Core Democratic Values Project

What are our Core Democratic Values?......

Goals:You will produce a multimedia presentation to present to fellow class members on one of the Core Democratic Values. You will utilize computers to research, and create a multimedia project that addresses a core democratic value of your choice.

So let’s go over what our Core Democratic Values are!

Life

A good definition here would be that as Americans we have the right to live without the fear of injury or being killed by others.  We believe everyone has the right to live.  

Seems simple enough but there are still too many countries around the world where this basic right is not the case. 

In the United States it is the primary responsibility of the government to protect the lives and safety of its citizens.

Liberty

"Liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others."              

William Allen White

Liberty can be defined as our right to think, act, or behave without any interference from our government.  

Personal, political, and economic freedoms are found here.

Pursuit of Happiness "Go West young man and grow up with the

country.”              Horace Greeley   In our country everyone has the right to pursue

happiness in their own way as long as they don't violate the rights others. 

Having fun at home or school, but following the rules is another way of sharing this idea.  The rules for adults say you may pursue happiness your way as long as it's legal, doesn't endanger the health, safety, and security of our country, and doesn't violate the rights of others.

The Common Good

"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

(who said this?)

The common good is when we are all working together for the greater benefit of everyone in our community.  Building roads, schools, libraries are all examples of the common good.  Simply helping others at home or school is working towards a common good.

Justice The concept of justice is the concept of fairness. 

"Be fair!" or "That's not fair!" is usually the first thing adults hear from you when something doesn't go your way.

  Fairness is what we all expect from each other and

our leaders. When correcting wrongs or making decisions, we expect justice.  We expect everyone to be treated fairly. 

Equality

"…I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed:  We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal." 

  Martin Luther King       1963

According to our Constitution, people in our country, whether black or white, young or old, male or female, are guaranteed the right to be treated equally and fairly when it comes to politics, the law, or economic issues

This hasn't always been the case and our history is full of examples of people recognizing this and working to correct injustices.  Equality is about giving everybody an equal chance.  

Diversity

 

"Variety's the very spice of life that give it all its flavor."     

William Cowper   1785

Someone once told me America is a mixture of different cultures blended together with equal liberties under the law. 

  In America, we respect and even celebrate those

differences.  Can you think of an example where diversity was not appreciated.

Working and playing with everyone comes to mind when one thinks of diversity.

Truth

William Shakespeare once said  "Above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.“

  I believe that the concept of Truth is the most

important Core Democratic Value. American democracy depends on our government and its citizens telling the truth.  Our nation works because of the bond between its citizens and its leaders. Truth is the glue of that bond.   Truth is trust, and without trust, we have nothing. We expect our government and its leaders to be truthful to us and they can expect the same.   

Popular Sovereignty

"We the people…"    The Constitution

This is the idea of majority rules. Whether it’s a vote for the President of the United States or the presidency of your class, the one with the most votes wins.  But it is more than that.   It’s the idea that the power of this government comes from "We the People", that the American government, our government, is ruled by its people through their votes.

Patriotism "What a pity it is.  That we can die but once to serve

our country."              Joseph Addison   As we wrap up our quick look at the Core Democratic

Values, I want to remind you that they are all important to us, that they all work together to make this great experiment called America work.

Simply stated, patriotism is a personal display of love and devotion to our country, its values, and principles.  Standing up during the singing of our national anthem at the start of a sporting event is just one way of showing patriotism.  Patriotism is more though, it means being aware of all of our Core Democratic Values and using them both at home and school.  

What you will need in your presentation……

5 Slides:

1.Title Slide- (your name, hour, and the Core Democratic Value you chose).

2.– 4. Three Informational Slides – Each info. slide should have a graphic/picture that relates to the slide and an EXAMPLE of the Core Democratic Value with an EXPLANATION. Explain how the example relates to the core democratic value! All three slides need a different example

5. Works Cited Slide- See handout “Citing Electronic Resources”

“Citing Electronic Resources”

1.Name of the site. Underline or italicize the name and put a period after it.

2.Date of publication or latest update, followed by a period.

3.Name of the institution or organization sponsoring the site, followed by a period.

4.The date on which YOU visited the site.5.The URL, or web address of the site. Include the

entire address EXACTLY as it appears and enclose it with <angle brackets>. End with a period.

EXAMPLE:

The Nobel Foundation. Oct. 2009. The Nobel Foundation. Nov. 7, 2009 <http://nobel.sdsc.edu>.