Lesson Plan: Does It Matter if We Participate in Representative Government? A Socratic Seminar

SUBJECTS

U.S. Government, Civics, U.S. History

GRADE LEVEL

6-8

OBJECTIVES

In this lesson, students participate in a Socratic seminar to discuss and defend the importance of participating in representative government. Students will take a position on the importance of participating in government, articulate views on the importance of participating in government and defend arguments, and successfully participate in a Socratic seminar.

LESSON PLAN

Class 1

Introduce format of Socratic seminar if students have not conducted before-Students will be divided into inner circle and outer circle. Inner circle discusses focus questions (see below). Outer circle observes inner circle. After half class is over, circles switch so that all students have chance to participate in discussion. For this discussion, outer circle will take notes on how many times inner circle participants defend their ideas with specific examples.
Explain goals of seminar:

(1) Have students lead the discussion (teachers should stay out as much as possible!)

(2) Hear and voice different opinions

(3) Have a respectful conversation (try to avoid hand-raising-give students the chance to practice normal conversation skills!)

(4) Include all members of the circle in the discussion (i.e., give everyone a chance to talk)

Post Plato quote where all can see or pass out handouts with quote on:"The punishment of wise men who refuse to take part in the affairs of government is to live under the government of unwise men."

Focus questions for Socratic seminar: What does this quote mean? Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Why? What does it mean to participate in representative government? What are the different ways citizens can participate? What are advantages and disadvantages to participating? What would happen if citizens did not participate? How important is it to participate in representative government? Begin discussion.

Leave time in between switching circles to debrief how first circle did in terms of defending their ideas and overall quality of discussion. Repeat after second circle has discussed.

RESOURCES

Quote from Plato (either printed on paper for students or on board): The punishment of wise men who refuse to take part in the affairs of government is to live under the government of unwise men.

CREDIT

Hilary G. Conklin

Print This Page

Research Grants | Congress in the Classroom

Explore The Websuite

The Dirksen Congressional Center Gateway
- A point of entry to The Dirksen Center's suite of Web sites.
  
  Continue
The Dirksen Center
- Helping People Better Understand the U.S. Congress, its people, its processes, and the public policies it produces.
  
  Continue
Robert H. Michel: U.S. Congressman
- Robert Henry "Bob" Michel - An American Republican Party politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives for 38 years
  
  Continue
AboutGovernment
- Links to more than 50 sites about the U.S. Congress, four major search engines, and to a handful of sites about the federal government more generally.
  
  Continue
Congress for Kids
- Gives students access to interactive, fun-filled experiences designed to help them learn about the foundation of our federal government and how its actions affect you.
  
  Continue
Communicator
- A monthly e-newsletter to stay current about changes to the other Dirksen Center sites, to learn about classroom uses of the information posted on them, and to hear about Dirksen Center news.
  
  Continue

Congressional Timeline

The Congressional Timeline developed and maintained by The Dirksen Congressional Center, arrays more than 550 of the nation's laws on a timeline beginning in 1933 and continuing to the present. A second timeline "band" depicts major political events of the period as a way to provide context for Congress's law-making...More

73rd Congress: March 9, 1933 - June 18, 1934

73rd Congress: March 9, 1933, to June 18, 1934

A meeting of the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. The first session of Congress, known as the "Hundred Days," took place before the regular seating and was called by President Roosevelt specifically to pass two acts. March 9, 1933, The Emergency Banking Act...More

74th Congress: January 3, 1935 - June 20, 1936

The Soil and Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act allowed the government to pay farmers to reduce production so as to conserve soil, prevent erosion, and accomplish other minor goals. It was a piece of legislation passed in response to the Supreme Court's declaration....More

75th Congress: January 5, 1937 - June 16, 1938

In 1938 the Civil Aeronautics Act transferred federal responsibilities for non-military aviation from the Bureau of Air Commerce to a new, independent agency, the Civil Aeronautics Authority. The legislation also gave the authority the power to regulate airline fares and to determine...More

76th Congress: January 3, 1939 - January 3, 1941

On November 4, 1939, the Neutrality Act of 1939 was passed, allowing for arms trade with belligerent nations on a cash and carry basis, thus in effect ending the arms embargo. ...More

77th Congress: January 3, 1941, to December 16, 1942

The Lend-Lease Act was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of the European war in September 1939, but six months before the U.S. entrance into the war in December 1941. It was called An Act Further to Promote the Defense of the United States...More

View More:

Dirksen Center Special Projects

Dirksen Center Special Projects is a series of multi-media projects rich in Web-based resources on a variety of topics from civil rights to editorial cartoons. We have posted them where it makes sense within our Web suite. But as the suite has grown, we suspect it has become more difficult to find these special projects.

To make them stand out, we have created the Dirksen Center Special Projects web page to host links to all our special projects listed below.

CongressLink

About CongressLink

Today's Congress

Congress: The Basics

Congress: Teaching It