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'Town Destroyer' and Controversial Murals: Exploring Pedagogical Possibilities for Inquiry, Deliberation, and Civic Action

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Title: 'Town Destroyer' and Controversial Murals: Exploring Pedagogical Possibilities for Inquiry, Deliberation, and Civic Action
Language: English
Authors: Judith L. Pace (ORCID 0000-0003-3364-6716), Jeremy D. Stoddard (ORCID 0000-0001-5930-6723)
Source: Social Studies. 2025 116(4):248-260.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 13
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Descriptive
Descriptors: Controversial Issues (Course Content), Art Products, Painting (Visual Arts), Community Problems, Case Studies, Documentaries, Inquiry, Active Learning
DOI: 10.1080/00377996.2024.2382816
ISSN: 0037-7996
2152-405X
Abstract: A rich international body of scholarship describes and analyzes a variety of methodologies to teach controversial issues; however, many teachers do not feel prepared for this endeavor (Bickmore & Parker, 2014; Pace, 2015, 2021). Teachers are searching for stimulating curricular-instructional resources, effective materials, and guidance for teaching students how to explore multiple perspectives on knotty questions and deliberate on solutions to problems that affect their local communities. Here we provide a case example of using a compelling documentary film as a medium for inquiring into, deliberating, and taking action on a timely and relevant issue, a debate over what to do with a controversial public art installation.This case is designed to introduce students to a process for engaging in the questions, multiple perspectives, and potential outcomes often present in controversies where a community is debating what to do with a controversial work of art. This same process could then be applied to a similar local issue. Our case includes three pedagogical methods that could be used in isolation or as part of a larger inquiry-based process that leads to informed action.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1505631
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0186248851;soc01jul.25;2025Jul01.03:45;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0186248851-1">Town Destroyer and Controversial Murals: Exploring Pedagogical Possibilities for Inquiry, Deliberation, and Civic Action </title> <p>A rich international body of scholarship describes and analyzes a variety of methodologies to teach controversial issues; however, many teachers do not feel prepared for this endeavor (Bickmore & Parker, 2014; Pace, 2015, 2021). Teachers are searching for stimulating curricular-instructional resources, effective materials, and guidance for teaching students how to explore multiple perspectives on knotty questions and deliberate on solutions to problems that affect their local communities. Here we provide a case example of using a compelling documentary film as a medium for inquiring into, deliberating, and taking action on a timely and relevant issue, a debate over what to do with a controversial public art installation.This case is designed to introduce students to a process for engaging in the questions, multiple perspectives, and potential outcomes often present in controversies where a community is debating what to do with a controversial work of art. This same process could then be applied to a similar local issue. Our case includes three pedagogical methods that could be used in isolation or as part of a larger inquiry-based process that leads to informed action.</p> <p>Keywords: Controversial issues; pedagogy; deliberation; civic action</p> <p>In response to global conflicts, campuses and communities across the U.S. have exploded in controversy. These conflicts have manifested in local conflicts that are politically and emotionally charged, often generating more heat than light. Questions about free speech abound as discourse in classrooms, on school campuses, and in public arenas is perceived as offensive if not life-threatening. More than ever, educators are recognizing the urgency of developing students' ability to critically examine and discuss controversies that link local and global issues as well as past and present. They realize the need for students to learn how to examine, deliberate, and take action on controversial issues that matter to them.</p> <p>A rich international body of scholarship describes and analyzes a variety of methodologies to teach controversial issues; however, many teachers do not feel prepared for this endeavor (Bickmore & Parker, [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref1">5</reflink>]; Pace, [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref2">33</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref3">35</reflink>]). Teachers are searching for rich curricular-instructional resources and effective materials that get students to explore multiple perspectives on knotty questions and deliberate on solutions to problems that affect their local communities. They also want guidance on how to implement these resources and materials to design the most meaningful and compelling lessons possible.</p> <p>In this article we provide a case example of how to use a compelling documentary film as a medium for inquiring into, deliberating, and taking action on a timely and relevant issue – a community debate over what to do with a controversial public art installation. This case is designed to be used as a way to introduce students to a process for engaging in the questions, multiple perspectives, and potential outcomes often present in cases where a community is debating what to do with a controversial work of art. This same process could then be applied to a similar local issue. Our case includes three pedagogical methods that could be used in isolation or as part of a larger inquiry-based process that leads to informed action.</p> <hd id="AN0186248851-2">Conceptualizing controversial issues</hd> <p>Stradling et al. ([<reflink idref="bib52" id="ref4">52</reflink>]) defined controversial issues as "those problems and disputes that divide society and for which significant groups within society offer conflicting explanations and solutions based on alternative values" (p. 2). Controversial issues may be political questions about current public policy (Hess, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref5">19</reflink>]) or involve questions about the past, for example: "Why did the United States use atomic bombs to end the war with Japan?" (Ho et al., [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref6">21</reflink>]). They may include sensitive questions related to contested histories (Foster, [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref7">14</reflink>]; Kello, [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref8">23</reflink>]), and are often connected to sociopolitical oppression and/or ethnic conflict (Wasserman, [<reflink idref="bib54" id="ref9">54</reflink>]). In divided societies such as Northern Ireland and Cyprus, many educators associate controversial issues with historical events, political questions, and cultural expressions that evoke emotional reactions tied to community allegiance and identity (Zembylas & Kambani, [<reflink idref="bib55" id="ref10">55</reflink>]).</p> <p>Controversial issues can be taught in a variety of ways. Much of the scholarship focuses on dialogic and deliberative pedagogies that engage students in exploring different perspectives through activities that include inquiry, critical analysis of sources, formulation of arguments, position-taking, and/or decision-making (Simon, [<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref11">45</reflink>]). Examples of deliberative pedagogies are structured academic controversies, seminars, town hall meetings, simulations, and dramatic role play (Hess & McAvoy, [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref12">20</reflink>]; Ho et al., [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref13">21</reflink>]; Pace, [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref14">34</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref15">35</reflink>]; Parker & Lo, [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref16">41</reflink>]). According to research, the key activity with significant benefits is discussion of issues in an open classroom climate, in which the class examines diverse perspectives, the teacher encourages students to express their opinions, and students feel free to disagree with their teacher and peers (Hahn, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref17">18</reflink>]; Hess, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref18">19</reflink>]; Torney-Purta et al., [<reflink idref="bib53" id="ref19">53</reflink>]). Benefits include development of political tolerance as well as political knowledge and engagement (Hess & McAvoy, [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref20">20</reflink>]).</p> <p>Powerful resources assist teachers by providing entry points to dialogue on controversies, promoting critical thinking about diverse perspectives, and arousing interest (Kitson & McCully, [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref21">24</reflink>]; Pace, [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref22">34</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref23">35</reflink>]). This paper focuses on one such resource – a documentary film titled <emph>Town Destroyer</emph> (Snitow & Kaufman, [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref24">47</reflink>]) that deals with a set of controversial murals painted on the walls of a high school – and its pedagogical possibilities for democratic education. First we discuss the use of film in teaching controversial issues, specifically a film that grapples with an artistic representation of difficult knowledge. The paper then describes a series of classroom lessons using <emph>Town Destroyer</emph> as the core pedagogical resource.</p> <hd id="AN0186248851-3">Town Destroyer, conflict, and difficult knowledge</hd> <p> <emph>Town Destroyer</emph> (Snitow & Kaufman, [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref25">47</reflink>]) revolves around a local controversy with global resonance. The controversy erupted in 2019 over the "Life of George Washington" murals, painted in the 1930s by Victor Arnautoff, a left-wing artist funded by the WPA (Works Progress Administration), inside George Washington High School in San Francisco, California. Two of the 13 panels implicate George Washington, "founding father" of the United States, as commander of the destruction of Native American villages and slave owner. Despite representing a relatively critical view of U.S. history, especially for the time when they were created, the San Francisco School Board voted on June 25, 2019 to destroy the murals because of what they deemed offensive and potentially traumatizing content for students. This controversial decision generated an outcry from the arts community, alumni, and other stakeholders. Albeit a local controversy, conflicts over school murals are a nationwide phenomenon (Kalish, [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref26">22</reflink>]) that speaks to worldwide controversies over public art and monuments, how history is represented and memorialized, and how different forms of violence are interrupted and/or perpetuated.</p> <p>The film begins with the challenging revelation that George Washington was known to the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Nations) people as "Town Destroyer" and that he ordered the mass destruction in 1779 of their crops and villages. It introduces the clash of perspectives and emotionally charged encounters animating the "Life of George Washington" murals controversy and then pivots as the film makers take us on a journey that explores some historical context behind the 1936 murals. We learn about their creator, Victor Arnautoff, Russian immigrant, student of Diego Rivera, and New Deal artist. Then we hear about the 1960s and 70s Black student protests that resulted in the school's "Multi-ethnic Heritage" response murals painted by Dewey Crumpler (Davis, [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref27">11</reflink>]). We learn about the "Early Days" statue in San Francisco, dedicated in 1894, portraying the submission of a "fallen American Indian" at the feet of a Catholic missionary and Spanish cowboy, that was removed in 2018 (Blei, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref28">6</reflink>]). And we visit contemporary Indigenous artists and museum directors using art to deal with traumatic history and make visible contemporary Indigenous life. Throughout, we hear the perspectives of experts on the murals and the conflict surrounding them.</p> <p>Then we return to scenes from the actual conflict. The most controversial panel depicts a murdered Haudenosaunee man lying on the ground. Another panel represents enslaved African Americans tending to Washington's horses and working in the fields. People in the film argue over whether these depictions are necessary for showing truthful history or harmful especially for Black and Indigenous students. Questions aroused by the film include "Do images trigger trauma in students? How should a changing society deal with works of art that are now deemed controversial? Do the intentions of the artist matter? Or just the impact on viewers? Is it censorship to destroy murals that show painful histories? What does our country owe people who have been historically wronged?" (<ulink href="http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/towd.html">http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/towd.html</ulink>).</p> <hd id="AN0186248851-4">Teaching controversy through film</hd> <p>As we model in the lessons below, engaging students in controversial issues through film entails similar challenges to other kinds of discussion-based pedagogies. It also requires some level of understanding the affordances and challenges of using film as a story telling medium (Stoddard, [<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref29">48</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref30">50</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref31">51</reflink>]). This is particularly true when a film represents what might be considered difficult histories, as described above, that often provoke strong emotional responses that need to be anticipated as teachers prepare their pedagogical approach (Miles & Herold, [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref32">31</reflink>]; Pace, [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref33">34</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref34">35</reflink>]).</p> <p> <emph>Town Destroyer</emph> embodies the concept of multiperspectivity (Marcus & Stoddard, [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref35">29</reflink>]) while centralizing the voices of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) artists, museum curators, scholars and activists. An affordance of using film is the potential for rich and humanistic portrayals of historically marginalized or minoritized groups' perspectives through images and voices that can more deeply engage students as compared to other sources (Buchanan & Hilburn, [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref36">9</reflink>]). As a pedagogical tool, it invites viewers to empathically listen to the emotional reactions, stories, and views of students, parents, community members, and other stakeholders (Andolina & Conklin, [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref37">1</reflink>]). As with any documentary film, however, there are multiple stories being told that challenge viewers to recognize the perspectives of those interviewed, others represented in the film, and the voice of, and story being told by, the filmmakers (Stoddard, [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref38">50</reflink>]). While they do not appear on screen, the filmmakers, Deborah Kaufman and Alan Snitow, are very much present in framing the issue that is examined, selecting the perspectives that are included, and constructing an overall narrative of the controversy. There are also perspectives missing, not by design but due to various constraints - most significantly those of teachers.</p> <p>In addition to recognizing the multiple stories being told and the different forms of evidence and filmmaking techniques used to engage the audience, it is also important to note the context of the controversy and film. The controversy emerged, like others, as part of the racial justice reckoning fueled by anti-Black racism and violence in the US. Although it erupted before the COVID 19 pandemic and George Floyd's murder in 2020, the U.S. was already in a period of confronting police violence perpetrated against Black citizens; our history of racial injustices; and how race is portrayed, engaged with, or missing from public spaces and classrooms. The discourse and policies of the Trump administration intensified fear, anger, and commitments to disrupting social injustice, particularly in progressive communities like San Francisco. This political and affective context is viscerally present in the film, provoking an emotional response in viewers as they follow the stories unfolding. Undoubtedly the progression of events following the controversy, which included George Floyd's murder in 2020, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, violent backlash to that movement, the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and the COVID-19 pandemic shaped the making of the film.</p> <hd id="AN0186248851-5">Art representing difficult knowledge and difficult history</hd> <p> <emph>Town Destroyer</emph> attempts to represent the complexity of how different groups and individuals express their intellectual, ideological, and affective responses to "difficult knowledge," in this case, the representations of racialized historical social trauma that appear in the murals (Britzman, [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref39">8</reflink>]; Pitt & Britzman, [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref40">42</reflink>]). The murals may appear today to honor George Washington's leadership, like a prominent statue of him also located in the school's entrance hall and the very name of the school. But they include a serious albeit nuanced critique (Davis, [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref41">11</reflink>]), which uses images of difficult knowledge to make that critique. Difficult knowledge in the arts serves to (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref42">1</reflink>) challenge viewers' expectations and interpretive abilities, (<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref43">2</reflink>) evoke "negative emotions," and (<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref44">3</reflink>) arouse anxiety and possible re-traumatization that accompanies identification with victims, perpetrators, or bystanders (Simon, [<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref45">46</reflink>], p. 433). However, viewers' encounters with difficult knowledge vary widely based on their own lived experiences, identities, historical consciousness, values, and interests.</p> <p>Indeed, the painting of the original murals could be considered an engagement with "difficult history." Gross and Terra ([<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref46">17</reflink>]) define difficult history using five criteria:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> Is central to a nation's history,</item> <p></p> <item> Challenges dominant versions of the past or national values such as equality,</item> <p></p> <item> Connects with issues or problems we face today,</item> <p></p> <item> Involves violence, often collective or state sanctioned,</item> <p></p> <item> Creates disequilibrium by challenging people's assumptions or beliefs (p. 54).</item> </ulist> <p>The images Arnautoff painted implicate Washington's role in enslavement and genocide and thereby challenge the dominant narrative of United States history, disseminated through the nation's textbooks, as a fight for freedom and progress led by the founding fathers (Zimmerman, [<reflink idref="bib56" id="ref47">56</reflink>]). Many of the Indigenous and Black artists in <emph>Town Destroyer</emph> view the murals this way – not as a potential source of social trauma for the young people who walk by them on a daily basis – but as a representation designed to provoke thoughtful discussion of the United States' (and the founding fathers') complicated and often violent history of racial relations and oppression of minoritized groups. Community members defending the murals angrily accuse opponents of censorship.</p> <p>But others disagree, passionately arguing that the images perpetuate harmful stereotypes and misconceptions that do further damage, especially to Black and Indigenous students who have to confront them every time they enter the school building. The entire history of racial oppression and ongoing injustices against people of color in the U.S. are invoked in these disagreements. Paradoxically, we also learn that for many if not most students, the murals do not provoke any feelings or thoughts at all, at least not conscious ones. Critics of the murals maintain that they can act subliminally and do psychological damage like the impact of microaggressions that accumulate over time. For them, the murals are an affront to a monumental struggle for justice.</p> <p>The issues raised by the film and the contentious interactions we witness are complicated...dare we say difficult. It is therefore a complex affective and intellectual experience for viewers to process not only the murals and what they represent but also the various perspectives, emotions, and confrontations they provoke. This includes how the murals were viewed when they were originally painted and when additional murals were painted during the social and racial justice movements of the 1960s. There are no simple answers to the controversy and the film does not attempt to present a resolution. Therefore, it creates a shared experience for discussing concepts such as difficult knowledge and difficult history, and for deliberating questions about how the conflict over the murals and similar cases should be addressed. It also raises the question of whether struggles over symbols actually advance social justice, or whether they are trivial compared to life and death problems affecting so many young people's lives. These discussions open up possibilities for taking civic action as a collective.</p> <p>The intensity of the film makes demands on teachers because it requires different capabilities than do highly structured deliberations of policy issues using fact sheets or court opinions. Through the medium of film, viewers encounter the murals themselves, the controversy, and the context in which it occurs. Thus, teachers need an approach that helps students deal with the layers and nuance of the controversy (Clabough et al., [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref48">10</reflink>]). The concepts of difficult knowledge and difficult histories help us make sense of the emotional responses and actions of people in the film and indicate that pedagogy also needs to make room for the role of affect in learning (Pace, [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref49">36</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref50">37</reflink>]; Sheppard & Levy, [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref51">44</reflink>]). But they do not provide us with a specific pedagogical model for understanding the multi-faceted arguments and perspectives in the film or deliberating on the controversial questions it raises in ways that might foster civic action. Neither do they help us formulate curricular aims for student learning. We turn to pedagogical methods developed in the field of democratic education given our focus on a controversial issue that involves difficult knowledge and difficult history and our use of the film <emph>Town Destroyer</emph> to bring this controversy to life. These methods are seminar, deliberation, and informed civic action.</p> <hd id="AN0186248851-6">Pedagogical approaches</hd> <p>Given the complicated nature of the issues underlying the murals controversy as well as the strong affective responses represented in the film, we want lessons to foster inquiry, exchange of cognitive and affective responses, generative problem-solving, and nuanced discussion. We use discussion models focused on empathic listening, reasoning, and collaborative decision making rather than argumentation used in debate or structured academic controversy (SAC) (Barton & Ho, [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref52">3</reflink>]). And we frame controversial questions that address the specific controversy as well as the perennial issues it raises (Hess, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref53">19</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0186248851-7">Seminar</hd> <p>The sequence of lessons we envision starts with seminar, continues with deliberation, and culminates in civic action. A seminar is a discussion model focused on a group inquiry into the issues, ideas and values of a particular text that has been read in common (Parker, [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref54">40</reflink>]). Although the text is usually written, this discussion approach can also be useful with film (Stoddard, [<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref55">49</reflink>]). With a film as seminar text, members of the discussion group can explore their interpretations of particular scenes, themes, and narrative structures in the film. They can also analyze the filmmakers' intentions and the particular social and political context in which it was produced. Unlike reading a more common seminar text (e.g., letter, article), using film needs to include assigned tasks during viewing that focus on collecting the information needed for the seminar discussion because a scene in a film is not as accessible as a page in a written text (see Figure 1, below).</p> <p>Graph: Figure 1. Town Destroyer viewing guide.</p> <p>The facilitator needs to prepare for the discussion, which includes working with participants to establish norms, developing a set of core and follow up questions, and making decisions such as how to "warm up" the group and establish their role for the discussion (e.g., is the seminar student or teacher led). In the case of <emph>Town Destroyer</emph>, teachers should provide some background on the murals themselves, the artist, and sources that provide insights into how they were viewed in the 1930s when they were painted. Norms for seminars generally include asking students to speak without raising hands, referencing evidence in the text (in this case to the film), challenging ideas and not other students, and building from each others' ideas as well as inviting others into the conversation. The seminar ideally ends before the conversation has exhausted the richness of the text and has students continuing the discussion as they leave the room. A reflective component can be a valuable form of understanding what participants gained from the discussion and could include thinking about how their views on the issue changed or identifying the most compelling perspective from the film and explaining their choice.</p> <hd id="AN0186248851-8">Deliberation</hd> <p>Parker ([<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref56">38</reflink>]) argues that educators must make a clear distinction between seminar and deliberation. While the purpose of a seminar is to enlarge participants' understanding of a text, related concepts and issues, and one another, the purpose of a deliberation is to make a decision on "which course of action will best address a shared problem" (p. 12). Parker sees the two forms of discussion as mutually reinforcing: "The knowledge-deepening, evidence-oriented, horizon-broadening functions of seminars provide an enlightened platform for public decision making, and vice versa" (p. 13). They represent the concepts of reflection and action central to Dewey's ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref57">12</reflink>]) inquiry method.</p> <p>A deliberation model popular in several different countries is structured academic controversy (Avery et al., [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref58">2</reflink>]). Using one or more anchor texts, pairs of students, deliberating in groups of four, argue for one side of a controversial issue, switch sides, and then voice their own opinions and/or see if they can come to consensus. Barton and Ho ([<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref59">4</reflink>]) critique popular models of deliberation such as SAC because they set up binary disagreements between competing sides. These discussion models may exclude students whose communication modes do not fit narrow standards of rational discourse and contribute to polarization in the classroom. Citing Gibson ([<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref60">16</reflink>]) and Knowles and Clark ([<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref61">25</reflink>]), they explain that the emphasis on rational, dispassionate, analytic exchanges limits opportunities for students to participate through personal stories, identity-based arguments, affective responses, and non-verbal forms of communication. The structured format may encourage alignment with one side or the other and may discourage creative thinking.</p> <p>We still consider structured academic controversy an effective pedagogical approach to deliberation that is well suited for some controversial issues. Parker's ([<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref62">39</reflink>]) explication of its benefits and how to strengthen the original model is enlightening and helpful. Barton and Ho ([<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref63">4</reflink>]) do not dismiss deliberation as a key discussion method. Instead, they recommend a different approach they call "collaborative deliberation," defined as "non-adversarial problem-solving within a trusting, mutually reciprocal partnership, premised on common interests and involving diverse forms of expression and communication" (p. 48) In this model, questions are framed for problem-solving rather than argument. Participants work together to clarify issues and evaluate possibilities for action. Instead of restricting communication, this kind of deliberation is open to storytelling, passionate language, and non-verbal communication. It is focused on inclusiveness and mutual values.</p> <hd id="AN0186248851-9">Action civics</hd> <p>The <emph>College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards</emph> (National Council for the Social Studies, [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref64">32</reflink>]) organizes classroom inquiry into four dimensions: Developing questions and planning inquiries, Applying disciplinary tools and concepts, Evaluating sources and using evidence, and Communicating conclusions, and Taking informed action. Informed action can include any number of activities, such as writing commentaries, working with younger students, designing an exhibit, or creating media (Levinson, [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref65">27</reflink>], p. 68). A more ambitious model is action civics. Blevins et al. ([<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref66">7</reflink>]) argue that action civics provide particularly meaningful and impactful learning experiences that involve young people in their communities and Levinson and Levine ([<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref67">28</reflink>]) explain that this is because it embodies experiential learning. It teaches them how to "engage productively in civic life" (p. 339). Levinson ([<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref68">27</reflink>]) explains that action civics engages students in a cycle of research, action, and reflection on relevant problems while learning about what political action involves. She identifies Mikva Challenge (n.d.) and Generation Citizen (n.d.) as two well-known action civics programs. They guide young people through six stages: Examine your community, Choose an issue, Research the issue and set a goal, Analyze power, Develop strategies, and Take action to affect policy. Examples of action civics projects are getting a youth center built near a housing project, piloting a civics curriculum in high schools, and developing a plan for improving interactions between police and young community members (p. 68). More relevant to the topic of engaging in public arts and monuments, the work of Monument Lab[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref69">1</reflink>] in Philadelphia (e.g., Farber & Lum, [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref70">13</reflink>]) and other groups engaging students in dialogue and civic action around controversial monuments and public art (e.g., Rooney et al., [<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref71">43</reflink>]) can be useful cases for teachers seeking to engage their students in similar processes and actions. A critical approach to action civics uses power analysis and social justice frameworks to decide what kind of change they want to make and how to use the political system to get it done.</p> <hd id="AN0186248851-10">Example lessons for teaching with/about Town Destroyer</hd> <p>The following lessons are models for how teachers may engage students in <emph>Town Destroyer</emph>, first as a complex text as part of a seminar, then for engaging in deliberation and consensus building using evidence from the film and other sources, and finally as a model for how to engage in civic action.</p> <hd id="AN0186248851-11">Lesson 1: Seminar discussion of Town Destroyer</hd> <p>Our seminar on the GWHS murals controversy after viewing Town Destroyer is guided by the following goals:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> Develop understanding of what this controversial issue is about and its underlying conflicts (what is this a case of?) and the perspectives of the groups represented in the film on the issue</item> <p></p> <item> Discuss the emotions, perspectives, and values expressed in the film through the lens of encountering difficult knowledge and difficult histories</item> <p></p> <item> Consider the sociopolitical context of the murals controversy and film</item> <p></p> <item> Participate in dialogue to develop our capabilities in critical, multi-perspectival thinking and empathic listening</item> </ulist> <p>Before viewing Town Destroyer, students are assigned articles to read for homework[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref72">2</reflink>] in preparation for the seminar and a written text response that summarizes what they learned and what questions the articles raise for them. They are told that the film we will watch contains sensitive content and we will be paying close attention to our community norms. To start the lesson, the teacher reviews the norms, the goals, and the importance of multiperspectivity. She affirms the many types of diversity represented by the classroom community. The next segment is devoted to viewing three clips from the film and taking notes.[<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref73">3</reflink>] Students are given a graphic organizer to keep track of the different people and perspectives in the film and students' reactions to them (Figure 1). It includes individuals and groups whose voices are key to understanding the complexity of the controversy. The graphic organizer provides a scaffold for both viewing the film and participating in discussion. Depending on the class, teachers could also break students into groups and ask them to split up the responsibilities of following specifics individuals/groups in the film. Students can then come together in their groups to discuss the views of those who they followed during the film and identify differences between the different stakeholders in the film. There is space to jot down additional notes after each clip and write a general reflection about the film and how it touched them personally. This graphic organizer helps students collect evidence from the film to discuss in the seminar and its completion demonstrates that they have prepared for discussion.</p> <p>Students gather in small groups to review the graphic organizer and formulate open-ended prompts for the seminar, using their previously written text responses and their notes from the film. Small groups provide an opportunity for processing and sharing affective responses to the film. The teacher visits the groups just to listen and answer any questions. Sentence starters can be used to support this work:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> How did you react when ...</item> <p></p> <item> What did people notice ...</item> <p></p> <item> What do you think it meant when ...</item> <p></p> <item> I am wrestling with the tension between ...</item> <p></p> <item> I'd like to talk about the portrayal of ...</item> <p></p> <item> Do you think this is similar to ...</item> <p></p> <item> Why might the filmmakers choose to ...</item> </ulist> <p>If the class size is over 16, the teacher organizes a fishbowl, where half the class forms a an inner and the other half forms an outer circle. During the first half of the seminar, the inner circle has the floor. Then, the students switch places, and the new inner circle gets the floor. Students in the outer circle are asked to add to their chart (Figure 1) that tracks the perspectives, arguments, and evidence included in the film. To start the seminar, students are reminded of the central purpose – to enlarge our understanding of the murals controversy, the film, the issues it raises, and ourselves. The teacher reminds them that after the initial question, students take the lead and build the discussion through their questions and responses, following these norms:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> No raising hands; take turns</item> <p></p> <item> Monitor your airtime; invite others in</item> <p></p> <item> Focus your contributions on the text (film) and the issue(s)</item> <p></p> <item> Welcome different viewpoints</item> <p></p> <item> Listen with your mind and heart</item> </ulist> <p>The teacher initiates discussion with this opening question: <emph>What does the film make you feel about the murals controversy?</emph> Then she lets the students' take the lead with their responses, uptake of each other's ideas, and questions for the class. These are additional questions if needed to stimulate thinking and dialogue:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> What is at the heart of this film's message? What is it asking us to consider or think about the controversy?</item> <p></p> <item> What is the perspective of the filmmakers? Were certain voices/perspectives emphasized or left out?</item> <p></p> <item> Which voices/perspectives challenged your thoughts and elicited your feelings the most?</item> <p></p> <item> Does the artist's intent make a difference? Their identity? How do we consider the original intent and how the art was viewed when it was made?</item> <p></p> <item> What is the process for making decisions about the mural? Who is shown to be involved in the issue in the film? Who or what is missing from this process?</item> <p></p> <item> Based on the film, what factors might be considered when deciding what to do about controversial art that depicts difficult history? Are there other factors or perspectives missing from what we saw that you think should be considered?</item> <p></p> <item> What do you think were the political, social, economic, cultural, and educational forces that made this controversy erupt and unfold the way it did?</item> <p></p> <item> Are struggles over symbols a way to advance social justice? Or are they trivial compared to larger problems young people face?</item> </ulist> <p>After the teacher brings the seminar to a close, students write and/or draw a journal reflection and fill in any remaining information into their chart based on what they heard during the seminar. Each student is asked to share one sentence or image with the class from their reflections. Part of this debrief may include the students reflecting on their affective and emotional responses to the controversy portrayed in the film, the perspectives in the film and the murals themselves, and how these emotions influenced their thinking and participation during the seminar.</p> <hd id="AN0186248851-12">Lesson 2: Deliberating what to do about the murals</hd> <p>Now that students have explored the perspectives and arguments made in the film and explored the filmmakers' goals with the film and their own responses to it, they are ready to delve into the question of what should be done about the "Life of George Washington" murals and, more generally, about images that represent difficult knowledge in schools. In the deliberation, participants establish new norms for this phase of the process, such as the following:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> Allow brainstorming without commenting on ideas until later</item> <p></p> <item> Help people develop their ideas by asking clarifying questions</item> <p></p> <item> Build on each other's ideas by referring to them</item> <p></p> <item> Identify common ground shared by different ideas</item> </ulist> <p>The goal shifts from exploring textual interpretations in order to build understanding of issues and perspectives to working collaboratively in order to arrive at a consensual decision about what to do. The class reviews evidence gleaned from the film and other sources to clarify the dilemmas posed by the murals, the values or principles at stake, and practical considerations (Levinson & Fay, [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref74">26</reflink>]). Groups should draw from the evidence they wrote in the graphic organizer during the film viewing and seminar as well as articles they've read to understand the arguments and proposals made by different groups for what should be done with the murals. At this stage the goal is not yet to come up with their own plan of action but to understand what has been proposed and the arguments or evidence used to support them. This initial review and clarification phase culminates in the formulation of a question. The question may vary based on context, course goals, or student reactions to the film and the seminar discussion of the film. A specific question might be, How can we work toward a resolution of the George Washington High School murals controversy that is best for students at the school? The perennial question might be, How should we deal with the representation of difficult knowledge in schools?</p> <p>In the second phase of the deliberation the class brainstorms ideas that answer the question. They should be encouraged to think about both the process used to make decisions in cases such as the George Washington High School Murals case and what potential outcomes could look like that may resolve the issue. These might include the following:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> Find out how students at the high school feel about the murals and figure out how they can be involved in decision-making.</item> <p></p> <item> Find a way to cover the panels that offend and uncover for teaching purposes.</item> <p></p> <item> Build an exhibit around the murals and write labels that explain their context, purpose, and content.</item> <p></p> <item> Provide all 9<sups>th</sups> graders and students new to the school a set of lessons on the murals at the start of every school year.</item> <p></p> <item> Hire Indigenous artists to paint a response mural in the school.</item> <p></p> <item> Move the murals to a museum.</item> </ulist> <p>Students discuss the ideas that resonate with them and why, asking questions for clarification. They analyze how each of these ideas would affect stakeholder groups including students, teachers, administrators, alumni, Indigenous community, etc. using evidence from the articles they've read and the film. They weigh these different alternatives, giving reasons why each one would be beneficial in working toward peace. During this discussion, the teacher encourages students to identify shared values, concerns, and priorities (Barton & Ho, [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref75">4</reflink>]). If the goal of the activities with <emph>Town Destroyer</emph> is to develop students' capacity to engaged in thoughtful inquiry into and deliberation of controversial art and monuments or other representations, then the final portion of the activity could include student presentations of their case for the George Washington murals that highlight the process and considerations that they suggest for engaging in these kinds of issues. Each group can create and present a multimedia presentation to the class that includes their analysis of the case and arguments for how they would approach the problem in a way that fosters democracy and social justice. Each of the proposals are discussed and the whole group votes on one or a combination of proposals.</p> <hd id="AN0186248851-13">Lesson 3: Building from the case of George Washington High School</hd> <p>Often classroom deliberation ends with a decision about how to address a controversial issue but goes no further. Action civics pushes teacher and students to make a difference beyond the walls of the classroom and school. An alternative path for using the George Washington case is to study it as a case study for actually engaging with a controversial artwork or mural and develop the kinds of processes and goals described above. However, instead of ending with that as the goal, students could apply what they have learned to a local case of controversial artwork or monument. Or they could apply their learning to a local case of difficult history that is hidden from public discourse and advocate for some form of public engagement with the past. Therefore, the case study of George Washington High School and the mural controversy can be used as a form of apprenticeship to develop skills and knowledge for taking action on similar issues related to local public art, memorials, or other representations.</p> <p>Educators working in schools, community organizations, or museums who want to provide opportunities for youth to engage with local issues related to public art or memorialization that may represent oppressive historical narratives - or to address histories that are not publicly acknowledged - can benefit from the model we present. For example, for communities reconciling with Confederate memorials or schools named after former slave owners, the question of whether or not to take action may be clearer than the case of George Washington High School, but the deliberative and action-oriented process for deciding what to do could be applied. In other cases, with a controversial work of public art or memorial, students may need to engage in a process of investigating the work and its background, deliberate using the evidence uncovered to find consensus and articulate a goal, and then identify a process to advocate for or take action to make that goal a reality.</p> <p>Regardless of how much consensus there is on whether or not some kind of action should be taken, the deliberative process, decision-making, and taking action in a way that fosters trust and addresses the conflict in a peaceful manner are key. Examples of this kind of action, and the role that young people can play, include students advocating to change the name of Robert E Lee High School in Tyler Texas[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref76">4</reflink>]. In some cases, schools and communities have turned to youth to help rectify historic wrongs or silences. For example, Fairfax County (Virginia, USA) created a program for students in the county schools to research, develop, and propose new historical markers to tell the untold stories of African Americans in the County[<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref77">5</reflink>]. Finally, in many cities across the US where protests turned destructive in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, young artists were invited to make boarded over shop windows more pleasant to look at. They created spaces to ask passersby to reflect on racial injustice and to inspire and highlight Black joy[<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref78">6</reflink>].</p> <p>Engaging in local art or memorial installations that spark controversy models the kinds of research, collaboration, and civic engagement viewed as an ideal by advocates for democratic education and the C3 Framework (Levinson & Levine, [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref79">28</reflink>]; NCSS, 2013). It requires engaging with research into local archives or interviewing those with knowledge of the art or memorial, understanding the processes and structures of local government and how to enact change through these institutions, developing arguments and strategies for advocating for change, and working across disagreements that are generally not modeled well by elected officials (Blevins et al., [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref80">7</reflink>]; Levinson, [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref81">27</reflink>]). It may also require developing an understanding of the processes and governing structures involved in making change (Generation Citizen, n.d.) – local and regional governments, historical organizations, or whatever structures maintain authority over the artwork or public space where it is housed. At the same time, students need to reflect on their own emotions, listen to others, and practice the skills for deliberation for fostering change through action and activism. As with the case of the GWHS murals, artworks and public installations are often designed to provoke thought on challenging questions, and oftentimes issues surrounding them do not have simple answers and solutions. It is the complexity and relevance of local art, historical markers, and other memorializing works that make engaging in deliberation and civic action a worthwhile endeavor for students and teachers.</p> <hd id="AN0186248851-14">Conclusion</hd> <p>In this article we have presented the film <emph>Town Destroyer</emph> and the controversy depicted in the film as a case for developing teacher and student capacity to examine, deliberate, and take action on a local controversial issue. In this case the film engages us in considering a timely and sensitive issue that has been playing out across the U.S. and in many local communities globally - public representations of history and of historical figures tied to oppression and/or violence. These public facing representations of the past are controversial as they often highlight and reinforce colonialism, racism, or other forms of wrongful harm. In many cases the open controversy is not over what they represent, such as the Confederate memorials that represent the "lost cause" narrative. Instead, the open controversial issue that we need to wrestle with is what should be done with them. Do we remove objects that represent offensive or oppressive legacies of the past or use them to engage in how these legacies continue to impact the present in some way? The case of Town Destroyer highlights the need to consider intent, form, context, and who produced different public works of memory – differentiating monuments, statues, and other memorials to a problematic and even traumatic past from works of art designed to be critical of the past.</p> <p>The case of <emph>Town Destroyer</emph> and the lessons we propose in this article are a model for how teachers can involve students with public representations of history in various ways, from seminar to local civic action. The underlying pedagogies derived from democratic education and models for discussing controversial issues can be taken and adapted to local contexts, different student demographics, and/or types of historical representations.</p> <p>Our goal in developing and sharing these activities is to promote thoughtful and skillful teaching of controversial issues that builds many skills and understandings related to multiperspectivity, civil discourse, and informed civic action. If the entire series of lessons is enacted, students can learn how to inquire into local controversy, work as a community to decide what to do about the issue, and develop and execute a plan of action. We hope this article encourages and guides teachers in using powerful resources to explore meaningful controversial issues with students so they are better prepared to constructively take up conflicts and, in the face of discord, contribute to healing, resolution, and peace.</p> <hd id="AN0186248851-15">Disclosure statement</hd> <p>No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).</p> <p>Correction Statement</p> <p>This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.</p> <ref id="AN0186248851-16"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref37" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Andolina, M. W., & Conklin, H. G. (2021). Cultivating empathic listening in democratic education. Theory & Research in Social Education, 49 (3), 390 – 417. https://doi.org/10.1080/00933104.2021.1893240</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref43" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> Avery, P. G., Levy, S. 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Teaching and Teacher Education, 77, 193 – 203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.09.010</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Simon, K. G. (2005). Classroom deliberations. In S. Fuhrman & M. Lazerson (Eds.), The public schools (pp. 107 – 129). Oxford University Press.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Simon, R. I. (2011). A shock to thought: Curatorial judgment and the public exhibition of "difficult knowledge. Memory Studies, 4 (4), 432 – 449. https://doi.org/10.1177/1750698011398170</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Snitow, A., & Kaufman, D. (Directors). (2022). Town Destroyer [Film]. Snitow-Kaufman Productions.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Stoddard, J. (2009a). The ideological implications of using "educational" film to teach controversial events. Curriculum Inquiry, 39 (3), 407 – 433. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-873X.2009.00450.x</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Stoddard, J. (2009b). Socratic seminar: A model for film discussion in the social studies. In E. Heilman, R. Fruja & M. Missias (Eds.), Social studies and diversity teacher education: What we do and why we do it (pp. 288 – 291). Routledge.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Stoddard, J. (2010). The history channel effect. Phi Delta Kappan, 91 (4), 80 – 80. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172171009100420</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Stoddard, J. (2014). Teaching thoughtfully with and about film. Social Education, 78 (5), 220 – 224.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Stradling, R., Noctor, M., & Baines, B. (1984). Teaching controversial issues. Edward Arnold.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Torney-Purta, J., Lehmann, R., Oswald, H., & Schulz, W. (2001). Citizenship and education in twenty-eight countries: Civic knowledge and engagement at age fourteen. International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Wasserman, J. (2011). Learning about controversial issues in school history: The experiences of learners in KwaZulu-Natal schools. Journal of Natal and Zulu History, 29 (1), 131 – 157. https://doi.org/10.1080/02590123.2011.11964167</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Zembylas, M., & Kambani, F. (2012). The teaching of controversial issues during elementary-level history instruction: Greek-Cypriot teachers' perceptions and emotions. Theory & Research in Social Education, 40 (2), 107 – 133. https://doi.org/10.1080/00933104.2012.670591</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Zimmerman, J. (2002). Whose America? Culture wars in the public schools. University of Chicago Press.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <ref id="AN0186248851-17"> <title> Footnotes </title> <blist> <bibtext> Monument Lab provides reports on problematic and controversial monuments and public art as well as curriculum and resources for engaging in it with youth.https://monumentlab.com/.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Pogash, Carol. (2019, Apr 11).<emph>These high school murals depict an ugly history. Should they go?</emph> The New York Times.https://<ulink href="http://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/arts/design/george-washington-murals-ugly-history-debated.html,">www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/arts/design/george-washington-murals-ugly-history-debated.html,</ulink> Kalish, Jon. (2022, October 14). When murals depict traumatic history, schools must decide what stays on the walls.<emph>National Public Radio</emph>.https://<ulink href="http://www.npr.org/2022/10/14/1127843326/when-murals-depict-traumatic-history-schools-must-decide-what-stays-on-the-wall">www.npr.org/2022/10/14/1127843326/when-murals-depict-traumatic-history-schools-must-decide-what-stays-on-the-wall</ulink>.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> The three clips align with the following time stamps: 00.00 – 11.41, 20.09 – 29.33, 42.00 – 50.00. These can be adjusted to time constraints. Teachers should watch the entire film in advance of viewing it with their class.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> https://<ulink href="http://www.splcenter.org/news/2021/05/17/changing-name-and-narrative-students-lead-movement-rename-schools-honoring-confederate">www.splcenter.org/news/2021/05/17/changing-name-and-narrative-students-lead-movement-rename-schools-honoring-confederate</ulink>.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> https://<ulink href="http://www.fcps.edu/news/fcps-launches-historical-marker-project-highlight-untold-stories-countys-african-american">www.fcps.edu/news/fcps-launches-historical-marker-project-highlight-untold-stories-countys-african-american</ulink>.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> See, for example, work by local artists, including teenage artists, in Madison, WI.https://isthmus.com/arts/plywood-canvas/.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Judith L. Pace and Jeremy D. Stoddard</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref2"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib35" firstref="ref3"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib52" firstref="ref4"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib19" firstref="ref5"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib21" firstref="ref6"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref7"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref8"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib54" firstref="ref9"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib55" firstref="ref10"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib45" firstref="ref11"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref12"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib34" firstref="ref14"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib41" firstref="ref16"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref17"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib53" firstref="ref19"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl16" bibid="bib24" firstref="ref21"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl17" bibid="bib47" firstref="ref24"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl18" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref26"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl19" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref27"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl20" bibid="bib48" firstref="ref29"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl21" bibid="bib50" firstref="ref30"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl22" bibid="bib51" firstref="ref31"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl23" bibid="bib31" firstref="ref32"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl24" bibid="bib29" firstref="ref35"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl25" bibid="bib42" firstref="ref40"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl26" bibid="bib46" firstref="ref45"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl27" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref46"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl28" bibid="bib56" firstref="ref47"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl29" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref48"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl30" bibid="bib36" firstref="ref49"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl31" bibid="bib37" firstref="ref50"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl32" bibid="bib44" firstref="ref51"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl33" bibid="bib40" firstref="ref54"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl34" bibid="bib49" firstref="ref55"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl35" bibid="bib38" firstref="ref56"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl36" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref57"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl37" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref60"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl38" bibid="bib25" firstref="ref61"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl39" bibid="bib39" firstref="ref62"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl40" bibid="bib32" firstref="ref64"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl41" bibid="bib27" firstref="ref65"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl42" bibid="bib28" firstref="ref67"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl43" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref70"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl44" bibid="bib43" firstref="ref71"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl45" bibid="bib26" firstref="ref74"></nolink>
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  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: 'Town Destroyer' and Controversial Murals: Exploring Pedagogical Possibilities for Inquiry, Deliberation, and Civic Action
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  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Judith+L%2E+Pace%22">Judith L. Pace</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3364-6716">0000-0003-3364-6716</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jeremy+D%2E+Stoddard%22">Jeremy D. Stoddard</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5930-6723">0000-0001-5930-6723</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Social+Studies%22"><i>Social Studies</i></searchLink>. 2025 116(4):248-260.
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  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 13
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Descriptive
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Controversial+Issues+%28Course+Content%29%22">Controversial Issues (Course Content)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Art+Products%22">Art Products</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Painting+%28Visual+Arts%29%22">Painting (Visual Arts)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+Problems%22">Community Problems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Case+Studies%22">Case Studies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Documentaries%22">Documentaries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Inquiry%22">Inquiry</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Active+Learning%22">Active Learning</searchLink>
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  Label: DOI
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  Data: 10.1080/00377996.2024.2382816
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  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0037-7996<br />2152-405X
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: A rich international body of scholarship describes and analyzes a variety of methodologies to teach controversial issues; however, many teachers do not feel prepared for this endeavor (Bickmore & Parker, 2014; Pace, 2015, 2021). Teachers are searching for stimulating curricular-instructional resources, effective materials, and guidance for teaching students how to explore multiple perspectives on knotty questions and deliberate on solutions to problems that affect their local communities. Here we provide a case example of using a compelling documentary film as a medium for inquiring into, deliberating, and taking action on a timely and relevant issue, a debate over what to do with a controversial public art installation.This case is designed to introduce students to a process for engaging in the questions, multiple perspectives, and potential outcomes often present in controversies where a community is debating what to do with a controversial work of art. This same process could then be applied to a similar local issue. Our case includes three pedagogical methods that could be used in isolation or as part of a larger inquiry-based process that leads to informed action.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1505631
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        StartPage: 248
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      – SubjectFull: Art Products
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      – SubjectFull: Painting (Visual Arts)
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