RS: The United States is facing scandals over the spying on Americans, torture, and misleading the public into war. What can teachers do in their classrooms to help create informed, active participants in a democracy?

Zinn: The first thing teachers have to do is make a decision for themselves that they will not be obedient in staying within the boundaries that are usually set by principals, school administrators, and parent-teacher associations. The teacher has to make a decision right from the start that "I am not here just to prepare these students to pass tests so they can move ahead and become successful and take their dutiful place in society."

From the start, the teacher has to be bold and, of course, it involves taking risks. It's always risky for teachers to introduce social issues into the classroom — especially issues that are controversial, that are in the headlines — spying, torture, the war in Iraq. And yet this is something every teacher must do.

The big problem is how to do it. How to do it in a way that does not constitute running roughshod over students' feelings and opinions, how to do it in a way that engages students in a dialogue that raises questions rather than simply bursting out initially with answers. Raising the questions is probably the most important thing a teacher can do. "How do you feel about this? What do you think about this?" When students respond to those questions, then dialogue begins and if the questions are important ones, then what will come out of the discussions will be a very valuable education.

RS: What are some things are happening today that should be a part of the history curriculum 20 years from now?