Participating in the democratic processes is seen as being a fundamental aspect …
Participating in the democratic processes is seen as being a fundamental aspect of citizenship. All pupils need a broad knowledge and understanding of the rights, responsibilities and duties of citizens, as well as an understanding of forms of government. Notions of citizenship have been forged alongside the expansion of the right to vote and the development of our ideas about democracy. In this unit we explore different interpretations of democracy and strategies for involving pupils in consideration of these issues within the citizenship curriculum.
Democracy in Brief touches on topics such as rights and responsibilities of …
Democracy in Brief touches on topics such as rights and responsibilities of citizens, free and fair elections, the rule of law, the role of a written constitution, separation of powers, a free media, the role of parties and interest groups, military-civilian relations and democratic culture.
Democracy in difference: Debating key terms of gender, sexuality, race and identity …
Democracy in difference: Debating key terms of gender, sexuality, race and identity focuses on concepts and analytical frames we use when discussing how marginalised identities navigate their place in an assumed common culture.
This ebook offers a path for exploring how we might build a shared vocabulary when working through the muddle of public debates like identity politics, political correctness, pronouns and what constitutes racism. Democracy in Difference is an unconventional interdisciplinary guide to key concepts, which borrows from decolonial methodologies, Marxism, feminism, queer theory and deconstruction.
Key terms are illustrated through written text, La Trobe Art Institute artworks (centering Indigenous artists), poetry, comedy and song, and customised animations which make difficult terms accessible.
The way our democracies are today is not necessarily how they should …
The way our democracies are today is not necessarily how they should be tomorrow. There probably is no perfect system out there but this resource can help students think differently about democracy, approach its problems through novel angles and find new solutions.
The first part is a detailed look at the various democratic systems across the world, including plurality voting, proportional representation and direct democracy. Pros and cons will be laid out for each while key terms such as gerrymandering, uni and bicameralism, tactical voting, the concept of the blank vote, ballot intiatives and referenda will be explained. The left-right divide will also get a mention, the need to
The second part of the lesson will look more into alternative voting systems including ranked choice, approval, star and condorcet method. Considerations on the left-right-center political spectrum and some of its limitations will also feature.
The final part will focus on the two novel ideas: quadratic voting and liquid democracy. With quadratic voting, voters have a bank of credit and can cast one or multiple votes in favour of, or opposed to, a proposition. Liquid democracy enables you to vote directly on the issues you care about, or delegate your vote, by topic, to another person or party.
A close reading of the beginnings of the Declaration of Independence to …
A close reading of the beginnings of the Declaration of Independence to identify ideas of natural rights, social contract, limited government and popular sovereignty in the text.
Ideas of natural rights, social contract, popular sovereignty, limited government and republicanism …
Ideas of natural rights, social contract, popular sovereignty, limited government and republicanism and their influence on the foundation of the United States of America.
Students spend the semester developing a stream restoration proposal for a local …
Students spend the semester developing a stream restoration proposal for a local watershed. Students are asked to collect geomorphic field data and use these data to design a restoration plan.
Module on development in international relations. Intended for community college students and aligned …
Module on development in international relations. Intended for community college students and aligned with the requirements for POLS 140: Introduction to International Relations within the California Community College system. Includes lesson plan, required readings, and ancillary materials (lecture slides, activity instructions, and worksheet).
Short Description: The Local Development and Local Opportunities book is one of …
Short Description: The Local Development and Local Opportunities book is one of the first of its kind, in particular in the context of development of the small Anatolian cities. The book, on one hand, discusses opportunities offered by the small Anatolian cities; and on the other hand, shares new proposals for potential development programs.
Long Description: The Local Development and Local Opportunities book is one of the first of its kind, in particular in the context of development of the small Anatolian cities. The book, on one hand, discusses opportunities offered by the small Anatolian cities; and on the other hand, shares new proposals for potential development programs. The book, as the last in a series of new academic activities between 2016-2018, is related to development concerns in a self-organized small city in the Eastern Anatolia.
Word Count: 4270
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This lesson allows students to listen to a podcast and check out …
This lesson allows students to listen to a podcast and check out different links to learn more about political parties, how and why they developed, along with learning key vocabulary terms. There are several options within the lesson, including working with a partner, creating a word cloud, reading an article, watching documentary clips and a clip from the musical Hamilton, and completing a graphic organizer. It also includes information and materials where students can learn more about the major presidential elections of 1800, 1824 and 1860.
We introduced a new required course "EnSc 210: Issues in Environmental Science" …
We introduced a new required course "EnSc 210: Issues in Environmental Science" for our majors about three years ago. When I was assigned to teach this course for the first time, I struggled with developing a syllabus and recommending a text for the course. Since we also offer classes in "Environmental Geology" and an introductory course "EnSc 110 Understanding the Earth," the challenge was to avoid duplication while developing an appropriate syllabus. What I finally decided to do was to have students provide ideas. So, on the first day of class I announced that we don't have a syllabus for this course (many sighs of disappointment) and, after a brief remark on some current environmental issues, invited each student to suggest at least one topic for inclusion in the course. After some hesitation (as expected) hands went up and I began writing each topic on the white board. Pretty soon we had 20-25 topics with some overlapping themes. Some of these included: population problem, global climate change, air and water pollution, waste management, environmental health, species decline, environmental impact of large dams, and sustainability. After some discussions about relative importance of various topics and the time available to cover each during the semester, we narrowed it down to about 10 topics for detailed study. I prepared my syllabus (linked below) based on this list which worked very well because: we were able to include key topics and, very importantly, students felt a sense of 'ownership' which led to a very interesting and interactive class experience throughout the semester.
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This is a color lithograph printed in 1861 showing the federal structure …
This is a color lithograph printed in 1861 showing the federal structure of government. The primary source has been divided into small pieces and used in a Prezi presentation. The purpose is to allow students to focus on small details of the primary source to draw conclusions that are guided by thinking questions included in the presentation. As a conclusion, students should be able to understand the overall concept illustrated by the diagram, which is the federal structure of government.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Module on diplomacy in international relations. Intended for community college students and …
Module on diplomacy in international relations. Intended for community college students and aligned with the requirements for POLS 140: Introduction to International Relations within the California Community College system. Includes lesson plan, required readings, and ancillary materials (lecture slides and worksheets).
In recent years, the redistribution of risk has created conditions for natural …
In recent years, the redistribution of risk has created conditions for natural and technological disasters to become more widespread, more difficult to manage, and more discriminatory in their effects. Policy and planning decision-makers frequently focus on the impact that human settlement patterns, land use decisions, and risky technologies can have on vulnerable populations. However, to ensure safety and promote equity, they also must be familiar with the social and political dynamics that are present at each stage of the disaster management cycle. Therefore, this course will provide students with:
An understanding of the breadth of factors that give rise to disaster vulnerability; and A foundation for assessing and managing the social and political processes associated with disaster policy and planning.
Today, Craig is going to wrap up our discussion of discrimination by …
Today, Craig is going to wrap up our discussion of discrimination by looking more closely at those “discrete and insular minorities” referenced in the 14th Amendment. We’ll talk about instances of discrimination of Asian, European, and Latino immigrants, Native Americans, non-English speakers, people with disabilities, and LGBT people. We’ll also talk about federal and state responses to this discrimination. It’s a lot to cover, and we’ll only scratch the surface of the battles these groups fought (and are still fighting) for equality, but we will give you some historical context for the discrimination that has occurred and the court decisioned made to help defend these groups.
I find that when assigning lengthy readings for in-class discussion, it is …
I find that when assigning lengthy readings for in-class discussion, it is extremely helpful to guide students' preparation with specific questions, and incorporate these in worksheets that explicitly call for students to write out their responses before entering the classroom. These worksheets can provide some added structure for whole-class discussion, or can provide a specific agenda for review of the readings in small groups. Because these readings are more than a few years old, I have also found it useful to assign small groups of students to give brief reports that expand on and update the issues raised in the readings.
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This course examines the growing importance of medicine in culture, economics and …
This course examines the growing importance of medicine in culture, economics and politics. It uses an historical approach to examine the changing patterns of disease, the causes of morbidity and mortality, the evolution of medical theory and practice, the development of hospitals and the medical profession, the rise of the biomedical research industry, and the ethics of health care in America.
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