Download Name: Date: Democracy in Athens: We will read page 285 in History

Name: _______________________
Date: ______________
Democracy in Athens: We will read page 285 in History Alive together to learn more about
how democracy was implemented in Athens.
Review: What is a democracy? A democracy is a type of government where the people have the
power to make decisions.
Who was allowed to be a citizen of Athens? Free, male, 18-year olds could be citizens.
We will be studying two groups within the Athenian democracy: the Council of 500 and the
Assembly. Each group played a major role in developing laws and making decisions for the
citizens of Athens.
Council of 500
Assembly of Athens
What is the definition of
A group of 500 citizens who
All male citizens who were able to
this group?
were responsible for running
vote and debate laws.
the day to day business of
government
Who can be part of this
At least 30 years old; male
Any male, 18-year old, free
group?
citizens
citizen.
At least 6,000 citizens present
for meetings
How often did this group
Every day
They met every ten days
meet?
What responsibilities did
this group have?
-Propose new laws
-Debated on issues
-Make sure the government was -Voted on laws proposed by
run properly each day
Council
-Say speeches on views
Take a look at the picture on the board. What was the purpose of a water clock? The water
clock was used to time a speaker when they were giving a speech.
Sum-It-Up/Thinking Questions:
Please complete the following questions independently based on what we have read and
discussed! 
Why did many people like democracy? Many people liked democracy because they had the
power to vote and make decisions for their city.
Patriotism is the pride that you have in your country or way of life. How did democracy lead to
patriotism? Democracy led to patriotism because in a democracy, people can choose their
laws and debate on issues. Since they had the ability to have power, they were proud to
be part of a society that permits people to vote. They also respected their country
because their country respected their thoughts.
Draw a causal loop to show this relationship!
Do you think this system of government is fair or unfair? Why? This system of government
was fair because many people got to share their thoughts and got to vote and debate on
their issues. This was also unfair because women were excluded from the ability to vote.
How does democracy support the values and beliefs of Athens? Democracy supports the
values and beliefs of Athens because Athenians believed in education to become a good
citizen. To have an influence on important issues, you had to be well educated and
intelligent to be able to convince others of your beliefs.