To What Extent Was the Civil War Inevitable - Harkness Discussion

Looking to create a student-centered learning experience where students analyze important historical sources, develop critical, open-ended questions, and engage in meaningful dialogue to build a shared understanding? The Harkness Discussion, pioneered at Phillips Exeter Academy, takes the Socratic Seminar method teachers are familiar with and reduces the teacher to an observer and referee. By placing more of the onus of the discussion on students, they will take ownership of the discussion, allowing them to take the discussion down different paths to build an understanding of the focus question meaningful to them.

This discussion centers around the Civil War. Considering the growing sectional tensions in the United States, students will analyze a series of 7 key documents in preparation to discuss whether or not the Civil War was inevitable.