This book supports you in equipping your students with the knowledge and skills to help them reflect on their own stances on controversial issues and better understand the stances of others.

Teachers in today’s K-12 schools face new challenges when it comes to discussing issues like climate change, economic policies, elections, public health, freedom of speech, and ongoing impacts of historical events such as slavery. Such topics have become increasingly controversial; however, the health of a democratic society depends on the ability of people to discuss sensitive topics with those who disagree with them. If students do not learn these skills in schools, they are unlikely to learn them outside of schools, especially in digital spaces filled with echo chambers, misinformation, and algorithms that reward extreme statements.

This book provides educators with the tools to navigate these issues by:

● Explaining how meta-reasoning skills can help students to navigate the new landscape of polarized realities.

● Providing concrete suggestions for teaching meta-reasoning skills so that students gain cognitive flexibility and perspective curiosity, as well as the ability to critically evaluate their own thinking, particularly on sensitive and/or political issues.

This is an important resource for any secondary school teacher across all content areas, as well as school media specialists, curriculum designers, and school and district leaders.

Hillary Parkhouse is Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning in the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. As a former social studies and English teacher, her research now focuses on critical citizenship education and teacher education.

Tracey Barrett is a social studies teacher at Asheville High School in Asheville, North Carolina. A veteran public school educator, she has led professional development training on incorporating arts into history education, best practices for supporting immigrant students, and more.