“Create a **3-station learning activity for 7th grade Special Education students** who have **never been taught this material before**. ### Georgia Social Studies Standard **SS7CG1a: Explain the role of citizen participation in autocratic and democratic governments.** The goal is for students to understand: 1. What citizen participation means. 2. How citizen participation works in an autocratic government. 3. How citizen participation works in a democratic government. 4. Ways citizens can participate, including voting, protesting, petitions, and political parties. 5. The differences between citizen participation in autocratic and democratic governments. ### Student Level * 7th grade students receiving Special Education services * Write at approximately a **3rd–5th grade reading level** * Keep important social studies vocabulary * Use short sentences and short paragraphs * Define difficult vocabulary in student-friendly language * Do NOT assume students already know the material * Include lots of repetition and examples * Avoid long reading passages * Make the activities accessible for struggling readers ### Create EXACTLY 3 Stations ## STATION 1: What Is Citizen Participation? Begin with a **short informational reading of approximately 100–150 words**. Teach students: * government * citizen * citizen participation * voting * petition * protest * political party Explain these ideas in simple language and give examples. After the reading, create **5 multiple-choice questions**. Then include a short matching activity where students match a way citizens participate with an example. Example: **Petition → Citizens sign their names to ask the government to make a change.** ## STATION 2: Autocratic vs. Democratic Government Begin with a **short informational reading of approximately 150 words**. Explain: ### Autocratic Government * One person or a small group has most of the power. * Citizens have limited opportunities to participate. * Citizens may have little or no choice in selecting leaders. ### Democratic Government * Citizens have a role in government. * Citizens can participate in government. * Citizens can vote for leaders. * Citizens may protest, sign petitions, or join political parties. Create a simple **Autocratic vs. Democratic comparison chart**. Then create **8 statements** that students must sort into: * AUTocratic * DEMOCRATIC Use clear, age-appropriate statements. ## STATION 3: You Are the Citizen! Begin with a **short review reading of approximately 100 words** explaining different ways citizens can participate in government. Then create **5 real-life scenarios**. For each scenario, students should identify how the citizen is participating. Possible answers: * Voting * Petition * Protest * Political party * Limited/no participation Example: "Maria disagrees with a new law. She and 200 other citizens sign a document asking the government to change the law." A. Voting B. Petition C. Protest D. Political party End the station with this written response: **How is citizen participation different in an autocratic gov**”