Recently, my political science class participated in the Civic Star Challenge. Jumping off the iCivics Enlightenment Mini-Lesson, we took on the idea of natural rights. Now I admit that, as with many civics concepts, the subject can come across as very dry. But after defining the Lockean approach, I threw it to the students: “What does it mean to be free?”

It’s a question teenagers are rarely asked.

I’m lucky to engage in spirited discussion with my adult colleagues. Fun fact: I’m also a graduate of Hazard High School. And I remember what it’s like to be sitting in class, thinking about where I might fit into my town and the world beyond. I was able to push my students to consider this, as well, using the iCivics graphic organizer and reflection activities (log in to view these resources). This mindset proved key to getting them talking.

“What does the right to life, liberty, and property mean to you?”

One student immediately focused on healthcare: “If we have the right to life, then doesn’t that mean we also have a right to healthcare?” Another identified the Second Amendment: “Liberty means that I have the right to my firearms, right?” (We live in rural Kentucky, and hunting is a popular pastime, of course!)

Pretty soon, the students were discussing the topic like the philosophers of the Enlightenment. Sure, the vocabulary was different. But there was something kindred in the spirited exchange of ideas. I reminded them that all the great figures across time and history were, on one level, just regular people—regular people who went on to do extraordinary things.

When we treat politics as if it were a sport and become obsessed with crushing the other side, it can become easy to lose sight of the fact that we are all living, breathing humans worthy of dignity and respect. We’re a school of just 300 students, and each one has so much heart. If something happens within our community, the response is all hands on deck. Bobby Jo from down the street may have a different political opinion from you, but she’s your neighbor, and she will bring you an apple pie when you get sick. We may have different opinions, but we can still care about each other. We have to hold both of those things at once. My students have shown me that they are eminently capable of that.