Georgia SS6CG1.a

Social Studies6th GradeLatin America and Canada

The Standard

Explain citizen participation in autocratic, and democratic governments. [i.e. the role of citizens in choosing the leaders of Mexico (presidential democracy), Cuba (autocratic), and Brazil (presidential democracy)].

Georgia Standards of Excellence for Social Studies · Compare and contrast various forms of government.

Teacher's field guide

What This Standard Means

What Students Need to Do

Students compare how people in Mexico, Cuba, and Brazil take part in choosing national leaders. They identify competitive elections, direct presidential voting, and limits on political choice.

What Mastery Looks Like

Students can explain that voters directly elect presidents in Mexico and Brazil through competitive elections. They can explain that Cuba’s one-party system limits voter choice and the National Assembly selects the president.

Common Misconceptions

Students may assume every country with elections is democratic, or that every president is directly elected. They may also claim Cubans never vote, rather than explaining how candidate choice and leadership selection are limited.

How to Assess It

Give students three country names. Ask them to identify who selects the president, describe voter choice, and label citizen participation as broad or limited.

Lesson moves

Ways to Teach It

  1. Give groups country election cards, then have them place Mexico, Cuba, and Brazil on a citizen-influence continuum and defend each placement.

  2. Ask students to write: How does having competing candidates affect citizens’ influence over national leadership?

  3. Play a clue-card sort where teams match election facts to Mexico, Cuba, or Brazil, then correct one mismatched card.

  4. Compare printed presidential ballots from Mexico or Brazil with a Cuban National Assembly ballot, then mark where voters have competing choices.

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