IM Live Session #5: Beyond The Paper Chase: Learning from Legal Pedagogy
IM Live Session #5: Supporting Dialogue Across Difference with Normative Case Studies
In this session, Meira Levinson demonstrated how normative case studies support productive dialogue across difference about ethical challenges that arise in times of intense social and political polarization. In this particular case, which Meira uses with various education-related constituencies (e.g., teachers, students, parents, administrators), a school district faces tumult when the high school English department chair suggests making J.D. Vance’s memoir Hillbilly Elegy required summer reading as a way to bring greater ideological diversity into the curriculum.
After the demonstration, Matt Miller spoke with Meira about her approach to teaching with normative cases, and the session ended with questions from the audience. Date: October 29, 2025
Featured Faculty
Meira Levinson
Professor of Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Faculty Discussant
Matthew Miller
Senior Lecturer in Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Discussion Questions
- In this abbreviated sample lesson, Meira spends most of the small group time listening in and taking notes, which she then uses to share observations with the whole group. What are the advantages of this approach? Are there other things you value doing as the instructor while small group discussions are happening?
- Matt speaks of the many scaffolds that Meira employs (e.g., slides, worksheets, cards, table groups, name tents). Did you notice any other scaffolds in place for the session? How do you use scaffolds in your teaching?
- Matt mentions several ways that Meira seems to trust the participants. How can trusting your learners support a quality learning experience? How do you indicate your trust in learners?
- What do you see as the advantages and challenges of teaching via cases (or case-like artifacts such as news articles or videos)?
- The case Meira used was inspired by curriculum battles happening across the U.S. Where might you find inspiration for mini-cases that you could write up in the style of these normative “brief-cases”? Where might you find case-like artifacts that could be used in a similar way?