Habits of Mind Struggling over Values in America's Classrooms [Hardcover]

Explores the politics and practice of programs that foster moral thinking and civic responsibility?highlighting the acclaimed and controversial Facing History and Ourselves (FHAO) curriculum, which uses study of the Holocaust to help students reflect on issues of racism, violence, intolerance, and prejudice.Introduction: Fostering Democratic Habits of Mind.

CLASSROOM PORTRAITS.

``What Makes You You?''

``We Don't Believe Everything that We Hear''.

``Confronting What Is Hard to Think About''.

PUBLIC DEBATES.

Visions in Conflict.

The Fight Against Critical Moral Education.

Conclusion: Educating for Democracy.MELINDA FINE is an educational research and program development consultant. Her clients include youth development organizations, curriculum development groups, school reform initiatives, and public television companies. From 1991 to 1993 she served as assistant director of research for Children's Television Workshop's Ghostwriter series. She has worked with the Facing History and Ourselves organization since 1989 as an indepAndent consultant and a member of the organization's national teacher training team.Public schools have become a battleground for an increasingly heated debate about what should be taught and how. While everyone wants to prepare students to become better citizens, the very different opinions about what this means are deeply rooted in larger questions of national identity, culture, and values. The controversy over teaching values in schools has fueled intense debate among policymakers and citizens on the Right and Left, as both sides struggle to articulate their vision and control the future direction of education in America. In Habits of Mind, Melinda Fine explores the politics and practice of programs that foster moral thinking and civic responsibility—highlighting the lÓQ