Setting the Stage: Lesson Introduction

1. Share the following quote from author and activist Terry Tempest Williams, which begins the essay they will read from Parker Palmer. Invite a discussion with students about the meaning and message of this passage.

2. Ask students: What do you think Tempest means by “The human heart is the first home of democracy”?

Engaging with the Story

1. Tell students that Parker Palmer, the author of the essay they will read—“Five Habits to Heal the Heart of Democracy”—is an activist who focuses on education, leadership, and social change. The essay explores attitudes and values that have the potential to support and nurture a healthy democracy. (Note: Introduce students to the work of Parker Palmer, which can be found in the Background section.)

2. Organize students into five small groups. Assign each group one of the “five habits of the heart” described in the essay.

3. Ask students to read the essay “Five Habits to Heal the Heart of Democracy.” Provide them with this note-taking sheet and ask them to write down their thoughts and observations about the one “habit of the heart” they are exploring in their assigned groups.

Delving Deeper: Discussion Questions

1. Use the following questions to help students unpack the essay:

   • In the first paragraph, Palmer writes that the “future of our democracy is threatened.” Name the three attitudes or behaviors that Palmer describes are at the root of this threat. (Answers include: Falling under the spell of money, faction, and fear.)
   • How does Palmer describe the linguistic relationship between heart and courage? (Both words share the Latin root, cor, which means “heart.” Therefore, courage refers to speaking or acting from the heart.)
   • Palmer writes, “If I were asked for two words to summarize the habits of the heart American citizens need in response to twenty-first-century conditions, I would choose chutzpah and humility.” The word chutzpah can be defined as “having audacity, or the willingness to take bold risks,” while humility can be defined as “living with humbleness.” Do you agree with Palmer? Why or why not? What two words would you choose to summarize the habits of the heart?

2. As a class, explore the “five habits of the heart” using the following prompts. Tell students they will watch short two-minute videos from the Center of Courage and Renewal. Each video features Palmer describing one of the five habits. Throughout the classroom conversation, ask students to refer to the observations from their note-taking sheets and call upon students from their assigned groups.

   Habit #1: “We’re All in This Together”

   • Watch the video clip We’re All in This Together.
   • In the essay and in the video, what kinds of thinkers or thought leaders does Palmer mention?
   • In what ways do they support the theme We are all in this together?

   Habit #2: “An Appreciation of Otherness”

   • Watch the video clip An Appreciation of Otherness.
   • What is “otherness”? Define “otherness” in your own words. 
   • "I have more to learn from those who are different from me than I do from those who are like me,” said Palmer. In what ways do we learn more from others who are different from us?

   Habit #3: “An Ability to Hold Tension in Life-Giving Ways”

   • Watch the video clip A Capacity to Hold Tension Creatively.
   • How does Palmer describe “tension”?
   • Describe a situation or moment you’ve witnessed that was full of tension or conflict either in the world or in your own life. (Examples could be a disagreement or witnessing something that makes you uncomfortable in the news.)
   • How might it be possible to hold tension in creative ways? What benefits does creativity, such as music or art for example, offer as a way through challenging times?

   Habit #4: “A Sense of Voice and Agency”

   • Watch the video clip A Sense of Voice and Agency.
   • How does Palmer define “voice” and “agency”? (Answers include: Palmer defines “voice” as “things I want to say to my community” and “agency” as “I have the power to do that” and “help bring some of those visions into reality.”)
   • In the video, Palmer said that we need to switch from being an “audience in democracy to a participant in democracy.” What is the difference between an “audience” versus a “participant”  in democracy? 

   Habit #5: “A Capacity to Create Community” 

   • Watch the video clip A Capacity to Create Community.
   • In the video, in what ways does Palmer describe the benefits and impacts of creating community? 
   • “We must all become gardeners of community if we want democracy to flourish,” writes Palmer. In his essay, Palmer supports the view that there are “local venues" in which the heart gets “formed.” What are these local venues? (Answers include families, neighborhoods, classrooms, congregations, voluntary associations, workplaces, and the various places of public life where “the company of strangers” gather.)
   • Identify one “local venue” in your own life that has impacted your experience of civic participation. How might a particular place encourage the development of your own ideals, attitudes, values, and habits?

3. Ask students: Are there any values or habits that you would add to Palmer’s list? If so, what are they? How might they contribute to a healthy democracy? Can you think of a leader or person in your life you think demonstrates each of the habits well?

Reflecting and Projecting

1. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the second woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice, and she served from 1993 until her death in 2020. She was committed not to winning or losing based on her own beliefs, but to advocating for a healthier democracy. She used her right to disagree or dissent when the court was not voting in favor of protection of basic humans rights. An advocate for equal rights for women during her lifetime, before she was on the Supreme Court, she lead groundbreaking cases including: women’s right to have a mortgage, a bank account, and a job without being discriminated because of one’s sex. As a result of her advocacy work for fair rights for women, she has become an iconic figure for democracy. When asked, “What do you think is the biggest threat to our democracy?,” she responded, “A public that doesn’t care about the rights we have.” Conduct research to learn more about Ginsburg’s life and how her history on the Supreme Court has shaped the rights of men and women today. How did she influence democracy and human rights? In what ways was she working to protect our democracy? Share your findings in a visual or oral presentation.

2. Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who participated in bus trips throughout the South to protest segregation during the Civil Rights Movement. They took Freedom Rides, or bus trips, throughout the American South, to call attention to segregated bus terminals, restaurants, and restrooms. Glenda Gaither Davis, a Freedom Rider, reflected on her experiences when she said, "Even though we came from many different places and we had many different cultures and many different home environments ... we were very much unified because we had a common cause and we were all moving in that direction, and we did believe in what we were doing. We knew that we had taken a stand." Watch this short video, The Movement: A Short Film from Freedom Riders (4 minutes). How did the Freedom Riders use their voice? In what ways did they take action for the greater good? Write two paragraphs to respond to these questions. Use a quote from the film and include one example that you have witnessed, either in your own life, in a story, or in the news in which a person or a group took action for the greater good.

What’s Happening Now

1. Stacey Abrams, an American politician, has worked to help organize voters in the state of Georgia. She is an advocate for equal and fair voting rights, and she wants to ensure everyone has an equal chance to vote. Read about Abrams in the following article: Stacey Abrams and Other Georgia Organizers Are Part of a Long—But Often Overlooked—Tradition of Black Women Working for the Vote. How is Abrams working to continue to heal democracy? What “habit of the heart” do you think she exhibits most? 

2. On January 6, 2021, an attack took place on the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. This attack interrupted the official count of the 2020 electoral college votes. Ultimately, by the morning of January 7, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were confirmed as the next President and Vice President. Palmer writes, “It was we the people, calling this democracy into being, and it’s my sense that it is we the people that need to call it back to its purpose and most significant goals.” How are we responsible as citizens for nurturing our democracy? What do you think Palmer is asking citizens to do?