Discussion in Social Studies: Is It Worth the Trouble?

February 22, 2021 Jeremiah Hendren

Discussion in Social Studies: Is It Worth the Trouble?

Hess, Diana E.
Social Education 68, no. 2 (2004): 151-157

In a famous Saturday Night Live sketch, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, playing a high school history teacher, attempts to start a discussion with rote factual questions, such as “Who was Britain fighting in World War II?” The agonizing recitation that follows never evolves into a discussion; it becomes painfully clear that the students know virtually nothing about the topic, and even less about how to participate in a productive discussion. Finally, Seinfeld gives up, swallows a handful of pills to quell his upset stomach, and accedes to a student’s offer to bring in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark to show in class the next day. While simultaneously hilarious and depressing, this skit also illustrates an unfortunate reality: Even though many social studies teachers value classroom discussion, it is rare in most social studies classes.

Diana E. Hess

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