The teacher will provide readings a week ahead of time for the students to read and become familiar with.  There will be film clips and other multi media presentations to either watch ahead of time or sometimes during the class time.  

I was worried when I first taught this course that it might have concepts in it that were too much for some of the younger participants (the youngest was 8).  But, I found that the children were easily able to grasp these concepts and apply them.  The approach in this class is not to put judgment statements on any leader, government or economic system etc from the teacher.  The students themselves will be reading objective passages.  At times, they may read excerpts that recount the leader from different perspectives (for example, we will read excerpts and recollections of President Lincoln from both his supporters in the North and from the Native Americans who were required to leave their homeland.  We might look at FDR from the perspective of those Americans who benefitted from the New Deal as well as those Americans who were interned in Japanese internment camps during the war).  It is important, for this class to work effectively, that the teacher not place value statements on the leaders but allow the class to discuss and find the good and bad in each leader, to apply the social and culture context to the leader etc, and allow the students themselves to find their own conclusions.  

However, it is important to note that concepts such as the Freedom Riders and lunch counter sit ins will be presented.  As well, the facts surrounding WWII and the Holocaust will be presented.  If these are concepts which you think will be too much for your child, this class might not be a good fit.