Has democracy outlived its usefulness? Pundits debate the topic, and now pupils weigh in, too. A reading on how democracy may be on the decline around the world, along with a structured conversation guideline, help guide scholars through a prickly question. 

Concepts

democracy, american democracy, representative democracy, group discussions, discussion skills, preparing for discussions

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Use the article and prompts to discuss whether democracy is in danger
• Adapt the civil conversation model to create other discussions

Classroom Considerations

• Learners may need some background in the forms of government in other parts of the world

Pros

• Reading pays close attention to young people's attitudes toward democracy, making the lesson relevant
• Both reading and conversation structure work in other lessons

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.9-10.1.a SL.9-10.1.c SL.9-10.1.d