Teachers Rework Lesson Plans After Donald Trump’s Election

By

Tawnell D. Hobbs

Updated Nov. 27, 2016 9:10 a.m. ET

As some students protest the election of Donald Trump and others rejoice, teachers are wrestling with how best to educate them on a significant event that has split the country.

Textbooks have yet to catch up to one of the most contentious presidential elections in modern history. Lesson plans are being created on the fly, from the coal country in West Virginia to the Bay Area of California.

John Quesenberry, who teaches advanced history and government in Beckley, W.Va., has been leading his students in discussions of President Andrew Jackson’s appeal to the common man in seeking to explain the phenomenon that propelled Mr. Trump toward the White House.

He also brings in the history of executive orders and how campaign rhetoric in other countries is sometimes more sharp than actual governing. And in light of recent protests, the class discusses the First Amendment and “freedom of assembly.”

“It’s been real good to work in historical analogies,” Mr. Quesenberry said. “I try not to take a view, but give them the different things and let them draw conclusions.”

Some teachers are taking a more radical approach.

In San Francisco, Mission High School peer resources teacher Fakrah Shah’s lesson calls Mr. Trump “racist and sexist” and urges students to fight oppression. Ms. Shah has used the plan in her class and a copy of it was posted on a union web site for other teachers to draw from.

Howard Epstein, vice chairman of communications for the San Francisco Republican Party, called the lesson plan “ridiculous,” even for a liberal city like San Francisco. He said that teachers who use it “should be fired immediately.”

The San Francisco Unified School District has been neutral on the matter, saying the lesson plan is optional. A spokesman for the 6,200-member union said the lesson plan has been positively received by many teachers and some parents.

Few national organizations have developed lesson plans on the topic.

“It is a tough issue at the moment,” said Lawrence Paska, executive director of the National Council for the Social Studies. “You’re going to see a lot of organizations coming forward with resources.”

That leaves many teachers on their own.

In Arkansas, teacher Chuck West admits to having strong views about the election, but he says he keeps his lessons neutral at Little Rock Central High School.

Students in Mr. West’s advanced American History classes have discussed the “alt-right,” which he defines as people that “are further to the right than your typical Republican.” Discussion in his demographically diverse classes also has focused on a president’s powers and the impeachment process.

“I don’t encourage them to think in terms of impeachment, but they have questions,” Mr. West said. “They might not care about the war of 1812, but they care a lot about the election of 2016.”

At Easley High School in South Carolina, U.S. history teacher Tracy Todd takes a different route. “We do not teach about any particular candidate,” she said, adding that she follows her state’s academic standards, which are more general.

In Mountain View, Calif., an election lesson didn’t end well. A teacher was put on leave after allegedly drawing similarities between Mr. Trump and Adolf Hitler. The leave lasted part of a day and ended after about 35,000 people signed an online petition demanding his return. School officials said the leave wasn’t over the lesson but a parent and student complaint.

Some teachers say the election has provided many “teachable moments.”

Tim Sokolowski’s government classes in southeast Indianapolis have analyzed election results and studied the congressional hearing process as Mr. Trump assembles his team. They discuss whether pre-election polling should continue, in light of miscalculations in the recent election. And they talk about the Constitution, and whether it would allow banning Muslims from entering the U.S.

“Where’s that line of liberty versus security?” Mr. Sokolowski said he asked the students. “Give me an argument of why I can or can’t do that.”

Mr. Sokolowski said the students have handled the election maturely. He said that he can recall only one incident that he perceived as negative in class, when a student said, “Build that wall.”

Dallas high-school teacher Diane Birdwell senses the nervousness of students in her majority-Hispanic classes on oral history. They fear Mr. Trump’s agenda when it comes to immigration.

Ms. Birdwell, 56 years old, said that she has turned focus to the civil rights movement to help address the fears. She tells them that she recalls it being a lot worse in the 1960s, and that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would be disappointed with some of the current protests because they are unorganized. She talks about how far the country has come, noting that the current president is a black man, a race that once couldn’t vote.

Students also have to be able to say what they do or don’t like about Mr. Trump’s proposals in Ms. Birdwell’s class.

“I tell them, ‘Explain it to me, the white middle-age woman,’” she said. “I challenge them.”

Write to Tawnell D. Hobbs at Tawnell.Hobbs@wsj.com

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| Teachers | Rework | Lesson | Plans | After | Donald | Trump’s | Election | Tawnell | Hobbs | Updated | Nov. | 2016 | 9:10 | a.m. | some | students | protest | election | Trump | others | rejoice, | teachers | wrestling | with | best | educate | them | significant | event | that | split | country. | Textbooks | have | catch | most | contentious | presidential | elections | modern | history. | plans | being | created | fly, | from | coal | country | West | Virginia | Area | California. | John | Quesenberry, | teaches | advanced | history | government | Beckley, | W.Va., | been | leading | discussions | President | Andrew | Jackson’s | appeal | common | seeking | explain | phenomenon | propelled | toward | White | House. | also | brings | executive | orders | campaign | rhetoric | other | countries | sometimes | more | sharp | than | actual | governing. | light | recent | protests, | class | discusses | First | Amendment | “freedom | assembly.” | “It’s | real | good | work | historical | analogies,” | Quesenberry | said. | “I | take | view, | give | different | things | draw | conclusions.” | Some | taking | radical | approach. | Francisco, | Mission | High | School | peer | resources | teacher | Fakrah | Shah’s | lesson | calls | “racist | sexist” | urges | fight | oppression. | Shah | used | plan | copy | posted | union | site | from. | Howard | Epstein, | vice | chairman | communications | Francisco | Republican | Party, | called | “ridiculous,” | even | liberal | city | like | Francisco. | said | “should | fired | immediately.” | Unified | District | neutral | matter, | saying | optional. | spokesman | 6,200-member | positively | received | many | parents. | national | organizations | developed | topic. | “It | tough | issue | moment,” | Lawrence | Paska, | director | National | Council | Social | Studies. | “You’re | going | coming | forward | resources.” | That | leaves | their | own. | Arkansas, | Chuck | admits | having | strong | views | about | election, | says | keeps | lessons | Little | Rock | Central | School. | Students | West’s | American | History | classes | discussed | “alt-right,” | which | defines | people | “are | further | right | your | typical | Republican.” | Discussion | demographically | diverse | focused | president’s | powers | impeachment | process. | don’t | encourage | think | terms | impeachment, | they | questions,” | “They | might | care | 1812, | 2016.” | Easley | South | Carolina, | U.S. | Tracy | Todd | takes | route. | “We | teach | particular | candidate,” | said, | adding | follows | state’s | academic | standards, | general. | In Mountain | View, | Calif., | didn’t | well. | leave | after | allegedly | drawing | similarities | between | Adolf | Hitler. | lasted | part | ended | 35,000 | signed | online | petition | demanding | return. | officials | wasn’t | over | parent | student | complaint. | provided | “teachable | moments.” | Sokolowski’s | southeast | Indianapolis have | analyzed | results | studied | congressional | hearing | process | assembles | team. | They | discuss | whether | pre-election | polling | should | continue, | miscalculations | election. | talk | Constitution, | would | allow | banning | Muslims | entering | “Where’s | line | liberty | versus | security?” | Sokolowski | asked | students. | “Give | argument | can’t | that.” | handled | maturely. | recall | only | incident | perceived | negative | class, | when | “Build | wall.” | Dallas | high-school | Diane | Birdwell | senses | nervousness | majority-Hispanic | oral | fear | agenda | comes | immigration. | Birdwell, | years | old, | turned | focus | civil | rights | movement | help | address | fears. | tells | recalls | worse | 1960s, | Martin | Luther | King, | Jr., | disappointed | current | protests | because | unorganized. | talks | come, | noting | president | black | man, | race | once | couldn’t | vote. | able | what | proposals | Birdwell’s | class. | tell | them, | ‘Explain | white | middle-age | woman,’” | challenge | them.” | Write | Hobbs | Tawnell.Hobbs@wsj.com | |