If modern democratic societies depend on the ability of citizens to take part in reasoned discussions with those whose opinions differ from their own, then surely it is our job as educators to develop this ability in our students. 1 Encouragingly, there is empirical evidence that such efforts can succeed and that classroom discussions, in which several sides of an issue are explored and in which students feel comfortable expressing their views, are associated with a range of positive outcomes (see Figure I). 2 And not insignificantly for teachers, students like courses that emphasise discussion. Issues related to racism or terrorism (and the intersection of the two), for example, may well provoke strong emotional responses in some parts of England as discussed in a previous article in Teaching History. 17 As in many realms of education, there are no easy answers or universal precepts for teaching controversial issues: teachers must use their professional expertise to make judgments about how best to meet students' unique needs.