Unitat Aaa

3 ESO | EUROPEAN STUDIESunit 1: DEMOCRACY | 1ST Term |
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SESSION 1: LIVING IN A DEMOCRACY
In this first unit we will review some of the concepts we talked about last year in Citizenship.

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

• explain the term democracy

• remember ways in which I can be an active citizen

• categorize the aims of several forms of activecitizenship

• value the importance of voting and elections
Rights:
* demonstration
* vote
* go on strike
* express ones opinion
Responsibilities
* Obey laws
* pay taxes

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 fromancient Greek: ‘demos’, meaning people and ‘kratos’ for rule or power. 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 ourvote 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!

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Stop and think about what you have just read.

EXERCISE 1

Many people do not realise how important our vote actuallyis. In pairs discuss 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.

o Voting is a waste of time. My vote is not going to make a difference anyway
3
o The parties all promise the same things, so why bother? 3
o People havefought and died for our right to vote, so we should always use it 1
o The politicians promise so many things but when they gain power they never deliver their promises 1
o Well, if we didn’t vote then we wouldn’t have the right to complain if we dislike government decisions 2
o Voting is a democratic right. We should take that right seriously 1
o I’m not interested in politics, so why should Ivote? 2
o 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 1

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When you’re finished share your opinions with the whole group and don’t
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be shy… this is a democracy!

session 2

Exercise 1

OnMay 15th 2011, groups of peaceful protestors took over strategic places of many Spanish cities, among them Madrid’s Puerta del Sol and Barcelona’s Plaça Catalunya.
What do you know about this “Spanish Revolution”? What were they protesting about? Write down anything you can remember.

15 MAY 2011 |
* People camping and sitting in squares and plazas. * Signs: “Poco pan para tanto chorizo”,“Somos los de abajo y vamos a por los de arriba”, “indignants”. * The movement moved around the world for example in the USA with “occupy Wall Street” * Police charge on demonstrators, protestor… |

Now take a look at this video and see whether it sums up most of your ideas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ55PC-ElSE
Now you can listen to the song “We are the people” byFeeder and try to fill in the gaps with the words missing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w33t5o0YZGY
WE ARE THE PEOPLE
What do you say ?
What do you think about miracles?
Miracles are something you dream about
We are looking for a new way out
Slipping away, losing all sense of reality
Sacrifice, love and democracy
We burn it all down
Cos all our lives
We're waiting for something...