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9th grade · Social Studies · Unit 1 of 10

Taking Part

Speak up, check facts, decide together

What your child practices

Ways to take part before and after 18, volunteering and civil society, petitions and peaceful protest, deliberating about tensions in our democracy, and checking news for reliability.

Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards benchmark: 9.1.1.4; 9.1.5.3 · ways of taking part and influencing public policy

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. You can take part before 18: volunteering, public hearings, petitions and neighborhood groups.
  2. Civil disobedience is peacefully breaking an unjust law and accepting the consequences.
  3. Read news carefully: an op-ed is an opinion piece, and confirmation bias is favoring what you already think.

Example: What is confirmation bias? We like hearing that we are right. It means favoring information that agrees with what you already think. Answer: favoring information that agrees with what you already think

Taking Part in Minnesota

In the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards, this is unit 1 of 10 in 9th grade Social Studies, before Media & Democracy.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    When writing to an elected official, which is most effective?

    • A short, respectful letter with facts and a clear request
    • An angry message with no facts
    • An anonymous threat
    • A long letter on an unrelated topic

  2. Question 2

    What is a deliberative discussion?

    • A discussion where people weigh different views to reach a decision
    • A lecture by one person
    • An argument to win at any cost
    • A vote with no talking

  3. Question 3

    A town debates a new park versus more parking. What should a good civic decision weigh?

    • Whatever is loudest
    • Costs and benefits for different groups
    • Only what one person wants
    • Nothing

  4. Question 4

    Why might two reliable sources report different numbers on the same event?

    • Numbers never matter
    • It's always a typo
    • They used different data or times, so you should check how each was gathered
    • One must be lying

  5. Question 5

    Why is jury service an important civic duty?

    • Trials depend on ordinary citizens judging the facts
    • It's optional for everyone
    • It pays very well
    • Judges decide everything anyway

  6. Question 6

    What is a nonprofit organization?

    • A government agency
    • A political party
    • A group that works for a cause and doesn't earn profits for owners
    • A bank

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