What is Democracy?
The first unit of The Academy for American Democracy lays the foundation for the important work ahead. In these three lessons, students will learn what a government is and some of the major forms of government that existed before democracy was invented. Then, they will have the opportunity to analyze an ancient Athenian and early American text to determine the definition of the word democracy and what sets it apart from other government systems.
This first unit is also critical for setting the tone of The Academy for your students. The suggested changes to the classroom and optional costuming are recommended because in our experience even simple transformative gestures can have a massive impact on student engagement and enthusiasm. No matter what route you choose to take when determining the tone of your Academy, make sure the students understand that they are part of something special, something that deeply matters to the health and sustainability of their nation’s government.
