Adults in the United States have been migrating to ideologically homogenous communities, a phenomenon that researchers have called "the big sort." Thus, the need for young Americans to engage in civil discussion of controversial issues has never been greater. Public schools are an ideal place to undo the big sort because controversial issues fit naturally into school subjects like social studies and because schools often feature more religious, social, and ideological diversity than other settings. Hess describes what she's learned about how teachers can skillfully arrange for respectful discussions in average classrooms through 10 years of observing U.S. social studies teachers who do so. Key practices that foster great discussion include ensuring that most students work with one another early in the school year; preparing students about the relevant issues before any debate; explicitly teaching skills for respectful interchange; establishing rules; and modeling respectful demeanor.