While this is an amusing exercise for the teacher, I'm not really
sure what it accomplishes for the students. What I like to do is
demonstrate the process of law making by doing a Senate/House
simulation. I pick a topic that I know the class is fairly evenly
split on (based on a pre-activity discussion or survey) & tell the
students they'll be having a debate with two sides. Then I have them
volunteer which side they want to argue, and after they're split into
two teams I assign them to argue the exact opposite side. They hate
this, but forcing them to analyze the opposite perspective & then
argue it causes them to at least learn how to look at the other side
of the issue (even if they totally disagree with it.) And some of
them might actually learn a little empathy or tolerance (notice I
said might).

On 7/03/09, Kev wrote:
>> By the way, history and social studies have never been just
>> about the facts. Social studies is about interpreting the
>> world. I hope I help my students learn to think. The problem
>> with our partisan society is that many students never learn to
>> think at home. In fact, many parents find thinking dangerous
>> and are ready to crucify any teacher who simply presents both
>> sides of any major, contemporary issue.
>
> Presenting both sides isn't teaching students how to think - that
> is the problem. When you present both sides people hear the side
> they want to hear and that's the end of it. That is why our
> politicians get away with canned non-answers in debates. They just
> throw out the "red meat" and their followers are satisfied.
>
> I think our job as social studies teachers is to teach students
> how to question so-called facts. From day 1 I tell my students
> that it is entirely possible that everything I teach them this
> year could be wrong. It is simply the best guess we have based on
> evidence.
>
> Now believe me, I'm not advocating some post-modern "there is no
> truth" mindset. I firmly believe there is but it is reached
> through questioning not indoctrination.
>
> If you want to have some fun with this idea. Go ask any kid how
> they feel about Global Warming. Then ask them what they do about
> it. Then ask them why.
>
> I guarantee you'll get:
> "It's ruining everything!"
> "recycle"
> "no idea"
>
> You could do this with just about any political issue, and
> frankly, with just about any age!

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