Students are introduced to the origins of democracy in ancient Greece. They learn about the city-states, particularly Athens, in which democracy is born. Next, they explore the lottery elections in ancient Greece and explain it in their own words. Finally, they write an editorial stating their opinion on whether election by lottery might be beneficial in the United States.
Students are introduced to the lesson focus on the origins of democracy in ancient Greece and review the objective. They respond to a word cloud prompt about what comes to mind when they hear the word democracy, then work as a class to create a definition or list of features of a democracy. Individually or in small groups, they record their definition or list in a shared table.
Teacher MovesGive students time to brainstorm, then facilitate a discussion of their definitions or lists. Encourage students to keep their ideas in mind as they move into exploring the historical origins of democracy.
Students learn that democracy means “rule by the people” and that ancient Greece was made up of many independent city-states. They read City-States to investigate how these city-states were organized, then answer questions in two tables describing the unique features of individual city-states and the characteristics they shared. Next, students read about Athenian democracy using Athens and Democracy Is Born, and complete a graphic organizer with notes on citizen requirements, voting in ancient Athens, and the role of the agora.
Teacher MovesDiscuss student responses about city-states, highlighting that each had its own government and army (and sometimes navy) but shared a common language and religion and all considered themselves Greek. Review students’ notes on Athenian democracy to ensure they understand its basic features, and direct students who need additional support to the introduction in What Was Democracy Like over 2400 Years Ago in Ancient Athens? from the Student Pack.
Students are introduced to the Athenian lottery device and learn that many officeholders were chosen by lot (sortition) rather than by popular election. They watch What Did Democracy Really Mean in Athens? to see how sortition worked and consider how such a system might function today. Students then answer several multiple-choice questions about civic participation, elected versus lottery-filled positions, and differences between Athenian and U.S. democracy. Finally, they post an explanation in their own words of the sortition system in ancient Athenian democracy.
Teacher MovesReview student explanations of sortition and share an interesting or exemplary response with the class to prompt clarification and discussion of how the lottery system operated in Athens.
Students write a short editorial responding to the question of whether election by lottery could be a positive practice in the United States, supporting their opinion with evidence from the lesson. After posting, they read classmates’ editorials and respond to at least two with a question or positive comment to extend the conversation.
Teacher MovesDiscuss student responses and encourage a lively, respectful debate about the advantages and disadvantages of election by lottery in a modern democracy.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
©2026 Exploros. All rights reserved.