SAC Preparation Document Analysis Chart: List evidence and supporting documents under positions

Arguments Evidence
Arguments Evidence
Position A: Teaching Controversial Topics
Position B: Not Teaching Controversial Topics
Bucket 1:
Bucket 1:
Third, be sure you fully comply with
If students Academic freedom for social studies
Each
any school policy regarding the use of
and
teachers includes the right and
school has controversial materials in the classroom.
teachers
responsibility to study, investigate,
a policy of (Simpson)
are
present, interpret, discuss, and debate
controversi
hindered
relevant facts, issues, and ideas in fields of al
within the
the teachers professional competence.
materials
classroom, (Patterson)
and should
it makes
be
learning
followed.
less
Teachers
effective.
are easily
fired if
they are in
clear
violation of
these
policies.
Bucket 2:
Bucket 2:
A creative educator should be able to teach
As trained
This freedom allegedly protects teachers The
controversial and challenging ideas without
professiona rights to make instructional and curricular
curriculum utilizing language that some may find
ls, teachers decisions in the best interest of their
should be
offensive. (Simpson)
should be
students
able to be
protected
and is a hotly contested right in the
presented
to some
courts. (Patterson & Chandler)
without
degree
including
when
offensive
making
language
curriculum
or
decisions
material.
that will
have the
best
interest of
their

students.

Bucket 3:
Academic
freedom as
a
cornerston
e of
democratic
citizenship
is a vital
aspect to
the overall
success of
social
studies
education.

Academic freedom is the cornerstone of

democratic citizenship in the public system
and
thus deserves a privileged place in social
studies. (Patterson & Chandler)

Bucket 3:
Teachers
should be
well
educated
on how to
handle and
avoid
controversi
al issues
that
ultimately
could cost
them their
job.

Forty-five percent of these teachers

report either not remembering or having
had no formal preparation for teaching
about controversy. Just over one-third
(37.5%) received in-service training on
the topic, and 17.5% received pre-service
training. Reported teacher preparation
for dealing with controversy among these
teachers was slightly higher than the 60%
who identified no training as reported in
a previous study. (Patterson)

Johnson and Johnson (1988)

http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/teaching-guides/21731

References
Patterson, N. (2010). What's stopping you? Classroom censorship for better or worse. Social Education, 74(6), pp.
326-331.
Patterson, N., & Chandler, P. (n.d.). Free Speech in the Balance: What Do We Know About the Rights of Public
School Teachers. In (2nd ed., Vol. 3, pp. 90-102). ((2008))
Simpson, M. D. (2010). Defending academic freedom: Advice for teachers. Social Education, 74(6), pp. 310-315.