As we await the outcome of last night’s presidential election, teachers are faced with unique challenges. Many questions surface: How do we process the diverse range of reactions that these events may provoke in our students? And how can we do it without venturing into partisan territory that may alienate, divide, and exclude? How can we process our own emotional reactions to these events while still showing up for students? The answers to these questions will continue to show themselves over the coming weeks but below are a number of resources that educators can use to navigate these demands starting today.
Responding to the 2020 US Presidential Election
This Teaching Idea contains guidance for teachers on how to discuss the election with students, as well as a collection of activities to help students process their emotional responses to the election, find accurate information, and consider the impact of the election once the results are known. Choose any selection of activities that best fit the needs of your students.
Post-Election Support for Difficult Conversations
This resource collection is defined to help educators teach about voting rights, media literacy, and civic participation in remote and in-person learning settings.
Fostering Civil Discourse: How Do We Talk About Issues That Matter?
The ideas and tools in this updated version of Fostering Civil Discourse are designed to help educators prepare your students to engage in civil discourse, whether you are teaching in-person, remotely, or transitioning between the two.
Explainer: Free and Fair Elections
Outlines what free and fair elections are, as well as critical questions that students can pose to assess the fairness of elections in their own civic contexts.
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Facing History and Ourselves invites educators to join us for an exclusive event on November 12th, After the Election: What’s Next for US Democracy?, featuring Nicholas Kristof, Martha Minow, and Randall Kennedy.
