How Would I Have Taught It? The Urgency of Teaching Current Social Movements Now: Practitioner Commentary

This essay addresses challenges and possibilities for interdisciplinary teaching in secondary schools of current social movements as they are unfolding. The effective teaching of current social movements presents challenges due to the rigid departmentalization of academic disciplines, the unpredictability of how a movement will develop, and the controversial nature of current issues. The urgent need, though, to teach the movements far outweighs the difficulties and risks. In focus are six current movements: gun rights/control, anti-racism, gender equality and feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, labor, and climate justice. For each of these the author raises questions, explains the urgent need to teach it directly and intentionally, highlights examples of current or recent teachings/resources, and poses possibilities for further interdisciplinary collaborations. The conclusion revisits the urgency of teaching these and additional current movements as they are developing.