A Very Brief History of Democracy: Where'd The Right to Vote Come From?
From Ancient Greece to the Declaration of Independence to Tiananmen Square with stops along the way
Clark Vandeventer
Average rating:
4.8
Number of reviews:(653)
What's included
1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hoursAssessment
Parents looking for materials to submit as work assignments are always happy with the materials I provide.Class Experience
US Grade 5 - 8
In 55 minutes we are going to fly through more than a few thousand years of history, meet some fascinating characters, and witness some watershed moments in history. This class is divided into five parts. Part 1: The foundations of democratic rule and look at Ancient Greece and Rome. Part 2: We’ll learn about the oldest known representative democracy on Earth -- the Iroquois Nation -- the Native American tribe that established the Great League of Peace in 1142 and then discuss two more huge moments in the history of democracy: The Mayflower Compact and the Magna Carta. Part 3: Democracy has been built up to this crescendo moment: The Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Part 4: We’ll learn about expanding views of democracy. Like, you don’t have to be a white landowner to vote! We’ll learn about Women’s Suffrage and the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Part 5: We’ll learn about modern democratic movements and challenges to democracy. Students will be introduced to Nelson Mandela in South Africa and his fight against apartheid and we’ll talk about Tiananmen Square in China and other modern democratic efforts. This is just a great survey course of world history. Students are going to learn about some watershed moments and colossal figures in world history. And we have fun doing it! Students are invited to participate and ask questions. This is an interactive class.
Learning Goals
Students will know some of the key moments and figures in the history of democracy and they'll have a basic understanding of how history has unfolded from Ancient Greece to the modern world. Please note, this is a 55 minute long class. Students will have a basic understanding of these items but they won't be experts. I recommend taking this one-time class as an overview. Then, if students want to learn more, I also offer this topic as a multi-day class that meets 5 times.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
This is a one-time class. If students find this class interesting and would like to learn more about this topic, I also offer a multi-day class that meets 5 times that goes into more depth.
Supply List
I provide a worksheet before class that students can fill in as we go along. I also provide additional notes after class with more information and links to related articles and videos.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined December, 2019
4.8
653reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
We live in a big and fascinating world and one of my goals with my classes is to help kids develop an interest and appreciation for the world around them and different cultures. My classes draw from my own experiences as a world traveler. I've visited and lived abroad in seventeen countries. I'm a lifelong student of history and I'm also the former deputy director of the historic home of President Ronald Reagan and I am a 2002 graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University with a bachelor of science degree in political science and history. I also have several years of experience in working with students as a teacher and mentor and look forward to having the opportunity to invest in the life of your learner.Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$10
per classMeets once
55 min
Completed by 60 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-15
6-15 learners per class
