Freedom of speech is the foundation of a healthy democracy. For democracy to thrive, citizens must deliberate; they must express and exchange ideas among themselves and with their representatives in government. And they must be able to do this, even when they disagree. Deliberation skills:
- Ensure that conflicting views can be heard, understood, and valued
- Are critical to the ability to find solutions to important issues
- Require instruction and practice; deliberating civic issues is not natural behavior
Deliberating in a Democracy
Deliberating in a Democracy (DID) challenges students to tackle current civic issues through Structure Academic Controversy (SAC), a method to teach deliberation skills developed by the Johnson brothers at the University of Minnesota.
Through Deliberating in a Democracy Minnesota, students develop the ability to deliberate important issues confronting Minnesotans using DID materials focused on topics of special interest for Minnesota. Deliberating in a Democracy Minnesota is supported in part by a grant funded by the Legacy Amendment Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment
This is democracy in action!
For more information: info@teachingcivics.org
Program Support Material
Resources for teachers
- Deliberating in a Democracy Steps
- Making Civics Real: SAC on Racial Profiling with MN teacher JoEllen Ambrose
Minnesota Issues materials for students
- Deliberating in a Democracy Judicial Elections
- Deliberating in a Democracy Raw Milk
- Deliberating in a Democracy Ethanol
- Deliberating in a Democracy Farm Subsidies
Professional Development Opportunities
Contact: Jennifer Bloom jbloom@teachingcivics.org