?

Given that, should everyone have equal access to quality health care?

Step Five: identify knowledge needed to resolve the issue, Herein,

class brainstorms the relevant, biological and legal information and ethical concepts needed to resolve the issue,

the teacher prepares and distributes handouts containing that knowledge, and highlights relevant insights in materials,

students take notes during this large group activity.

Step Six: review key knowledge with students, Herein, the teacher highlights the key information and

concepts from the handout.

Step Seven: ask students to complete a reasoning map, Using that new knowledge, students construct an argument

using a reasoning map: premises and conclusion with a rebuttal and a response to that rebuttal.

Note: At this step, the teacher gives explicit instruction in argument identification and analysis.

Step Eight: ask students to share reasoning maps in small groups, After sharing reasoning maps, students hand them in for

formative assessment.

Step Nine: translate reasoning map into a short essay or position paper. Herein, students to translate reasoning maps into short

essays (language arts) or position papers (social studies).

So, how can we teach a controversial issue without

becoming one?1) Ensure the controversy is age-appropriate; check with

administrationif you’re unsure.

2) Clearly identify the controversy in question.

3) Anticipate and acknowledge a plurality of feelings and positions on the controversial issue.

4) Respectfully present the historical background of the controversy.

5) Ensure students always know what you said, and why you said it.

6) Use clearly, outlined steps to explore the controversy.

7) Develop a vocabulary of argumentation in your classroom: argument, conclusion, premise, logic, validity, fallacy, bias, etc.

8) Use reasoning maps to help students construct arguments.

9) Be careful with assignments; student protests are often a bad idea.

10) Model the appropriate attitudes: fair-mindedness, open-mindedness, reasonableness, curiosity, intellectual humility, intellectual courage, etc.

Enrichment opportunities:For further information on teaching controversial

issues, see handout:Additional information on teaching controversy n

the classroom.

Critical inquiry process:SynopsisExtended version

Please keep these handouts. They’ll be great for your unit planning in PSII as well!