Constitution Day Government Lesson

​Constitution Day Lesson: Origins and Purposes of Government

Learning Objectives:

-I can identify the origins and purposes of government throughout history.
-I can compare and contrast the governments of Athens, Rome, and modern history.

​Standard 6.1.6 - Compare the purposes and functions of early governments (for example, monarchy, oligarchy, tyranny, pure democracy, republic, theocracy) to modern governments.

Open Ended

Type your full name (first and last):

Poll

Which class period of World Studies are you in?

• 2nd

• 3rd

• 4th

• 5th

• 7th

Types of Government: Monarchy

• A government ruled by a king, queen, or emperor.

Types of Government: Theocracy

• A government run by religious leaders or based on religious laws.

Types of Government: Anarchy

• A situation where there is no government or laws.

Multiple Choice

Which language does the word "democracy" come from?

• Spanish
• German
• French

• Greek

• Chinese

• Government: A group or system that makes and enforces laws for a community or country.

• Democracy: A type of government where people have power, usually by voting.

• Republic: A government where people elect representatives to make decisions for them.

• Citizen: A person who belongs to and has rights in a country or community.

​Key Vocabulary

• Monarchy: A government ruled by a king, queen, or emperor.

• Direct Democracy: A democracy where citizens vote on laws and decisions themselves.

• Representative Democracy: A democracy where citizens elect leaders to make decisions for them.

• Law: A rule made by the government that everyone must follow.

​Key Vocabulary

Match

Match each vocab word with its definition.

• A person who belongs to and has rights in a country or community.

• A government where people elect representatives to make decisions for them.

• A group or system that makes and enforces laws for a community or country.

• A type of government where people have power, usually by voting.

Citizen

Republic

Government

Democracy

• Citizen

• Republic

• Government

• Democracy

Match

Match each vocab word with its definition.

• A set of rules that everyone must follow to live in a community.

• A democracy where citizens elect leaders to make decisions for them.

• A government ruled by a king, queen, or emperor.

• A democracy where citizens vote on laws and decisions themselves.

Law

Representative Democracy

Monarchy

Direct Democracy

• Law

• Representative Democracy

• Monarchy

• Direct Democracy

Categorize

Options (11)

Direct Democracy

Republic

Birthplace of Democracy

Direct Participation

Elected Representatives

More people & bigger

Three political bodies

Representative Democracy

Smaller Population

Lasted 200 years

Lasted 500 years

Place each aspect of democracy correct under Athens or Rome:

Athens

Rome

Multiple Select

Which of the following were true of BOTH Athens and Rome's versions of democracy? (Select all that apply to both.)

• Direct Democracy

• Republic

• Citizens involved with government

• Ancient Civilization

• Large territory and population

Multiple Select

Which of the following were true of BOTH Athens and Rome's versions of democracy? (Select all that apply to both.)

• Studied by later political scholars

• People elected other citizens to represent them

• Citizens participated directly in the government

• Experimented with Democracy

• Small territory and population

Which is best?

Read each scenario. Decide which type of government makes the most sense for each situation: a direct democracy like in Athens, or a republic like in Rome. Be prepared to explain.

Poll

It's the end of the school year! Your graduating class (grade level) of 250 students must decide the best place for the yearbook signing party.

What's the best choice? Why?

• Everybody votes in a direct democracy.

• Select representatives from each homeroom to make the choice for the class.

Poll

A nation created a new constitution. Now it must be approved by the country's five million residents.

What's the best choice? Why?

• Everybody votes in a direct democracy.

• Select representatives from each city.

Poll

Your neighborhood includes 30 homes. It needs to choose a spot for building a new dog park.

What's the best choice? Why?

• Everybody votes in a direct democracy.

• Select representatives from your neighborhood.

​What is government?

Government is a way groups of people organize themselves, both in ancient times and today. Long ago, governments made rules, collected taxes, and decided how to solve problems, just like modern governments do now. Whether it was in ancient Athens, Rome, or today’s countries, governments help keep order, protect people’s rights, and make sure a community works well for everyone.

Open Ended

Why do you think people create governments? What purpose do they serve?

• Greece (Athens – Direct Democracy): Citizens (free men) voted directly on laws and policies in the Assembly. Everyone who was eligible could speak and vote on decisions affecting the city-state.

• Rome (Republic): Citizens elected officials such as consuls and senators to make decisions for them. Citizens did not vote on every law but chose representatives to act in their interest.

• U.S. (Representative Democracy/Republic): Citizens vote for representatives in Congress, the president, and local officials. Citizens influence laws indirectly through their elected leaders.

Multiple Choice

In Ancient Athens, citizens voted on laws directly. In the U.S. today, citizens vote for representatives who make laws.

What is the shared characteristic?

• Imprisonment

• Voting

• Public Debate

• Checks and Balances

• Greece (Athens): Athens had codified laws that were publicly displayed so citizens could see and follow them, promoting fairness and accountability.

• Rome: The Twelve Tables were Rome’s first written code of laws, ensuring citizens knew their rights and responsibilities. Laws were accessible and applied to all Roman citizens.

• U.S.: The Constitution and legal codes are written and publicly available, guiding government action and protecting citizens’ rights.

Multiple Choice

Rome had the Twelve Tables as written laws. Today, the U.S. has the Constitution.

What is the shared characteristic?

• Citizenship

• Elections

• Written Laws

• Judges

• Greece (Athens): Different groups shared power. The Assembly debated and voted on laws, while other councils handled administration and courts, creating some limits on power.

• Rome: Power was divided among consuls, the Senate, and citizen assemblies. No single person could make all decisions, providing a system of checks and balances.

• U.S.: Government power is divided into three branches: legislative (Congress), executive (President), and judicial (Courts). Each branch has powers that check the others, to prevent abuse.

Multiple Choice

In Athens, power was shared between the Assembly, councils, and courts. In Rome, authority was divided among consuls, the Senate, and assemblies. Today, the U.S. government divides power among branches so that no one group can control everything.

What is the shared characteristic?

• Central Authority

• Absolute oligarchy through communism

• Rule by Tradition

• Division of Power/Limits on Government Power

Citizen Participation:

Athens → Eligible citizens (free men) voted directly on laws in the Assembly.

Rome → Citizens elected officials, such as consuls and senators, to make decisions.

U.S. → Citizens vote for representatives in Congress, the president, and local officials.

Similarity: All three give citizens a voice in government decisions, either directly or through elected representatives.

Poll

Which of the following school structures would you prefer for Kennedy?

• Direct Democracy - (all parents, students, and teachers vote on every decision)

• Monarchy - (one person is always in charge and makes all the decisions, a family member takes over if they leave or die)

• Anarchy - everyone does whatever they want, no rules

• Republic/Representative Democracy - (we elect a few adults and students to make decisions for the school)

Multiple Choice

In Ancient Athens and Rome, only free, adult male citizens—excluding women, slaves, and foreigners—could vote. In the United States today, voting is open to all citizens 18 or older, but you must be registered and meet state requirements.

What is the shared characteristic?

• All residents have the right to a fair trial.

• The judges can only serve for a specific amount of time.

• Women and foreigners can vote in all cases.
• Eligibility to vote is restricted to specific groups of citizens.

Drag and Drop

The government of ​

Placeholder

was a direct democracy, where citizens voted themselves.

Rome had a ​

Placeholder

, which means elected representatives.

The ​

Placeholder

uses a representative democracy, so we elect leaders.

One similarity is involved citizens.

One difference is Greece: ​

Placeholder

, Rome/U.S.: representatives.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Greece

republic

U.S.

direct

Egypt

cold