Democracy (SE.EG 6.08)

How do we define ‘democracy’?  What forms do we see today?  How do these forms of government compare with other forms in the world?  In this unit, we will learn about forms of governments worldwide.  Exploring the impacts of science and technology on these governments, we will create our own form of government and defend our choice.

SE.EG 6.08 = Analyzes the impact of science and technology on a democratic society.
PROFICIENT = *Identifies and describes important elements in a democratic society.
• Compares and contrasts two or more countries’ political structures and explains in what ways they are similar or different with a democratic society.
Assignment: Create / adopt your own form of government.  How much political sway do you have?  How do you influence others?  Include elements of science and technology influence and control over the media (or lack of).


Example:  Oligarchy
Form of government in which power effectively rests with a small elite segment of society distinguished by royal, wealth, intellectual, family, military, or religious hegemony. The word oligarchy is from the Greek words for "few"and "rule".  Such states are often controlled by politically powerful families whose children are heavily conditioned and mentored to be heirs of the power of the oligarchy.

Athens, Greece was a form of this in the 4th century.   Athenians used the drawing of lots for selecting government officers in order to counteract what the Athenians saw as a tendency toward oligarchy in government if a professional governing class were allowed to use their skills for their own benefit.  As long as I was in the few elite, this would be my preference, since everything would benefit my own interests.

l6_seeg_608_democracy

Be sure and cite your sources on your project.

All work should be submitted digitally (by e-mail from gaggle.net account) with:
-    Your name
-    Standard#
-    Grade you expect & why (refer to the rubric)
-    What you did well / what you would change next time
-    Your work

Due:  Wednesday, December 16, 2009 to: menadelook_roxy@asdk12.org