Development

*modied from IMYC

Long lasting changes develop over time.

The study of history is intrinsically concerned with the process of change - and how these changes affect countries, societies and individuals. In some cases, there is a clearly identifiable turning point, whereby tangible changes are evident as an immediate consequence of an event, a discovery or a decision. More often, however, meaningful changes come about slowly, even unconsciously. Long lasting change may not have been initially apparent in the lives of the people in the past; nonetheless, historians can discern significant small steps over time which, collectively, lead to fundamental political, social and economic shifts in ideas, attitudes and beliefs. In this unit, students will analyse the development of democracy since its origins in Ancient Athens. First, they will define democracy as it existed in the 5th century BCE. They will then look at the reasons for the decline of democracy. By studying the gradual changes made to the English political system from the Middle Ages to the present day, they will then identify the steps that contributed to the re-emergence of modern democracy. They will then compare a modern democracy to the Ancient Athenian system, exploring areas of continuity and difference, and the central ideas of democracy as a political model. Finally, students will consider the future of democracy; what developments may take place in light of the demands of todays and tomorrows electorate. They will also consider the possibilities for greater public participation in politics, through the technology we have available now and, potentially, will have in the future.

Development

Long lasting change takes place slowly over time.

A unit for 8th graders

History - Task I
Learning Goals:

*modied from IMYC

4.2 Know that the study of history is concerned with the past in relation to the present 4.6 Be able to use historical terms associated with the periods they have studied 4.18 Develop an understanding for how contradicting views of power, morality and religion lead to local and global cooperation and conicts

Activating Knowledge & Basic Inquiry:

Read students this famous extract from the US Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to eect their Safety and Happiness. The full text of the Declaration of Independence is available here: http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/ Now, play the class the video below and then ask them to spend some time going through the interactive timeline, to familiarise themselves with the events of the Arab Spring: Syrian protest song (in English), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHxheejpgrY, with footage and images from the Syrian revolution. Arab Spring: Interactive Timeline of Middle East Protests: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2011/mar/
22/middle-east-protest-interactive-timeline

Ask students to give their responses to these two sources. Ask them: What basic rights are being fought for in each case? Why are they so important to those who demand them? How do the rebels in each case envisage that their goals can be achieved? Now show students the following websites, which give estimates of the number of casualties sustained during each of these revolutions: http://www.redcoat.me.uk/battles.htm: Table showing the death toll of the US Patriots (rebels), British/ Loyalist troops and the allies of both sides during the American War of Independence. http://www.usnews.com/news/slideshows/death-toll-of-arab-spring: A country-by-country death toll of the Arab Spring, including civilians. Explain to students that, at the time of writing, ghting was still ongoing, and so the gures may have risen since.

Analysis:

In a class discussion, ask students to give their thoughts on the following question: Why have people throughout history been willing to die, ghting for freedom? Note the key ideas from the discussion on the board. Explain to students that, for many people, freedom is only possible in a democracy. Show students the following description of the central features of a modern, liberal democracy which are designed to guarantee freedom: http://www.democracy-building.info/denition-democracy.html (Denition and characteristics of democracy. The section entitled Democracy Key Elements will be the most useful for this activity.)

Development

Long lasting change takes place slowly over time.

A unit for 8th graders

Have students discuss and analyze an assigned question with classmates and then share with the class: Why are each of the components (free and fair elections, multiple political parties, free press) of a liberal democracy important? What are the consequences of not having each one of the components? Is the political system of your own (or another) country worth ghting and maybe dying for? Tell the students that there are alternatives to democracy. What are they and what is their value to people who live under these governments? Give students the following terms and denitions: Democracy rule of the people Dictatorship absolute rule by one person, who has usually taken power by force Oligarchy rule of the few Discuss the denitions with these questions: Are there any connections between the denitions? Which term describes the country that they live in? Which term describes the school and their own home? Which systems of government would people ght and die for?

*modied from IMYC

Application/Recording Activity:

On the wall (a massive sheet of art paper) students should collaborate in teams and produce a mind map to explore the value of democracy. They should consider the importance of democracy to: Them as individuals now Them in the future as adults with a vote Their family Their community Their country and its interaction with other countries Democracy is the system of government which is now widely perceived to be the best political solution, despite there being alternatives. This is especially true after the fall of a dictator; we can see the process of introduction of democracy in Iraq, for example. This unit will focus on how our understanding of democracy has changed over time.

[Verbal-Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Interpersonal Intelligences]

Development

Long lasting change takes place slowly over time.

A unit for 8th graders

History - Task II
Learning Goals:
4.1 Know the characteristic features of particular periods and societies 4.3 Know the history of the periods being studied 4.4 Know about the ideas, beliefs, attitudes and experiences of people in the past 4.5 Know about the social, cultural, religious and ethnic diversity of the periods studied 4.7 Be able to enquire into historical questions and their eects on peoples lives

*modied from IMYC

Activating Knowledge & Basic Inquiry:

Introduce students to Ancient Greece and Athens, the birthplace of democracy, using the following website: Greek history, empire, democracy and decline. Tell the students that the purpose of this task is to answer the following two questions: Democracy means rule of the people. Who were the people in Ancient Athens? What did democracy mean in the 5th century BCE? Students should take notes and highlight important points, information, knowledge in whatever way ts them best. Dierentiation and scaolding for note taking should be remembered.

Analysis Activity:

Make a set of cards, one for each student in the class, each printed with a gure representing a subgroup of Ancient Greek society. Of the total number of cards, 20% (therefore six in a class of 30 students) should be characters who would have been eligible to vote in the Athenian democracy, i.e. adult men who paid taxes and had completed military service (5 cards), or an individual who had been paid a special service to the Athenian state - for example Teres and Cersobleptes, rulers of the allied state, Thrace (1 card). The remaining 80% of cards should represent one of the following groups of people who could not vote: Women Slaves Freed slaves Athenians living outside Athens Other Greeks living in Athens Non-Greeks living in Athens Criminals Children Idiots who chose not to participate in pol. activity were denied citizenship for the future Men without two Athenian parents. A male citizen who married a non- Athenian woman precluded his sons from citizenship Ask students to select one card each and then to decide by standing on either side of the classroom: Firstly, whether the gure on their card, or its equivalent, would be allowed to vote in a modern democratic country Secondly, whether their character was allowed to vote in Ancient Athens Emphasise to students that the majority of the people living in Athens were excluded from the democracy. How did the c.20% of the population of Ancient Athens rule in their democracy?

Development

Long lasting change takes place slowly over time.

A unit for 8th graders

Research Activity:

*modied from IMYC

The following website describes the way in which democracy operated in Athens: A brief outline of Athenian democracy. Based on the information on the site above, students will complete the following table:

Who took part? Assembly Council of 500 Juries?

For how long?

What did they do?

When did they meet?

Recording Activity:

Students will write an introductory leaet, utilizing a Word Processing program, to describe Athenian democracy for a new citizen, preparing for participation in political life for the rst time. The instructions should give the new citizen all the information they would need to fulll their obligations where they need to go, when, what to expect and what to do. The guide should include the following: Reference to the criteria for participation Responsibilities of participation

[Verbal-Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical Intelligences]

Development

Long lasting change takes place slowly over time.

A unit for 8th graders

History - Task III

Learning Goals:

*modied from IMYC

4.1 Know the characteristic features of particular periods and societies 4.3 Know the history of the periods being studied 4.4 Know about the ideas, beliefs, attitudes and experiences of people in the past 4.6 Be able to use historical terms associated with the periods they have studied 4.7 Be able to enquire into historical questions and their eects on peoples lives 4.16 Be able to describe how certain aspects of the past have been represented and interpreted in dierent ways

Activating Prior Knowledge, Inquiry & Analysis:

What were the practical problems with Athenian democracy? In Ancient Athens, solutions to problems were decided by the Boule, the Council of 500, made up of 50 men from each of the 10 tribes of Athens. Once proposed, the issue at hand could not be changed, and a solution must be agreed by majority vote. Propose a problem that the students need to solve by weighing up alternative solutions in the same way as the Assembly in Ancient Athens. This could be that parents have complained about the amount of homework being set by teachers. The Boule must decide whether to uphold the complaint and ban, or at least limit homework, or to consider why so much homework is set to help students prepare for assessments. Give the students the rules for the process of decision-making: The agenda cannot be changed People with an opinion can speak to the rest of the class Everyone eligible to vote must attend for a decision to be made The vote will be taken 10 minutes after the end of the lesson Students should facilitate the discussion without intervention from you. End the discussion by announcing that the nal vote will be taken later, at a point when it is purposefully inconvenient or impossible for some students.

Recording Activity:

As a class compile a spider diagram to answer the following question: What were the practical problems with Athenian democracy in action? Ask students to think about whose opinions dominated during their own discussion, and why. Simply having the condence to speak is important, but the social dynamics of the group will also aect the way in which the debate is conducted. Key considerations include: What were the problems with the timing of the vote? Would every Athenian citizen be able to give up so much time for political participation (40 times a year)? Who might opt out of this system? [Verbal-Linguistic Intelligences]
Development Long lasting change takes place slowly over time. A unit for 8th graders

History - Task IV
Learning Goals:

*modied from IMYC

4.1 Know the characteristic features of particular periods and societies 4.3 Know the history of the periods being studied 4.4 Know about the ideas, beliefs, attitudes and experiences of people in the past 4.6 Be able to use historical terms associated with the periods they have studied 4.8 Be able to describe how the countries studied have responded to the conicts, social changes, political changes and economic developments that represent their history 4.10 Be able to describe and identify the causes for and the results of historical events, situations and changes in the periods they have studied 4.14 Be able to select and record information relevant to a historical topic 4.16 Be able to describe how certain aspects of the past have been represented and interpreted in dierent ways 4.18 Develop an understanding for how contradicting views of power, morality and religion lead to local and global cooperation and conicts

Activating Prior Knowledge, Inquiry & Analysis:

What arguments were used against democracy in Ancient Athens? There were not only practical problems with Athenian democracy in terms of managing the Assembly and securing decisions, but also criticisms from important gures in Ancient Greece. Their views would inuence their contemporaries and political thinkers for centuries to come. Give students a sheet of paper with the following quote from Plato in the middle: A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers. Ask students to work in groups and to consider what Plato might mean by this statement. Ask each group to paraphrase the statement, with reference to democracy. Compare sentences between the groups. The following questions could be used to prompt their discussion: Could anyone be a doctor or captain a ship? (Or design a house, or repair an aeroplane engine...?) Is everyone equally able to make decisions? If people are not equally able to make decisions, how would you tell who can make a decision? Why might Plato, who lived in Athens, have been against democracy? Take a look at the case study of Athenian judgment on the city of Mytilene during the Peloponnesian War, in 428BCE, on the following site, using the link to Mytilene A Matter of Life and Death Depending on scaolding have the students read and complete the following table to describe the sequence of events as the story of Mytilene unfolds and the role of the Athenian people en masse and Kleon and Diodotus: Event Role of the people? Role of the Individual?

Development

Long lasting change takes place slowly over time.

A unit for 8th graders

Ask students the following questions: How important were the Athenian people in determining the fate of the people of Mytilene? How important were individuals in determining the fate of the people of Mytilene? In what way could this story be used to demonstrate the limitations of democracy in Athens?

*modied from IMYC

Explain to students that both Kleon and Didotus are examples of a demagogue: someone who could persuade the citizens to vote in one way or another. The original decision to punish even the women and children of Mytilene was an example of the kind of mob decision which Plato believed the masses would always make, not having the intelligence to listen to reason but instead following their baser instincts or emotions.

Application/Recording Activity:

Students will write a speech for an opponent of democracy to deliver to the Assembly in favour of an alternative form of government a return to oligarchy, for example. Their speech should include both the practical and philosophical problems with the Athenian model of democracy. [Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence]

Development

Long lasting change takes place slowly over time.

A unit for 8th graders

History - Task V
Learning Goals:

*modied from IMYC

4.3 Know the history of the periods being studied 4.4 Know about the ideas, beliefs, attitudes and experiences of people in the past 4.8 Be able to describe how the countries studied have responded to the conicts, social changes, political changes and economic developments that represent their history 4.10 Be able to describe and identify the causes for and the results of historical events, situations and changes in the periods they have studied 4.11 Be able to describe and make links between the main events, situations and changes both within and across periods 4.15 Be able to place the events, people and changes in the periods they have studied into a chronological framework

Inquiry & Analysis:

Tell students that Plato was to dominate political thinking in the Western world from the 5th century BCE until the 19th century; democratic ideas were seen as radical and potentially dangerous. However, features of our modern democracies around the world, which are based on a representative system, with free and fair elections, multiple political parties and mechanisms for checks and balances of power, can be seen emerging from the Middle Ages onwards. How did democracy develop in England? Give students a copy of the article, General Election 2010: the history of British democracy, which describes the evolution of democracy in England since 1215 and the signing of the Magna Carta. Using two colors, students will highlight the article to identify the following: Developments that included more people in Englands democracy Developments that created features of modern democracies that we can see today As a class, discuss the following questions: Which events led to the biggest increase in the numbers of people included in the political system? Which measures helped to create the stability of a modern liberal democracy? What were the most signicant events leading to development of democracy?

Application/Recording Activity:

Students should now create a graph showing the important steps and changes which helped create a modern representative democracy in England since the decline of democracy in the Ancient World. The graph should depict the passing of time on the x axis and numbers of people included in the political system on the y axis. Each date recorded on the x axis should be explained in additional notes below the graph.

[Verbal-Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical Intelligences]

Development

Long lasting change takes place slowly over time.

A unit for 8th graders

*modied from IMYC

History - Task VI
Learning Goals:
4.2 Know that the study of history is concerned with the past in relation to the present 4.4 Know about the ideas, beliefs, attitudes and experiences of people in the past 4.5 Know about the social, cultural, religious and ethnic diversity of the periods studied 4.11 Be able to describe and make links between the main events, situations and changes both within and across periods 4.12 Be able to describe how the history of the countries studied aects the lives of the people who live now. 4.15 Be able to place the events, people and changes in the periods they have studied into a chronological framework 4.18 Develop an understanding for how contradicting views of power, morality and religion lead to local and global cooperation and conicts

Research, Inquiry & Analysis:

What are the similarities and dierences between ancient and modern democracy? Ask students to read the article below and compare the core features of Athenian and modern democracy. The Democracy Experiment an article from the BBC website, by a prominent historian. Once they have familiarized themselves with the ideas, students should gather supplies premade by the teacher that has facts about Ancient Athens and Modern Democracy. There should be enough for three - four groups to work at once. The facts should be answers these questions: Who votes? For what do those eligible vote? How often do parties meet? What is representation like? Who was excluded? What were the branches of government? How were the populations represented in their government? The questions should focus on scale, participation, eligibility, representation Using an empty space in the room (wall, desks, oor) students should create a T-Chart and place the fact in the appropriate column, like so: The activity should be clocked at 1 - 2 mins to see who nishes fastest. Ancient Athens Male Citizens Juries of 501 - 1501 Modern Democracy All citizens Jury of up to 14

In a circle discussion informally discuss, letting all students speak: What are the most signicant dierences between Ancient and modern democracy? In what ways has the idea of democracy stayed the same?

Development

Long lasting change takes place slowly over time.

A unit for 8th graders

Application/Recording Activity:

*modied from IMYC

Students will produce a Venn diagram, illustrating dierences between Athenian and modern, representative democracy, as well as similarities, in the overlapping area of the diagram. Students should blog or journal considering the development of democracy from Ancient Greece until the present day. This process has taken thousands of years; how does this reect the idea that long lasting changes take place slowly over time? [Verbal-Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical Intelligences]

Development

Long lasting change takes place slowly over time.

A unit for 8th graders

*modied from IMYC

History - Task VII

Learning Goals:
4.2 Know that the study of history is concerned with the past in relation to the present 4.11 Be able to describe and make links between the main events, situations and changes both within and across periods 4.12 Be able to describe how the history of the countries studied aects the lives of the people who live now.

Research, Inquiry & Analysis:

Winston Churchill claimed that the best argument against democracy is a ve minute conversation with the average voter. This suggests that Platos suspicion of most peoples ability to make a good decision lingered until (at least) the 20th century. However, Churchill also famously said that, democracy is the worst form of government except all others that have been tried. What are the strengths and weaknesses of representative democracy today and how could democracy develop in the future? Based on the description of representative democracy used for Task 6 and the stimulus statements below, ask students to consider the following questions in groups. Each group will start the discussion based on a dierent question: How often do people vote in a representative democracy? What happens if their representative makes a decision that the voter doesnt support? Are politicians really representatives of the people or could they have their own opinions and prejudices? How do voters know they can trust them? Who persuades voters to vote? Are there demagogues in modern politics? Can you buy an election victory? What role does the media play? A representative can win an election with 51% of the vote. This means that there would be almost as many people 49% - who voted against them. If there were three people standing for election and the votes were almost equally divided, a politician could win with just 34% of the votes, with 66% of votes against them. Is it fair that s/he is given power? If political parties and potential representatives want to win an election, will they always make decisions that are right, or just ones that are popular?

Stimulus statements:

In a representative democracy, a voter can wait years before being able to vote out his chosen representative. Women are consistently underrepresented in modern politics, as are those without higher education, professional qualications and people from ethnic minorities. When a newspaper changes sides during an election campaign, the readership tends to change sides as well. Some political parties argue for a limit to the amount of money that can be spent on election campaigns.

Development

Long lasting change takes place slowly over time.

A unit for 8th graders

Based on discussion feedback, compile a class table to describe both the strengths and weaknesses of modern democracy. Ask each group to report on their discussion and summarize their ideas. Use the following table to organize the students responses: Feature of modern democracy
Regular elections.

*modied from IMYC

Strength

Weakness

Governments are held accountable There can be years between and unpopular representatives can elections, giving representatives a be voted out. long time to make unpopular decisions before they can be voted out.

Ask the students to consider the following questions: Is direct democracy possible with the technology we have available now, or could have in the future? Could a re-emergence of direct democracy address the weaknesses of modern representative democracies? What kinds of changes could be introduced to improve democracy, and what would help these changes to be long-lasting?

Application/Recording Activity:

Students use their research to prepare and participate in a debate around the proposition: This class believes that representative democracy is the best form of government for the modern world. Divide the class in two one half for and the other against the proposition. Give students their own copy of the table compiled through class discussion, for individual preparation. Conduct the debate and conclude with a (democratic) vote. In conclusion, discuss the following questions: Despite the problems with democracy, why is it still the form of government that the Western world strives for? Why have attitudes towards democracy changed over time? Why did the modern concept of democracy develop so slowly? [Verbal-Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical Intelligences]

Development

Long lasting change takes place slowly over time.

A unit for 8th graders

*modied from IMYC

History - Journal Questions

These questions should be journaled or blogged about during the unit for students to keep track of their understanding of the big idea.
Why are some people prepared to ght and die for democracy? How democratic was Ancient Athens by todays standards? Why did people oppose democracy in Ancient Greece? Do you recognise anti- democratic arguments today? Why did democracy develop slowly over such a long period of time? Do you think that the gradual progress of democracy has brought about long-lasting change? What do you think would have happened people had tried to introduce a modern form of democracy immediately? Does long term development over time guarantee that change will be permanent?

Development

Long lasting change takes place slowly over time.

A unit for 8th graders