This is a wonderful book: elegantly and accessibly written, scholarly and well-informed, rich in detail and example, philosophically astute, and persuasively argued. It is a fine illustration of the value of bringing together historical and philosophical perspectives on key educational issues.
Michael Hand, author of Patriotism in Schools A spirited work exploring why we so often shy away from ... Read morecontroversial issues in the classroom and how we can empower educators to facilitate reasoned and thoughtful deliberation over the big issues of our time. Readers will learn a great deal about the state of education in America and come away with many useful ideas about how we can make the classroom experience much better for producing good citizens.
Julian E. Zelizer, author of The Fierce Urgency of Now What constitutes a controversy worth teaching, and how should educators approach teaching it? Here, we find the book's principal contribution: to argue for a distinction between topics on which strong disagreements divide the public but 'expert' opinion is largely settled, and those on which both public and experts' judgments diverge. Regarding the former kind of issue (evolution and global warming are offered as examples), the authors argue that teachers should not remain neutral but rather teach specific respect for expert judgments and general respect for the expert 'epistemologies' that support those judgments.
David Steiner EducationNext [I]n addition to policies that protect teachers' right to address controversy, we need teachers willing and competent to do so, and time in the classroom to place difficult subjects in context. A tall order in a polarized age when public models of well-argued discourse are hard to come by. Zimmerman and Robertson provide one.
History News Network The book is well-argued and thought-provoking. . . . The historical overview and categorization of controversial issues are enlightening . . . . The book is a helpful guide and should be welcomed by school leaders who seek to support dynamic conversations that assist students in becoming productive citizens.
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