Discussions are hard.

Learn from real classroom scenarios shared by social studies teachers.

Two students attentively listen in a classroom. The student in the foreground wears a patterned hoodie and glasses, resting their chin on their hand. The atmosphere is focused and thoughtful.

Sketch of two people talking. One, wearing headphones around their neck, gestures while the other holds papers, smiling slightly.

The Challenge.

Classroom discussions are the building blocks of democracy. But you know how hard this work can be: creating respectful classroom communities, tackling sensitive civic and historical issues, and navigating tensions that arise when students bring diverse perspectives and emotions to the conversation. This site will help you support teachers as they build the skills and confidence to meet those moments.

Our Dilemmas.

DISCUSS Philadelphia is a free collection of discussion scenarios, experienced and written by teachers. We call these classroom scenarios “dilemmas." Each one comes with guiding questions to help teachers pinpoint the core challenge and connect it to their own practice. We hope these resources spark reflection, conversation, and growth as you prepare teachers to center student voice and develop students’ civic competencies.

A group of people collaborates around a laptop, exchanging ideas.