TASKs for democracy

Step 2 (reflection on objectives – individual/pairs/groups – 70 minutes)
1. Ask participants: “What are we trying to achieve by teaching difficult issues? List three aims.” (If you have
opted for the pre-reading exercise exposing drastically different approaches to teaching the Holocaust,
invite participants to use their notes for this step on the activity) (10 minutes).
2. Have participants discuss their ideas with a partner. Repeat: “You should focus on what we are trying to
achieve by teaching such topics.” They are to come up with a list of three common aims (10 minutes).
3. Each pair meets another pair. Together they come to a consensus on four main aims. Each group posts
their aims on the wall (20 minutes).
4. The groups and the facilitator silently read the answers and the facilitator leads a discussion with the
whole group (30 minutes).
Clarify key points.
Play the “devil’s advocate” if you feel there is a need to stimulate interaction or to ensure alternative
ideas are aired to allow participants to consider that there may be alternative stances.
Step 4 (debriefing – 15 minutes)
Go back to the flip chart from Step 1.
How do our findings relate to the ideas we have posted here?
In your opinion what is the best way to select the difficult issues you wish to tackle with your students?
Why? To achieve what?
How did you feel while discussing ideas with your partner? How did you feel during the group discussion?
What did each exercise achieve for you as a learner?
Step 5 (evaluation – 10 minutes)
1. What are the most important things a teacher needs to address in order to teach difficult topics properly?
2. How could you use some of the approaches to teaching difficult topics in your classroom?
3. How important is your own level of comfort with the approach you choose?
4. What changes would you make?
5. What difficulties can you foresee?
PLANNING
Preparation
1. Optional: two weeks prior to the session, ask participants to go through the pre-reading exercise and
bring their notes with them. Ask the group to share their professional backgrounds (participants work
in pairs then join with another pair to explain what they have achieved, and to compare).
2. The room is set up for a small group discussion or in a “horseshoe” shape.
Resources and equipment
Flip chart or whiteboard
Optional: stimulus material that presents a one-sided view of a historical event/period
Optional: pre-reading materials (see Task sheet 1)
Tips and potential difficulties
1. The two pre-reading articles offer very different views to teaching difficult issues (here, the Holocaust):
Illingworth argues that we need to focus on the moral issues arising from the Holocaust, whereas Kinloch
TASKs for democracy Page 222