UNIT ONE: LAYING THE FOUNDATION
1) E Pluribus Unum? – An introductory exercise, with slide deck, that reviews the evidence that polarization and division are reaching crisis levels. Each slide invites student discussion and feedback. Exercise to come.
2) A Took Kit for Troubled Times – A review of the nine CWT ground rules for productive dialogue, with some review of the deeper concepts behind them.
UNIT TWO: WHO ARE WE? – Exercises exploring identity, bubbles and values.
1) The Multiple Identities Exercise – An exercise to help students see themselves, and others, as multi-faceted
2) What Are Your Bubbles? – Urging students to map the bubbles that provide security and belonging, but can also obscure our vision
3) American Values – What Are They? – Identifying the values that really drive America
UNIT THREE: ARE WE LISTENING? – Thinking about listening as a democratic skill
1) How to Be an Active Listener – Reviewing how listening is a skill we can learn and practice
2) Three Questions – A 30-minute interactive exercise in active listening.
3) Asking Different Kinds of Questions – Tips on how to ask questions that show you really care and want to learn
UNIT FOUR: WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? – Tools for naming problems and exploring issues
1) The Five Whys – A 20–25-minute interactive exercise in how to discover the real problem.
2) The Kitchen-Table Question – A process to find out what issues matter most to students, and how they see them
3) The Friend’s Dilemma – A fun exercise to explore what’s going right and what’s going wrong in your school or town
4) Story Core – A powerful exercise to find out what a place is good at and what it’s bad at. Exercise to come.
5) The Social Dilemma – An assignment leading to student presentations on how social media discussions go south. Exercise to come.
UNIT FIVE: WHAT CAN WE DO? – Tools for having better conversations and finding better solutions
1) Can We Talk? dialogues – How to use the prompts, and help students learn from the experience
2) How to Plan for A Difficult Conversation – Presenting a tool to help you anticipate what could go wrong and how to avoid it.
3) How to Frame an Issue – Sharing tools that helps you navigate difference of opinion on tough issues. Exercise to come.