Straightforward Election Teaching in 2024, with Dan Hornick (Ballston Spa High School, New York)

How should secondary school teachers help their student learn about the election during this heated political moment? In this episode, Brett speaks to Dan Hornick, who teaches high school government in a politically diverse district in upstate New York. Dan shares his insights, experiences, and suggestions on teaching about elections in the current era. He also explains how to get students to develop good media literacy habits and become engaged in local civic issues. Dan brings to this discussion over two decades of classroom experience and years working in local government in various positions.

Episode Resources

New York State's Seal of Civic Readiness Site

Brett Levy's Teaching Elections Site


ESD Podcast Resources

Education for Sustainable Democracy Homepage

Brett Levy's Open-Access Research Articles

Education for Sustainable Democracy Facebook Page (Please Like!)

YouTube Channel for Education for Sustainable Democracy (Please subscribe!)


Related ESD Episodes

The Seal of Civic Readiness for High School Diplomas, with Lisa Kissinger (New York State Council for the Social Studies)

Lateral Reading & Other Media Literacy Skills, with Sarah McGrew (University of Maryland)

Teaching Elections & Modeling Political Tolerance, with Wayne Journell (University of North Carolina, Greensboro)