Welcome to
Ms. Reyna's 7th Grade Social Studies Project:
The importance of being active
citizens in the democratic process
The objective of this lesson:
By the end of the lesson each student will be able to describe the importance of citizens being actively in the democratic process. Evidence will be students creating a power point presentation describing the importance of being active citizens in the democratic process and presenting it in class.
to Ms. Reyna's Social Studies Website. This website will guide you through the process of creating your Social Studies Project on the importance of being active citizens of the democratic process. The project you will be creating with your assigned group, will help you better understand and describe the importance of participating and being responsible, knowing the rights, and the roles of citizens in our society. By the end of this project, you will understand why it is important for citizens to participate and be responsible.
Let's get Started!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Think about our society:
Imagine if our society did not have any rules citizens had to follow. Also imagine what would happen to our
society if citizens were not involved in the democratic process. How would our society look like without this process??
When you look around our society, you are able to see the citizens have roles, rights, and responsabilities. We make democratic decisions everyday and also when we participate as active citizens in the democratic process. The roles, responsabilities, and rights citizens are the ones that maintain our society together. It is important that every citizen knows the importance of being actively involved in the democratic process because that is the way our voice is heard.
Some of the roles, rights, and responsabilities of citizens are:
VOCABULARY WORDS:
voting
student government
involvement in political decision making
analyzing issues
petitioning public officials
Essential Question:What would happen if we stopped playing our roles as active citizens in the Democratic Process???????
Have you ever known someone not complying with their citizen roles in the democratic process??
Has it ever crossed your mind what would happen if citizens would not participate??
As responsible citizens what can we do when we come across a situation when someone
does not want to comply with their roles of responsible citizens????
What are some of the roles, rights, responsabilities a citizen has to follow?
Your group (approximately 3 per group) will be researching and describing the importance of citizens being actively involved in the democratic process (example: voting, student government, involvement in political decision making, analyzing issues, petitioning public officials, etc...). As a group you will also research what could happen if citizens did not actively participate in the democratic process. What would happen with our process and our society?? How will it affect us?? Your group will create a powerpoint presentation with a minimum of ten slides explaining to the class what would happen if citizens in the United States stopped participating in the political process. Your group will be presenting the powerpoint to the class about your research and the importance of participating in our society, what your group thinks will happen if our citizens did not participate. At the end of the presentation, your group will be graded based on your powerpoint presentation, and group participation. Your peers will also grade your group's presentation.
Steps for project:
START WORKING.....................
GRADING RUBRIC:
Grading Rubric for Powerpoint Presentation
Project Must include the following: |
Points Possible |
Group Participation |
___________points
Points possible 20
|
Grammar |
___________points
Points possible 20 |
Presentation is related to essential question.
Presentation gives examples of consequences of not participating in democratic process.
Presentation mentions the importance of being actively involved in the democratic process. Maximum of ten minutes.
|
___________points
Points possible 40 |
Power point presentation has a maximum of 10 slides. Creativity of presentation. |
___________points
Points possible 20
|
Total Points
|
/100 points
|
PEER EVALUATION:
Please complete the form below to grade your peer’s presentation:
Please rate the following:
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Excellent |
Good |
Needs work |
Eye contact with the audience |
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Presentation was easy to understand |
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Group made contact with audience |
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|
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Enthusiasm of group members |
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The group seem prepared and have knowledge of the presentation |
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All group members participated in the presentation |
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Creativity of presentation |
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USEFUL LINKS AND VIDEOS THAT WILL HELP
YOU AS RESOURNCES FOR YOUR GROUP PROJECT:
LINKS:
http://www.america.gov/st/democracyhr-english/2008/May/20080609201741eaifas0.765484.html
http://stanford.edu/~ldiamond/iraq/DemocracyEducation0204.htm
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_role_of_the_people_in_a_democracy
http://www.justassociates.org/06ch%202.pdf
http://www.civiced.org/pdfs/research/BransonSpeech07111999.pdf
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/6-8/citizenship/rights.html
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/6-8/citizenship/responsibilities.html
VIDEOS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed8YLNk_nYA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn8Fp1jyok&feature=related
Social studies Standard
Seventh Grade
Strand 3: Civics/Government
Concept 4: Rights, Responsabilities, and Roles of Citizenship
PO 3: Describe the importance of citizens being actively involved in the
democratic process (i.e., voting, student government, involvement in political
decision making, analyzing issues, petitioning public officials).