How does Democracy work?
Unit Two of The Academy is all about role playing. Rather than reading and memorizing the dry facts of how different democracies function, in these two lessons students get the opportunity to live out simplified versions of direct and representative democracy. In our experience, students may be a bit shy about diving in at first, especially if role play is not a typical part of their learning environment. However, if the educator stays committed and enthusiastic, students are soon completely immersed in trying to pass the legislation that they want to see happen, and some really remarkable learning experiences can emerge.
Make sure to save time to allow for a robust class discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of ancient Athenian and early US democracy before delivering the important caveats that in each state only a very small fraction of people could actually vote. The sting of this final reveal will provide plenty of momentum for starting the next unit of The Academy.
