Focus on teaching how, not what to think

Teaching students a controversial topic is one thing. Teaching them what to think is another

This past school year, during one of my classes, the other students and I were shown a presentation on immigration that was one-sided in a large number of its claims. The slideshow began by presenting arguments for and against immigration, then quickly shifted to “facts” and “myths” about illegal immigration. However, what was presented to the students as objective facts was either selectively framed, misrepresented, or incomplete.

For instance, a slide opens with the question “Is it a crime to be undocumented?” and goes on to discuss only unlawful presence, which is a civil infraction; however, it deliberately avoids the topic of unlawful entry. Selective evidence can lead a less politically literate student to think no crimes are being committed in illegal immigration at all and it is simply “like a speeding ticket.”

In a slide titled “What are some myths about immigration?” the slide presents claims like “Immigrants take jobs from citizens” as objectively false and disproven. However, research on job displacement yields mixed results, and the debate is contested, so presenting this as an outright myth is misleading. The slideshow similarly emphasizes that the phrase “Illegal Immigrant” is wrong and should not be used — again presenting a contested position as settled rather than debatable.

The danger isn't necessarily that students hear only one side of a debate — it's that many won't recognize that they've heard only one side, because it was presented as a settled fact by teachers they trust to teach objectively. Students — especially in high school — are likely still forming their political views and deserve material that teaches them to evaluate evidence, not material that does their thinking for them without their realizing it.

Logan Shultis

Round Lake