Help students recognize the value of a diverse democracy in their classrooms, schools and communities. These PD resources include best practices and strategies for building community, tailoring instruction, and engaging families and communities throughout the election season.
Building Community
Let's Talk!
Use these strategies to prepare yourself and students for critical conversations about elections, social inequality, discrimination or other topics. And check out our related webinar.
Civil Discourse in the Classroom
This curriculum introduces basic tools for teaching civil discourse. It is not subject-specific, and the recommendations for civil discussion can be adapted to any content and most grade levels.
Classroom Culture Resources
From community agreements to responsive behavior management that focuses on human development, a thoughtful classroom culture is key to strong relationships and student success. Browse these resources to find ideas for your class!
Instruction
Digital and Civic Literacy Skills
Teaching Tolerance’s framework for teaching digital literacy offers lessons and recommendations for providing students with the critical skills they’ll need to navigate this election season.
Finding Our Power
In this interview with Teaching Tolerance magazine, professor and author Carol Anderson explains how voter suppression remains alive and well—and how it’s hurting us all.
How Much Do You Know About Voting In the United States?
Check in with yourself using the “Voting Ease Checklist” from this PD Café to think critically about the ways your own experience might shape your approach to teaching students about voting and elections.
Shifting Out of Neutral
In this short article, one history teacher explains how he pushes students toward critical literacy—and away from the idea that there are good people on both sides of every issue.
Teaching the Election: How to Stay Nonpartisan
As our national political conversation becomes increasingly toxic, it’s easy to sympathize with those who want to avoid politics altogether. But just because an issue is political, that doesn’t mean it’s partisan. Here are a few approaches to nonpartisan engagement to try with your students.
Teaching the Truth About Voter Suppression
It’s a common misconception that the only thing stopping people from voting is apathy. But voter suppression is real, and your students need to understand how it happens.
Teaching the Truth About Gerrymandering
You can teach students about gerrymandering and still remain nonpartisan. Here’s how.
Family and Community Engagement
Webinar: My School Votes
On Thursday, September 3, TT will be joined by Andrew Amore, director of My School Votes, to discuss ways that educators can engage and empower future voters throughout this unprecedented election season. Join the webinar live at 3:30 p.m. Central on September 3.
Webinar: Voting and Voices—Engaging Students & Families in Democracy
Our September 2018 webinar with Rock the Vote is now available on demand! Watch at your convenience to learn about free, use-tomorrow resources and strategies to help combat polarization in the classroom and create a culture that encourages civil discourse. You’ll also explore lessons on the history of voting in our country and state-specific guides for conducting voter education and registration drives.
Webinar: The Young and the Registered
This hourlong webinar, first run in 2016 and available on demand, features special guests from the League of Women Voters. In it, you’ll learn ways to energize students regarding power politics and the role voting plays in representative democracy.
