Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints
Document Type
Voices from the Field
Abstract
This article presents a three-part lesson plan designed to help students develop civil discourse skills through emotional self-regulation, value exploration, and structured debate. Drawing inspiration from Alaa Al-Musalli’s work on “Unteaching Divisive Argumentation,” the lesson introduces students to the emotional dynamics of disagreement, the ethical diversity that underlies opposing viewpoints, and the practice of respectful argumentation. The culminating activity—a classroom debate over a fictitious local law regulating electric bikes and scooters—invites students to reflect on how tone, listening, and self-awareness affect discourse. Integrating media literacy, the lesson concludes with a discussion of memes and online bias, prompting students to evaluate information sources critically. This approach offers educators a concise, flexible model for cultivating empathy, perspective-taking, and civic reasoning in the classroom.
Recommended Citation
Davis, G. (2026). Civil Discourse: A 3-part Lesson Plan with Media Literacy Connections. Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/jmle-preprints/55
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
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