Prior Knowledge

Now that you have learned about individual responsibility for staying informed about public policy issues, participating in the civic process, and upholding the laws of the land, you are ready to exhibit the consequences of not participating in democracy.

Problem

A high percentage of citizens do not stay informed, do not participate in the civic process (such as voting), and fail to uphold the laws of the land.

Role/Perspective

You are a film maker who seeks to persuade citizens to be more active and fulfill their civic responsibilities by creating a 3-5 minute web video.  You could also convert the film into 3-5 minute podcast.

Since there are many steps involved with a video or podcast you will create a storyboard of the text and visuals that will be used.  The story boards are two dimensional outlines of the production.  Click to find a sample storyboard page.

Product/Performance

Each page should outline the visuals and texts for the entire 3-5 minute production.

The video/podcast elements should include:

• statistics of democratic participation in America
• examples of citizens participating in special interest groups which impact legislation
• an explanation of how citizens can participate if they are not already doing so
• an explanation of why citizens should try to influence their elected officials
• examples of citizens making a difference by getting involved if they know someone is breaking the law
• an explanation of current or historical consequences of citizens not participating in American democracy
• predictions about what the future of the country will look like if people accept responsibility to participate in responsibilities of citizenship

Criteria for an Exemplary Response

Click here for the rubric that will be used to score the video/podcast.