
Café Conversations (UK)
Overview

Teaching Strategies
About This Teaching Strategy
Students need an awareness of different perspectives in order to understand past events. The Café Conversation strategy helps students practise perspective-taking by requiring them to represent a particular point of view in a small-group discussion. By engaging in a conversation with people who represent other backgrounds and experiences, students become more aware of the role that many factors (e.g. class, occupation, gender, age) play in shaping one’s attitudes and perspectives on historical events. Use the Café Conversations activity as an assessment tool or to prepare students to write an essay about a specific historical event or text.
Lesson Plans
Steps for Implementation
Teaching Note: This strategy invites students to explore a character’s perspective and to consider the value and limitations of perspective taking. When done with care and intention, considering and articulating someone else’s perspective can foster empathy and respect. However, with any perspective-taking activity, it is important that students have choice and are never asked to assume the character of a perpetrator or target of violence or oppression.
Variations
How are you planning to use this resource?
Tell Us MoreUnlimited Access to Learning. More Added Every Month.
Facing History & Ourselves is designed for educators who want to help students explore identity, think critically, grow emotionally, act ethically, and participate in civic life. It’s hard work, so we’ve developed some go-to professional learning opportunities to help you along the way.
Exploring ELA Text Selection with Julia Torres
On-Demand

Working for Justice, Equity and Civic Agency in Our Schools: A Conversation with Clint Smith
On-Demand

Centering Student Voices to Build Community and Agency
On-Demand