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Teaching Democracy Lessons

Appreciating Representation

A Lesson Plan for High School Teachers of Civics, Government, and U.S. History

Complete Lesson Plan (34-pages):   Download the document to Word or print in PDF format.


Contents

An Overview of the Lesson: Background, Objectives and Methods for Teachers

Student Handout A: An Overview

Student Handouts B: Instructions for Scenario Exercises

Scenario 1.  Deciding how to vote on an increase in the sale tax
Scenario 2.  Deciding how to vote on abolishing the death penalty
Scenario 3.  Deciding how to vote on an increased cigarette tax
Scenario 4.  Deciding how to vote on allowing optometrists to use diagnostic drugs
Scenario 5.  Deciding how to vote on a reduction in the voting age
Voting Tally Sheet

Student Handouts C: How Most Legislators Would Have Decided

Scenario 1.  Deciding on an increase in the sale tax
Scenario 2.  Deciding on abolishing the death penalty
Scenario 3.  Deciding on an increased cigarette tax
Scenario 4.  Deciding on allowing optometrists to use diagnostic drugs
Scenario 5.  Deciding on a reduction in the voting age

Observations

Further Reading


Prepared by Alan Rosenthal, Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, as a project of the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Center for Civic Education and the Center on Congress at Indiana University.  The author can be reached at alanr@rci.rutgers.edu or (732) 828-2210, ext. 251. The current version was completed in November 2005.

Posted 12/5/05

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