ABSTRACT
Engaging with history in the classroom is a series of American history units that focus on what it means to be a US citizen, living in a country that expects as much from its citizens as it provides. In each of the four units, middle-grade students develop an understanding of the forces behind the actions and decisions of individuals and groups who struggled to define and acquire the social, economic, and political rights of democratic citizenship. Two models of teaching are used to develop student deliberation and discussion skills. The structured academic controversy is a teaching model that requires students to alternately explore and argue for both sides of a controversial issue in order to acquire a balanced opinion on the issue. Students are asked to put themselves into the shoes of those who experienced the post-reconstruction era firsthand through readings of primary sources and through role-play experiences.
