In this article, the author shares her research, as well as the work of other scholars, on social studies education narratives that portray individuals as heroes or villains and the effect these portrayals may have on students. These narratives not only stifle students' feelings of civic agency, but they minimize the role of community in creating…

How might social educators encourage civic reasoning and genuine dialogue across different perspectives? Disagreements about policy and appropriate action are part and parcel of democratic societies, and yet identifying and working through the roots of those disagreements are tricky skills for students (or anyone, for that matter). In this piece,…