I typed up some of the questions and Walter's answers in the Q&A pod to share:

1. What are some actionable strategies for having conversations about race, vaccines, etc. in places — especially public schools — where there are laws or policies limiting what teachers can talk about?

• Walter’s answer in the Q&A pod - Stay grounded in skills and standards, and then apply the lessons of intellectual empathy.

2. What are some practical lessons or ways to include current events in the classroom that teachers could use with their students tomorrow or on Monday?

• Walter’s answer – recurring practice from the first day to focus on thinking about history through the summer months. Prominent historians and their disagreements allow for exploration of current events.

3. What advice can you give when students are learning "two versions" of a historical or current event when there are some teachers at the school who don't agree with anything that we've learned at this conference?

• Walter’s answer – modeling disagreement and conversation helps students move into historiography and understanding multiple perspectives

4. Can you recommend some resources for establishing classroom guidelines for discussing current events?

• Walter’s answer – reading response formats provide structure and empower students’ thinking

5. How can we foster empathy and inclusion when students are engaged in these discussions?

• Walter’s answer – classroom agreements on welcoming, inclusion, and safety for every person in our learning communities

I'd like to know about the reading response formats Walter was referring to. Does anyone have a good source for thia?

I'd like to know about the reading response formats Walter was referring to. Does anyone have a good source for thia?

Hi Karen! Jasmine's talk has some strategies. Jasmine Locke (“The History We Carry”)  "The History We Carry" - Current Events, Historical Insights 

I am wondering the same thing...  Does anyone have an example of this?