Teaching Civic Engagement through an Op-Ed Writing Assignment

Abstract

This teaching note presents an assignment in which students write an op-ed on a course-related issue and submit it to a newspaper. I argue that an op-ed assignment dovetails with pedagogical goals around democratic citizenship and public sociology. I explain the project’s objectives, instructions, and timeline. I present evidence from three courses showing that the assignment fostered understanding of op-eds’ form and function; deepened engagement with course-related issues; led many class members to apply their learning to a real-world civic setting; and generated high-quality work. I consider ways the project can be modified and used in other courses.