Emerson College Library: Comprehending Crises : Faculty: Teaching Difficult Topics

Currency of Information: This is a new guide and is still under construction. We are doing our best to ensure that it is accurate and up to date, and will be adding to it over the course of the Fall 2023 semester. If you find discrepancies or outdated information, please email: reference@emerson.edu

Teaching Difficult Topics

Teaching Controversies Framework
Research-based teaching strategies made available by Judy Pace, drawn from her book Hard Questions: Learning to Teach Controversial Issues.
Teaching Controversial Topics - Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning
This guide, written for graduate student instructors, offers clear guidelines and advice for working with controversial material in the classroom.
Teaching Current Events and Controversial Topics - GW Libraries & Academic Innovation
Prepare yourself to teach current events and controversial topics. Questions and strategies to consider.

Classroom Safety

Trauma and the College Classroom - Inside Higher Ed
Steven Mintz contextualizes current discussions of trauma and how it relates to the classroom, then outlines strategies for confronting issues of trauma in college courses.
Guidelines for Discussing Incidents of Hate, Bias, and Discrimination
The University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning & Teaching offers advice for discussing incidents that have directly impacted marginalized students. Further resources are linked which may be helpful.
Intervention Strategies Worksheet
Responding to Microagressions in the Classroom/Learning Space: Some options when a student's words or behaviors devalue, marginalize, or tokenize others.

Classroom Activities

Fact checking & image verification activity
This online activity challenges participants to identify the sources of images and whether they match their captions.
Evaluating Information – Stanford History Education Group
This document summarizes the results of a Stanford project involving assessment of "civic online reasoning." Example questions and answers for various age groups are included.

CRAAP Test (handout and video)

CRAAP Test
CRAAP Test outlines 5 broad elements to consider when evaluating information: Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose, and includes questions to consider for each element.

Used with permission from the CSU Chico Libraries.

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Together, we can:

Integrate information literacy or research skills instruction into your course or assignment.
Advise on research assignments involving library resources and services.
Collaboratively brainstorm your course or assignment plans.
Design and deliver digital learning objects, online tutorials, and other teaching materials.

More about School Librarians

Comprehending Crises

Mental Health Resources

Conversation Strategies

Teaching Difficult Topics

Classroom Safety

Classroom Activities

CRAAP Test (handout and video)

Collaborate with your School Librarian