How Do I Talk to My Students About Politics? 9 Age-Appropriate Classroom Strategies

In the final stretch before election day, it’s hard to ignore the increasing political advertisements and conversation in the media. As the election becomes top of mind for many, you may find that your students are getting curious and asking questions as they begin to form their political opinions. After all, you know that students are sponges and that they absorb what is talked about at home.

We know that the events of this year are a hot topic, so how can you, as an educator, answer these questions about politics, address these issues in the classroom, and make these conversations about a touchy subject productive and appropriate? Luckily, there are many resources available to help you do so and multiple ways to talk about politics in the classroom without taking a side (as much as you may want to). Here are a few grade-level strategies to help you tackle these conversations in the classroom:

Elementary School Students:

Seek out child-friendly news sources.

For this age group, it’s all about breaking down the events of the day in terms that are age-appropriate. Finding a news source designed for children, such as TIME for Kids, can help you discuss current events in a way that is appropriate, without exposing the youngest group of schoolchildren to something that may be difficult to grasp or hard to explain.

Talk about respectful conversation strategies.

Debating and politics go hand in hand in nearly every setting, be it Capitol Hill, the dinner table, or the comments under a social media post. Teaching your students the basics and etiquette of how to debate thoughtfully and civilly is an important step in introducing them to the world of politics. Talk to your students about why it’s important to be respectful when having a conversation with someone they might not agree with; how to establish best practices when it comes to active listening, using respectful vocabulary; and how to disagree with someone without being rude or judgmental.

It’s also important to discuss with your students that debate is not only about winning or losing and that it is acceptable to consider new perspectives or ideas or to admit when the topic of conversation is beyond one’s understanding. This list from the James Stanfield Company is a great place to get started. The key to talking about these issues in the classroom is setting a list of ground rules so that these conversations are productive.

Stay mindful of your own emotions.

Young children often can’t fully understand what’s going on in the world of politics, but they are incredibly observant when it comes to emotions and tone of voice. Stay mindful of the emotion you are projecting when discussing political figures and issues in the classroom, even if you feel like you’re staying neutral.

Middle School Students:

Analyze the media surrounding the election.

Whether we like to believe it or not, the news media, social media, and even the entertainment media we consume shape our belief systems in ways we might not even notice. Have your students analyze debates, news stories, images, headlines, advertisements, and political cartoons, and have a discussion surrounding these sources. Have your students reflect on the following questions:

• Who is telling the stories? What are their interests?
   
• Do certain sources tend to publish favorable or unfavorable images or headlines pertaining to certain individual candiates, figures, or groups?
   
• How are the candidates portrayed in these stories?
   
• Are the media sources biased? If so, how? If not, how?
   
• How have political headlines changed over time?
   
• How has civil involvement and response to politics changed over time?
   
• How does the source cite its information?
   

Discuss how elections really work.

It’s likely that if you were to take a poll in your classroom, most of your students would say their understanding of how voting works for elections is that the candidate with the most general votes wins. However, that’s not exactly the case in the United States. To win the presidency, a candidate must win 270 votes in the Electoral College. The Electoral College has been a critical body of the democracy we have in our country, so take some time to explain what its role in an election is. Compare the presidential election to others, like a state, local, or even student body election. The video below by TED-Ed does a great job of explaining the Electoral College and the history behind it.

Talk about the difference between action-grabbing statements versus meaningful statements.

Middle school students are, of course, smart enough to recognize that certain statements made by candidates or groups often stir up specific emotions, but they often don’t understand the depth of these statements. Take a look at what candidates are saying on the campaign trail, in rallies, and during debates, and discuss the differences between a statement being merely attention-grabbing or actually meaningful. Explain that candidates and interest group spokespeople often say certain things to make headlines, appeal to emotions, and/or gain an advantage over their rivals.

High School Students:

Look at the influence of social media on elections.

With the rise of social media, election interference has been top of mind for the last decade, particularly during this election cycle. It’s a complicated topic that even adults have a hard time understanding, but today’s high schoolers haven’t known a world without smartphones. They’re tech-savvy, but just like anyone else who browses social media, they may not fully grasp how the videos, images, posts, comment threads, and advertisements they see as they’re scrolling through digital screens are paid for and targeted to their feeds or how their continued interaction and engagement continually feeds their virtual social circle. According to digital marketing experts, Americans are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements each day. In the 1970s, that number was about 500. Talk to your students about how this impacts society and what changes they notice.

Encourage civic participation.

One of the hardest things about teaching high school during an election year is having students who want to do something but who are too young to vote. Do some research for these students on ways they can stay involved. According to Youth Service America, young people who are encouraged to discuss elections are more likely to vote and be involved. Check out this article published by the National Council for the Social Studies for ideas on how to encourage your students to become more civically engaged.

Work with students to fact-check what they see.

Social media has its benefits but also its downfalls. Notably, in the last few elections, social media has been a place where misinformation can spread quickly. Talk to your students about how to do their own research and fact-check the claims they’re seeing in their social feeds, especially before such claims are taken as fact. Images are also easily manipulated and can be powerful in supporting a certain viewpoint. This blog post offers up a few different ways you can teach your students to find credible online sources.

Talking about politics can be tricky at the dinner table, let alone the classroom. But, it’s important to remember that politics play a role in our daily lives, whether we are aware of it or not, and that being familiar with the foundations of our local, state, and federal government not only helps us to fulfil our roles as citizens but also to make sure that our rights and liberties are protected and preserved.

Interested in more resources about how to discuss politics and other sensitive topics in the classroom? Check out this list from the National Education Association to get started!

This post was origially published in October 2019 and has been updated.