By Dr. Glen Coleman
I have taught social studies for 25 years. I believe that it’s not enough to know something; students must be able to use what they know to make something new as well as to see the world in new and interesting ways. I do this with social studies, but I believe the following question can inspire learning in any classroom: “What would X say?”
“X” is the thought or person who brings your course to life.
Here are some examples
- What would Gandhi say about driverless cars?
- What would George Washington say about COVID-19?
- What would Galileo say about the James Webb Space Telescope?
- What would Picasso say about Instagram?
- What would Michelangelo say about Photoshop?
- What would Martin Luther King Jr. say about our elections?
- What would Henry Ford say about Happy Meals?
- What would Helen Keller say about Title IX?
- What would our Founding Fathers say about Trump’s impeachment?
Here’s some background on the last question: It was the fall of 2019. President Donald Trump was being investigated in the House of Representatives for leveraging U.S. relations with Ukraine to sway the 2020 presidential election. So we debated this question: “What would our Founding Fathers say about President Trump’s alleged involvement in the Ukraine?” Students then chose a Founding Father and argued whether they would be for President Trump’s impeachment.
In this instance X was the Founding Fathers. We used their views to help us understand the day’s big issues, which in this case was the question of Trump’s impeachment.
It brought class to life. It energized students to express their unique ideas. Furthermore, it energized me. When we used history as a tool to help us better understand the complex issue of impeachment, the classroom became a place of genuine inquiry.
I remember one student who got the class to stop and think. She asked, “But is it enough? What is the line at which we determine whether to throw out our president—an elected official? Is one phone call enough?”
It was a great question that motivated students to research more deeply and evaluate what our founders thought about the rule of law, the power of mobs, the corrosive effects of power and the fear of foreign interference in our politics.
After the assignment I surveyed students: Was it worthwhile for us to have learned about the Founders by looking at it through the lens of Trump and his impeachment? Eighty-eight percent of students said “Yes.” Twelve percent said “No.” This response from one student echoed throughout many of the 67 respondents who answered the survey:
“I believe it was worthwhile because I think all young adults should be exposed to current events as much as possible. We are the next generation of adults, and we’re 15-16 years old, which means we will be voting soon. By being knowledgeable about our current president and what he’s doing and the decisions he is making, we as citizens will become more well-versed in how we want our country to be run.”
When students are afforded numerous opportunities—to try, fail, learn from each other, and try again—when students tackle challenging, open-ended questions like “What would X say?” we all get energized.
This type of question can enrich your classroom.
Glen Coleman teaches social studies at River Dell High School, is an HP Teaching Fellow for reinventing the classroom, and delivered a TED-talk, “To Teach Well, Let ‘Em Fail.” Coleman is also the author of 100 or Nothing: Reimagining Success in the Classroom. He can be reached at info@100orNothing.org.