Chapter 14 Section 2 Democracy in Athens

1. Chapter 14Section 2Democracy in Athens

2. Anticipatory Set • Last year I was called to the Santa Ana Court House to sit on a jury for a criminal case • I sat on the jury for 2.5 weeks listening to testimonies and evidence • I was fulfilling my duty as a citizen of the United States because I was being a part of a democratic government

3. Standards • H-SS 6.4.3 • State the key differences between Athenian, or direct, democracy and representative democracy. • ELA Reading 6.2.2 • Analyze text that uses the compare-and-contrast organizational pattern.

4. Objective • Students will learn about the development of democracy in Athens

5. Language of the Discipline • Assembly • Jury • Aristotle • Direct Democracy • Representative Democracy

6. The Path to Democracy (Input) • A leader named Cleisthenes carried out several reforms and reduced the power of the rich • He almost doubled the number of citizens who could vote • Most new voters represented the lower classes • He also increased the power of assembly, or a group of persons who gather together for a common purpose • The assembly met to talk about political issues and make decisions for the city-state • Citizens had a voice

7. Later Democratic Reforms (Input) • Athens established a new court system based on the authority of citizen juries • A jury is a group of people who hear evidence and decide a court case • Most legal decisions were made by citizens • Pericles started to pay citizens for their jury service and other civic duties • This helped poor people participate

8. Democratic Values (Input) • Pericles also recognized women as citizens • However women could not vote or hold office • The world’s first democracy was in Athens • Athenians were proud of what they created • Pericles also gave a speech talking about Athens’ democratic values

9. Pericles (Input)

10. Social and Economic Factors (Input) • One factor that helped Athens’ democratic development was the growth of the Athenian army • Athens built fleet warships to increase influence • A team of rowers powered each ship • Most rowers were poor, but became an important force and help to the government • Another factor was increase in prosperity • Trade made Athens a wealthy city-state • Many people could buy slaves to do their work • As a result citizens had more leisure time for civic affairs.

11. Social and Economic Factors (Input)

12. Social and Economic Factors (Input) • The third factor was education • Schools in Athens were private • The education was well-rounded • Citizens could take part in public life • The belief in the importance of education to citizenship led some Athenians to support free public education • Aristotle was a philosopher who supported this

13. Aristotle (Input)

14. How Athenian Democracy Worked (Input) • Citizens ran all parts of government • The most important were in the assembly, the council, and the courts • The Assembly • The main political body • Met 40 times a year on a rocky hillside above the city • Everyone had the right to speak • The law required 6,000 citizens be present at each session • When it came to a decision citizens from all over had to cast their vote • They also elected 10 generals to serve as military/political leaders

15. How Athenian Democracy Worked (Input) • The Council • There were 500 people in the council • They helped decide which issues came before the assembly • Within the council there is a group of 50 who helped with daily government affairs • Members were chosen by lot, or at random • This method helped every male have an equal chance • These members held office for 1 year and received payment for their services

16. How Athenian Democracy Worked (Input) • The Courts • Athenians had a series of courts to decide different types of cases • There were 8 different courts • Most courts did not have judges or lawyers because juries ran the courts and made decisions • Juries were larger than the ones today (numbered from several hundred to several thousand) • They made decisions by vote of the majority

17. Direct and Representative Democracy (Input) • Athenian democracy depended on active citizen involvement • Citizens attended the assembly, served on the council, and acted as jury members • A political system in which citizens participate directly in government decision making is called a direct democracy • This type of democracy works because of the small city-states

18. Direct and Representative Democracy (Input) • Most democracies today are in large countries • They have to have a representative democracy where the citizens elect others to represent them in government • In the U.S. citizens elect representatives to pass laws and run the governments at the local, state, and national levels • A modern representative democracy is both larger and more complicated than the direct democracy of ancient Athens, but it is still based on the rule by the people

19. Reading Comp. Connections (Modeling) • How was Athens’ government different from that of the United States today? • Step #1 Look back at the text under “direct and indirect democracy” • Step #2 Analyze the text • Step #3 Formulate your answer in a compare-and-contrast sentence • Answer: • The United States is a representative democracy, while Athens had a direct democracy.

20. Check for Understanding • Please determine the BEST answer for the following question. • Please write your answer on your white boards and wait for the teacher’s signal. • On the teacher’s signal, hold up your white boards.

21. Checking for Understanding #1 Fill in the blank • ________________believed in free public education • Aristotle

22. Checking for Understanding #2 Read the quote and answer the following question • “Death was appointed [chosen] for almost all offenses . . . those that were convicted of idleness were to die, and those that stole a cabbage or an apple to to suffer even as villains that committed . . . murder. Draco’s laws were written not with ink but with blood.” • —Plutarch, The Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans • Who usually wrote harsh law codes? • a council of leaders chosen by the wealthy

23. Checking for Understanding #3 • How did Solon set Athens on a path a path to democracy? • He ended the practice of enslaving poor people who could not pay their debts

24. Guided Practice/Independent Practice • Guided Practice • Complete questions 1 - 3 on the reading comprehension worksheet. • Raise your hand and wait to get stamped. • If you received an “R” go to the back table with Ms. Graham. • Independent Practice • Once you have been stamped moved to independent practice and complete numbers 4 and 5 on the reading comprehension worksheet. • Homework • Note-taking guide on the reverse side.