ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes a high school unit on the Syrian civil war and refugee crisis that was enacted after the election of Donald Trump and largely in the days immediately preceding Trump’s inauguration. In focusing on multiple phases of the unit—those portraying (a) goal setting, (b) building understandings of the issue, (c) civic action, and (d) post-unit reflection—the analysis explores how the Trump presidency surfaced in the unit. It points to both instances when the teachers’ and students’ views of Trump were critically important as well as instances when the reality that a new administration was entering the federal government did not significantly feature in the curriculum. This raises insights about how the Trump presidency matters in youth civic engagement and more broadly, the role political figures can play in civic education. The chapter closes with recommendations for classroom teachers and teacher educators.
