They believe that a curriculum that focuses on social questions, issues and problems in the classroom is highly relevant to students' present and future experiences and is inherently more interesting than the study of abstract ideas and principles from textbooks and lectures. First, the steps of the model will be introduced, and then an example based on the model will be developed. The teacher presents the issue and gives the students selected materials to begin the initial phase of study.
Students come to some agreement on the facts, definitions, and values perceived in the materials.
During the discussion the teacher asks open-ended questions. The questions are asked not only to guide the discussion but also to initiate the reasoning processes and serious thought, as the students probe for information . In an open-ended atmosphere, the teacher uses selected methods to help students to examine their own and others' beliefs and values about the issue in question. Students are encouraged to probe value assumptions in the materials provided, to compare those values with their own, to analyze similar value conflicts, and to bring in additional materials to support varied positions and solutions.