In celebration of the 50th anniversary year of Ralph Nader's book Unsafe at Any Speed, the Center for Study of Responsive Law (CSRL.org) announces four days of civic seminars in Washington, D.C., September 26-29, 2016. Nader's classic book and subsequent career are credited with sparking the creation of numerous advocacy organizations and leading to major consumer, environmental, and worker-safety protections.This event builds on the historic "Breaking Through Power" gathering held this past May at Constitution Hall and it will "highlight strategies that have unleashed fresh civic energies…

"Resistance 101 " is a free introductory lesson, allowing students to “meet” people from throughout U.S. history who have used a range of social change strategies. The lesson features activists from the 1800s-present, including Dave Archambault II, Ella Baker, Anne Braden, Fannie Lou Hamer, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Fred Korematsu, Linda Sarsour, Emma Tenayuca, and many more. View this resource at www.teachingforchange.org/resistance101 This Teaching for Change (www.teachingforchange.org) lesson is based on the format of a Rethinking Schools (www.rethinkingschools.org) lesson called "Unsung…

What do an exploding car, Taylor Swift’s assailant, and a “killer building material” all have in common? In these examples, wrongdoers were brought to justice with tort law and trial by jury! The American Museum of Tort Law, founded by noted consumer advocate Ralph Nader, has announced its 2018 Tort Law and Democracy Essay Contest. A prestigious panel of experts—many of them law professors—will judge the entries. Contest details, rules, and registration can be found at tortmuseum.org/contest. Who is eligible: All high school students, grades 9 through 12 in the United States, Puerto Rico,…

Watch a 26-minute conversation sponsored by the Albert Shanker Institute and the American Federation of Teachers at http://www.shankerinstitute.org/event/teaching-democratic-citizenship. Two of our nation’s leading public intellectuals, Harvard Professor Danielle Allen and Yale Professor Timothy Snyder, joined American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten in January 2018 to discuss vital questions on the topic of "Teaching Democratic Citizenship When Democracy is at Risk"is the topic. In a letter to James Madison, Thomas Jefferson wrote: "Educate and inform the whole mass…

Laura H. Darolia

These key prompts can help social studies teachers and students gauge a compelling question’s rigor, relevance, and functionality.

Teaching controversial issues is both pressing and difficult in today’s world. Many teachers fear that these issues will spark classroom conflict, backlash, or harm to students. This two-part webinar is for novice and experienced teachers, teacher educators, and school leaders who want to develop the practice of teaching controversial issues. Dr. Judy Pace of the University of San Francisco, Dr. Eric Soto-Shed of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Dr. Elizabeth Washington of the University of Florida will lead these interactive sessions and facilitate discussion among participants…

Stephanie Schroeder

A “Dinner with Democracy” event encourages civil discourse, promotes deliberation, and exposes students to different perspectives. 

A troubling observation is that—outside of Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March, during which students are acquiring some knowledge about noteworthy women and minorities—teachers in every grade level often teach about the same figures rather than expanding their lessons to include less-conventional or less-well-known individuals. To address these gender equity gaps related to social studies instruction, the authors established “Little Leaders,” a group consisting of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten girls.