Reading Response 5: "Bones of Contention: Teaching Controversial Issues"

This article, written by Elizabeth Hinde and appearing in the November/December 2004 edition of "Social Studies and the Young Learner," addresses the importance of teaching controversial issues in a social studies classroom. Hinde acknowledges that one definition of history is "study of controversies, their causes, courses, and outcomes." If this is so, it is essential that social studies teachers understand and practice the study of controversial issues in their classes. Topics highlighted in this piece include knowing the material of a controversial topic which a class discusses, teachers being self-aware of their own biases and trying to maintain an objective stance, creating ground rules for any discussion, and focusing on pertinent evidence. I believe the teaching of controversial topics and the ensuing discussion on these topics is necessary in social studies classes both from a historical and contemporary perspective.
There is a bountiful number of ways that technology can be infused into instructional strategies for this topic. First, the article promotes the necessity of establishing ground rules as determined by the Constitutional Rights Foundation. A teacher could create a short PowerPoint presentation which sets the "rules of the game" for any discussion on a controversial topic. This informative multimedia presentation would help students to understand what is acceptable and unacceptable for discussion. Another method to incorporate technology would be to either create a presentation or show students a website that promotes a one-sided, possibly even inflammatory perspective on a controversial topic. An example would be a PowerPoint presentation glorifying the expansion of America and condoning the destruction of Native American cultures. Of course, the teacher would need to be very careful that students understood the presentation was wrong or incredibly biased. If students see the negative effects of poor evidence or only portraying one side of a topic, they will understand the importance of unbiased research, using good sources, and understanding all sides of an issue. The internet can also be used to find examples of many different perspectives of a single issue, which helps students understand the complexity of controversial topics. No matter what technological tool is used, any lesson on a historical topic can be related to contemporary issues, which allows students to draw comparisons and further examine their own beliefs and the beliefs of others.