Open classroom climate for discussion (OCC) is consistently associated with positive civic outcomes for students, but research on the determinants of OCC primarily focuses on individual- and school-level indicators or uses qualitative or non-representative samples. This study considers how teacher instructional practices influence the presence of OCC at the classroom level by using a sample of U.S. social studies classrooms to conduct a multi-level analysis. Results suggest that some instructional practices are associated with greater student perceptions of OCC. Classroom discussion of current events is most strongly related to OCC, and other student-centered teaching practices including debate, simulation, and inquiry-based instruction are associated with specific components of an open classroom climate. These findings have important instructional and policy implications for schools and for teacher preparation programs.