UNIT 6: WHAT CAN I DO TO CHANGE THE WORLD?

STUDENT'S WORKSHEETS

 


SESSION 2: ACTIVE CITIZENS IN A DEMOCRACY

 


By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

  • explain the term Democracy
  • describe ways in which I can be an active Citizen
  • categorize the aims of several forms of active citizenship
  • value the importance of voting and elections

We live in a democracy, which means that we have a say in how our country is run and have the choice to get involved in important issues.  The word ‘democracy’ comes from two words from ancient Greek- ‘demos’, meaning power and ‘cratos’ for people. If we choose to get involved then we are given a number of opportunities in our democracy to make a difference and become active citizens.
We are lucky enough to live in a country where we can vote. Some people in the world do not have this right. If we do not like the way in which a country is being run then we can use our vote to show this by voting against the government. The decision made by the majority has to be respected, even if you personally do not agree with it. You can then campaign to change people’s minds in the next election!

EXERCISE 1


Many people do not realise how important our vote actually is. In pairs read the following statements and decide if you agree with each of them. Use 1 if you agree very much, 2 if you agree a little, 3 if you do not agree at all. Write one of the numbers at the beginning of each statement.

 Do you agree?

  • Voting is a waste of time. My vote is not going to make a difference anyway
  • The parties all promise the same things, so why bother?
  • People have fought and died for our right to vote, so we should always use it
  • The politicians promise so many things but when they gain power they never deliver their promises
  • Well, if we didn’t vote then we wouldn’t have the right to complain if we dislike government decisions
  • Voting is a democratic right. We should take that right seriously
  • I’m not interested in politics, so why should I vote?
  • There are many countries where people don’t have the right to vote. We are fortunate to live in a democracy, so we should make use of our vote

EXERCISE 2

Look at the table below.

SOME FORMS OF ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP

 

 

A SCHOOL ANTI-LITTER CAMPAIGN

 

 

RAISING FUNDS FOR THE POOR PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

 

 

 


BUYING FAIRTRADE CHOCOLATE!

 

 

STANDING AS CLASS REPRESENTATIVE

 

 

COLLECTING BACK PACKS FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN IN AFRICA

 

 

VOTING IN ELECTIONS

Answer!

  1. Have you been involved in any of these forms of active citizenship?  Choose ONE and describe what you did and why you did it.
  2. Now, match the heads and the tails to show the aims of each form of active citizenship. You may discuss this table with a partner but DO NOT WRITE ANYTHING DOWN YET. The first one has been completed for you:

HEADS

TAILS

A SCHOOL ANTI-LITTER CAMPAIGN

To make the school campus a more pleasant place to spend time in

RAISING FUNDS FOR THE POOR PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

To make sure that the views of fellow pupils are listened to by the head teacher

BUYING FAIRTRADE CHOCOLATE!

To give pupils basic equipment so they are encouraged to go to school

STANDING AS CLASS REPRESENTATIVE

To raise as much money as possible so that you can help poor people in your community

COLLECTING BACK PACKS FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN IN AFRICA

To make sure that your opinion counts

VOTING IN ELECTIONS

To give cocoa farmers a fair price for their crops