This document defines American democracy and discusses key concepts associated with it. It defines democracy as a form of government where people vote for their leaders and have equal rights. Students generated words they associate with democracy like freedom, equality, and voting. The words were grouped into categories about political parties, different types of governments, and life in a democracy. The summary concludes that democracy means voting for leaders, questions if the US has a true democracy since not all can vote, and notes that democracy is different than other forms of government like oligarchies and monarchies.

1. American Democracy
Katie Fabanish – 8th Grade US History
Concept Development Model Lesson

2. Definition
• a form of government in which people choose leaders by
voting
• a country ruled by democracy
• an organization or situation in which everyone is treated
equally and has equal rights
From Merriam Webster Dictionary Online

3. Student Generated Words
• Freedom Equality
• People have the power
• Direct rule
• Oligarchy
• Monarchy
• Political Parties / Politics
• Republican
• Democrat
• America
• Voting
• Dictatorship
Students will raise
their hands and say
any word / words /
phrases that they
associate with
Democracy. Words do
not have to be
synonyms.

4. Groupings
Political Parties
Political Parties /
Politics
Republican
Democrat
Democracy
Freedom
Equality
America
Voting
People have the Power
Other types of Government
Oligarchy
Monarchy
Direct Rule

5. Regroup
• Students all grouped the terms in the same ways, there
were just different names.
• Political Parties – Politics in the United States
• Government – Different types of Rule
• Democracy – Life in America

6. Summary
• Democracy means voting for people in power
• Not everyone votes, is American Democracy a true
democracy?
• Democracy is not an oligarchy or monarchy
• Democracy created political parties