Lesson 1: Democratic vs. Authoritarian Political Frameworks
Duration of Days: 5
Lesson Objective
Students will contrast the structural limits on state power between democratic and authoritarian regimes.
How do political institutions vary across the globe? What is the relationship between state control and media freedom?
CT Civics/Gov (Dimension 4 - INQ 9–12.15); MBL Standard 5D.
Day 51: Categorizing regimes (Democracy, Oligarchy, Autocracy, Theocracy).
Day 52: Constitutional designs (Parliamentary systems vs. Presidential systems).
Day 53: Checking press freedom: Freedom House Index and media censorship.
Day 54: The role of civil liberties in preserving political stability.
Day 55: Mapping global political systems visually.
Students interact with the Freedom House interactive map, exploring a specific nation categorized as "Not Free" to track how state censorship restricts citizen access to independent journalism.
Purpose & DOK Level: Structural institutional comparison; DOK Level 2 to 3.
Index data provided via interactive infographics; vocabulary match-ups for regime typologies.
Comparative matrix tracking three structural differences between two distinct world governments.