A new word has crept into common use in government and social studies鈥� teachers鈥� lexicons over the past few years: 鈥渦nprecedented.鈥�
It鈥檚 how educators have had to describe the events of the last few tumultuous years in politics, answering students鈥� questions about the January 6th insurrection, former President Donald Trump鈥檚 two impeachments, or his threats that he wouldn鈥檛 commit to a peaceful transition of power after the 2020 election.
Now, teachers and students are witnessing another once-in-a-generation event, as the U.S. House of Representatives struggles to elect a Speaker.
A group of right-wing Republicans continues to block their party鈥檚 nominee, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who has failed to win enough support to be elected to the post in what is now the third day of voting. The standstill prevents Congress from functioning in the meantime.
Social studies teachers, who spend much of their time demonstrating to students how the government should work, don鈥檛 always have a roadmap for explaining what鈥檚 happening when it ceases to function. And it鈥檚 not yet clear what the legacy of the past few years of American political history will be鈥攈istorians will likely argue about that for decades鈥攁n added hurdle for educators who are trying to explain these years鈥� significance in real time.
All of this is unfolding as social studies teachers are under intense scrutiny. State laws restricting classroom discussion of current events or 鈥渃ontroversial鈥� issues have created a climate where teachers can feel hesitant to bring up anything that may be seen as partisan.
But even among all these challenges, discussing the Speaker vote鈥攁nd other unfolding political storms鈥攑oses an important opportunity to reinforce social studies skills, said Kerry Sautner, the chief learning officer at the National Constitution Center.
鈥淚f we are teaching our kids to be inquisitive, think through the questions they want to understand, and then systematically look for sources that are strong 鈥� students can build understanding alongside each other,鈥� she said.
Education Week spoke with Sautner, and collected some tips from our past stories about teaching unfolding political events to put together this guide.
It鈥檚 OK to learn with students
How long can Congress keep voting on the Speaker of the House? Has this ever happened before? Why is it happening now?
Teachers may not have the answers, but that doesn鈥檛 mean they can鈥檛 have a discussion with students, Sautner said: 鈥淲hen we expect ourselves to be the experts in the room and be the doler of information for our kids, you stop teaching kids that we鈥檙e all perpetual learners.鈥�
Teachers can start with an 鈥渁udit鈥� of what kids have already heard, Sautner said. What do they already know, and where are they getting their information?
If students aren鈥檛 already familiar with the Speaker role, this can be a good time to talk about the basics, using the Constitution as a primary source, Sautner said: 鈥淲hat is the job of this person that we鈥檙e talking about? What do they do?鈥�
Then, teachers and students can identify what questions they still have together. There might not be clear answers鈥攁nd that鈥檚 OK.
As one teacher said after the January 6th insurrection, 鈥�淥ur responsibility is both to inform but also to admit when we don鈥檛 have the answer. I need to process this as a teacher, as an American, as a citizen, as a voter, in the same way a student would.鈥�
Use media coverage as a jumping off point to talk about news literacy
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great opportunity for kids to understand sources and bias in the media,鈥� Sautner said. Teachers can ask: Where are you getting your news from? What鈥檚 the source鈥檚 perspective?
Getting the facts of a situation requires more than just consulting opposing viewpoints, media literacy experts told Education Week in 2020. 69传媒 also need to learn how to evaluate the news source itself: Is it a nonpartisan, fact-based news site that adheres to shared journalistic standards, or is it openly partisan?
One way to do this is by using a technique called 鈥渓ateral reading,鈥� taught in the Civic Online Reasoning curriculum from the Stanford History Education Group. To figure out a new site鈥檚 perspective and agenda, students can look to see what other sources say about that news site. It鈥檚 a technique that professional fact-checkers use.
Just because a news source has a bias, though, doesn鈥檛 mean it can鈥檛 provide useful information, Sautner said. In some cases, the perspective is the information itself鈥攊t can be instructive for students to compare how left-leaning and right-leaning outlets present the same events, she said.
Find your lens
There are lots of connections that teachers can draw to current events, whether in a history, government, or civics class.
Teachers can use the Constitution to trace the role of the Speaker in different situations鈥攍ike impeachment, or presidential succession, Sautner said. It鈥檚 one way to show how the document鈥檚 many pieces work together, she added.
It鈥檚 also a civics lesson. 鈥淪o often, we teach our kids about civil dialogue, but a big part of that is compromise,鈥� Sautner said. 鈥淗ow do you persuade, and what are the agreements you鈥檙e going to make? And then what鈥檚 compromise, and what are you not going to compromise on?鈥�
There鈥檚 a history angle, too. The last time the House battled to this extent over a Speaker vote , with some resonant similarities鈥攖he Republican party鈥檚 nominee was at odds with a faction of his colleagues in both instances.
Over the past few years, social studies teachers and experts have suggested how to approach other events from these multiple entry points, too, from the 2020 election to Trump鈥檚 second impeachment. Educators have shared how they鈥檝e gotten creative about investigating obscure questions or making connections to periods of history that they might not have otherwise discussed in class.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the state of teaching government right now,鈥� one teacher said, in October of 2020. 鈥淵ou have a plan, and you wake up that morning prepared to have the plan fly out the window.鈥�
