Subjects: Civics/government
Grade Level(s): 6-8
Time Frame: 4, 50-minute periods
Objectives [What the student should know and be able
to do at the end of the lesson]:
1.0 Overall: Students will define democracy, representative
government, republic, Congress, legislative, and citizen; identify
the United States as having a representative democracy; explain
the significance of being able to participate in government
or rule-making through representatives; explain advantages
and disadvantages of representative government; compare and
contrast decision-making by one versus by many; and create
a Venn diagram to compare and contrast decision making by one
and by many.
Bloom's Taxonomy: CongressLink lesson plans are built
around Bloom's
taxonomy. The purpose of the taxonomy is to provide a coherent
format for lessons and to make it easier for teachers to design
them according to CongressLink's standards.
2.0 Knowledge: Students define democracy, representative
government, republic, Congress, legislative, and citizen.
3.0 Understanding: Students relate above vocabulary
words to each other. Write sentences combining two words.
4.0 Application: Students model authoritative and representative
decision-making. Students participate in 2 simulations: one
with a single rule-maker, one with representative decision-making.
5.0 Analysis: Students compare and contrast rule-making
by one versus rule-making through representative government.
In groups, students discuss different rule-making processes.
Students fill in Venn diagram.
6.0 Synthesis: Students propose an alternative to rule-making
by one and formulate new class rules. Students develop a better
system of making rules than teacher making rules.
7.0 Evaluation: Students assess the significance of
being able to participate in government or rule-making through
representatives. Students write an editorial paragraph arguing
which type of rule-making is more effective and why.
Procedure/Sequence
Class 1
Present the following three rules to students. Explain that
these are new rules that will be instituted in the classroom
beginning the following day. (Adjust these "ridiculous rules" according
to your personal taste.)
1. All students must use only magenta-colored ink when writing
in class.
2. You may only speak if your name begins with "C."
3. All students' notebooks must have the teacher's name written
in silver glitter and must cover at least half of the front
side of the notebook.
Students write a journal response to these new rules. How
well do they like the rules? How well do they think they will
adjust to the rules? Break students into small groups and have
them complete "Do you like these rules" handout together.
Students present their findings to the class. Students will
most likely decide that the rules are not to their liking,
were probably made by the teacher, serve the teachers' interests,
and think that they should have some decision-making power.
Explain to students that this activity served as a simulation
of authoritarian decision-making, or government with the ideas
of only one person. Make sure to tell them that the rules are
not for real and do not have to be followed!
Class 2
Kids make rules about pen color, notebook decorating, and who
may speak in class. (or choose whatever types of rules you
can live with having students make-depending on how you like
to run your classroom and where you are in your school year,
you can spend more time on this activity and actually have
students come up with a set of classroom rules that everyone
will operate by). Explain that today the students will rewrite
the rules with their input, using a system of student representatives.
In groups, students will decide on 3 new rules their group
would like. They will select one member of their group to
be the group voter. Each group voter will speak for the group
and propose one rule to the class. These proposed rules will
be written on the board and the group voters will then vote
on 3. Group voters turn in their votes and the teacher announces
the results of the new class rules. Before they leave class,
ask students to write their reactions to the process used
today: How fair was the system we used to create rules today?
Class 3
Ask students to recall the previous 2 days' lessons. (teacher
made rules, then students made rules through representatives).
Write examples of laws made by Congress on the board: It
is illegal to make copies of copyrighted material without
permission; It is illegal to drive while intoxicated; It
is illegal for an employer to make decisions about anyone
on the basis of race, religion, sex, or ethnicity; The minimum
age for employment is 14 years old. (There are some exceptions);
Children aged 14 and 15 may not work more than 3 hours per
day during the school year. Divide students into groups and
have them complete "Are these good laws" handout together.
Have students present their work and discuss the results.
If students do not know, clarify that these laws were made
by many different Americans (ie, through representative government).
Make a class list on the board of the advantages and disadvantages
of having many people make rules. Students should add to
their lists. (Advantages: more people's ideas are represented,
people have a say. Disadvantages: takes longer, can have
disputes in decision-making process, not everyone is happy
in the end)
Class 4
Explain to students that they will be learning terminology
today that describes the concepts they have been discussing
over the past 3 days. These will be essential terms to know
to understand the representative government we live in today.
Introduce and explain "Vocabulary to know: words relating
to our government" handout to the students. They will work
with a partner to first look up and write definitions in
their own words for each term. Then, they will combine words
by writing sentences using 2 words on the perimeter of the
organizer. Model this by writing a definition for representative
government and writing a sample sentence. Once students have
completed this, they will proceed to the Evaluation: students
create a Venn diagram comparing rules made by one person
versus rules made through representative government. Using
Venn diagram, they write one paragraph explaining which system
is more effective for making laws for a nation and why.
Materials:
"Do you like these rules?" (handout)
"Are these good laws?" (handout)
"Vocabulary to know: words relating to our government" (handout)
"Venn diagram: Rules made by one…or many?" (handout)
National Standards Addressed by Lesson [based on National
Standards for Civics and Government, Center for Civic Education,
1994. Citation based on section, subsection, standard of the
document]:
5-8 Content Standards:
I. What are Civic Life, Politics and Government?
B. What are the essential characteristics of limited and unlimited
government?
1. Limited and unlimited governments
II. What are the Foundations of the American political system?
D. What values and principles are basic to American constitutional
democracy?
1. Fundamental values and principles.
V. What are the roles of the Citizen in American democracy?
E. How can citizens take part in civic life?
1. Participation in civic and political life and the attainment
of individual and public goals.
Evaluation/Assessment: See: http://www.congresslink.org/rubric/pdf
Author(s):
Hilary G. Conklin
This project is supported by a Robert H. Michel Civic Education
Grant sponsored by The Dirksen Congressional Center, Pekin, IL.
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