Educating 21st century students to participate in reasoned, civil discourse is a moral imperative. A strong democracy depends upon the ability of its citizens to hear and consider opposing views, to view others as partners rather than adversaries, to cooperate and compromise when addressing important issues, to collaborate in order to accomplish shared goals and solve problems, and to communicate skillfully and respectfully as a means of consensus building. These democratic habits of thought and behavior are unlikely to develop without careful, intentional nurturing. Teachers must create democratic classrooms in which students learn how to develop effective and respectful relationships, how to think critically about diverse ideas, how to make reasonable and ethical choices, and how to communicate civilly with those whose understandings or opinions differ from theirs. This article proposes a framework for creating such a classroom and suggests approaches which reinforce democratic principles and promote civil discourse.