This week, the Illinois Civics Hub hosted Dr. Steve Fouts and Dan Fouts from Teach Different to share their three-step approach to facilitating engaging student-to-student conversations using quotes, claims, counterclaims, and essential questions to learn how to think. The mission of Teach Different is,” to inspire everyone to ask big questions and participate in great conversations every day.”

In the webinar, the Fouts brothers modeled the process for participants to use in their classrooms to promote civic learning across the disciplines, engaging student voice and lived experiences in, “culturally responsive, caring learning environments that inspire storytelling and personal expression.’

If you missed the webinar, you can access a recording on the Illinois Civics Hub Webinar Archive for your own on-demand professional development.

Teach Different has a cornucopia of resources to facilitate current and societal issue discussions and critical thinking. You can subscribe to their podcast as they engage with classroom teachers and civic learning partners to model the three-step process. Teach Different also has a one-of-a-kind blog or library for, “ free thinkers who are ready to push their comfort zone and learn how to use conversations to grab student attention and never let go.”

For more tools to help students to engage in current and societal issue discussion, visit our Illinois Civics Hub Current and Societal Issue Discussion Toolkit for resources from Teach DIfferent and other civic learning partners.

The Illinois Civics Hub and Democracy Schools Network host free after-school PD with our civic learning partners from the Civic Education Research Group, Illinois Holocaust Museum, and Education Center, and more. A description for each webinar and information to register for professional development credits is available on the Illinois Civics Hub Professional Development Calendar.