Democracy in the Classroom

Introduction

IES N°4 - Specific Didactics

Curriculum extra: "History: people power" - Coursebook “Insight” Pre-intermediate Student’s Book and Workbook by Wildam J. and Beddall F. 2014 – Oxford University Press.

In Argentina we are used to democracy and mostly ignore how unique of a system it is and the variety of ways to achieve the same objective: to give the common person a voice in electing a leader. Democracy is not the same in every country, and definetely not the same across eras. Read the text and answer:

  • a. Did Ancient Greece have political parties?

  • b. What do you think was the reason behind this decision?

  • c. Think of 3 things that are different in Ancient Greek democracy compared to Argentine democracy.

 

Task

The class will be divided into two teams, which we will call "parties."

  1. Name Your Party: Choose a creative name for your party.

  2. Prepare Campaign Promises: Each group must create at least 5 campaign promises about what they will do once elected.

    Example: "When we are elected, we will increase funding for the school."

  3. Write Down the 5 Best Promises: Select and note the 5 most impactful promises from your group.

Video Recording:

4. Each party must record a short video (between 20 seconds and 1 minute) where some members:

     a. Present the name of the party.

     b. Share their beliefs.

     c. State the 5 selected promises they will fulfill if they come to power.

5. Video Editing:

  • You can edit the video using Capcut or other programs, or simply record, pause, and continue recording with the next member of the party.

6. Sending the Video:

  • Send the video via WhatsApp.

Good luck with the task!

Process

Process and Resources

  1. In Groups: Study your promises and try to memorize them.

  2. Practice: Ensure you look presentable, practice pronounciation.

  3. Get Ready: Prepare for the debate.

Products

The campaign video will be uploaded via whatsapp. Watch it once the teacher checks that everyone is ready. The members of the group that filmed the video will need to prepare for questions. After the two groups watch the video, the other party can question the proposals and provide comments.

After displaying the videos:

  1. Sit down again to prepare for the public debate. A member of your team will be chosen at random as the party's candidate for the presidency.

  2. After the candidate is nominated help them memorize the party's proposals and, if possible, a short phrase or slogan that represents your party.

During the debate, they will introduce their party (e.g., "We are the Yellow Party") and decide who goes first. Then start saying their promises.

After the debate is over the candidates will sit down and the election will begin.

Black and white paper cutouts will represent each party, and the colors will be assigned at random. The candidate with the most votes wins the election and will be declared "president for a day".

Evaluation

Evaluation

In groups of 4, select a campaign promise from the video campaign of one of your members.

Talk with your group about which one is stronger and why, then evaluate.

Rubric
What to check 👍 Good (2 points) 🙂 Okay (1 point) 😐Needs Help (0 points)
Clear Speaking Easy to understand A little confusing Hard to understand
Useful for people Helps many people Helps some people Not useful
Worked Together The team worked together to write One person did most of the work One person did everything

Total: ___/6

Use English to say your opinion.

Conclusion

Conclusion

Write one short sentence that starts with:

“Today I learned that…” 

You can do this at the end of class or at home. Use simple words to say what you learned during the activity.

Example: “Today I learned that only men voted in ancient Greece”

At the end, the new president will dismiss the class

Credits

Coursebook “Insight” Pre-intermediate Student’s Book and Workbook by Wildam J. and Beddall F. 2014 –Curriculum extra - Oxford University Press.