What constitutes a just war? How does race matter in America? Are the interests of corporations the same as those of the public when it comes to the environment or public health? Middle and high school history, literature, and science classes abound with important moral, social, and political questions. But under pressure to cover required materials and out of fear of raising controversy, teachers often avoid classroom discussions of questions of profound importance to students and to society. This book investigates how schools can responsibly take an active role in moral education while honouring their academic mission. Using extensive observations in public, Catholic, and Jewish high schools, Katherine Simon analyses the ways in which teachers avoid or address moral questions raised by students and implicit in course materials. She examines how morally charged issues may be taught responsibly in a diverse democracy.
And in an afterword that teachers and teacher-trainers will find particularly useful, Simon provides practical tools and strategies for structuring discussion and designing units to help teachers explore moral issues more deeply with their middle and high school students.
- ISBN10 0300090323
- ISBN13 9780300090321
- Publish Date 11 October 2001
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 27 August 2013
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Yale University Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 256
- Language English