Activating My Democracy (grades 9-12)

Activating My Democracy (grades 9-12)

Authored by Earth Island Institute

Essential questions: 
Do you believe that you have the power to change the world?
What is a game-changing action plan?
What are civic values?
How do civic values relate to constitutional rights?
What are two persistent “internal threats” to our democracy?
How did the concept of “person” change after passage of the 14th Amendment?
How did sovereign people become marginalized by our own government?
What has been the Court’s role in promoting corporate welfare over the common good?
What are the social consequences of a high threshold to amend the Constitution?
Should the Supreme Court be made more democratic?
How are new fundamental rights recognized?
What are duties of government and rights of citizens under the Public Trust Doctrine?

Activating My Democracy, developed by Ultimate Civics, builds grassroots awareness about the democracy crisis at the intersection of race, gender, health, poverty, the environment, sustainability, equality, and corporate power.

This module includes the following lessons:

  • What can we do now? How to move ideas into action
    Lesson 1 introduces a basic tool of civic engagement – organizing a game-changing action plan – through analyzing film stories of their peers in action. (50 minutes)

  • Understanding values, wealth, and rights
    Lesson 2 introduces a basic tool of civic engagement – the concept that our rights, and the government created to secure our rights, is based on what we value and love. (100 minutes)

  • Who rules? Part 1: Understanding the balance of power and Who rules? Part 2: The democracy crisis
    Lessons 3 and 4 critically examine the basic concepts and rules of our constitutional democracy, focusing on its inherent weaknesses and the intergenerational work needed to defend against abuses of power. (150 minutes)

  • Real people to the rescue: How to amend the Constitution
    Lesson 5 explores a game-changing action in real time: How to amend the U.S. Constitution to defend against current government abuses of power and to restore rule to the (human) people. (50 minutes)

  • Our future is a constitutional right! How to use our rights to defend what we love
    Lesson 6 explores a game-changing action in real time: How to use our rights to defend against government abuses of power and to establish new rights to a healthy atmosphere and stable climate system. (200 minutes)