INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY (Sept. 15th)

International Day of Democracy Video

THE READING 

The International Day of Democracy started in 2007. The United Nations General Assembly decided to have a special day to raise awareness of living in a democracy. They chose September 15th as that day and invited every country and member organization to focus on the benefits of democracy. The U.N. declared there was no single model of democracy. A resolution said all democracies share common features “and that democracy does not belong to any country or region”. The U.N. said: “Democracy is a universal value based on the freely-expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems, and their full participation in all aspects of life.”

The International Day of Democracy website claims democracies can have many advantages for their citizens. The main one is to ensure people’s basic freedoms. “In a democracy, people are able to think, say and do what they wish within the law and with respect for others, to practice their beliefs and to live the kinds of life they choose.” Another advantage is that a democracy meets popular needs. The more influence ordinary people have over their government, the more likely government will meet their basic needs. The website says democracies treat people equally and are free from discrimination. It does say many of the world’s democracies fall short of achieving this. There is perhaps no country that has true equality.

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	raise	a.	value
2	living	b.	features
3.	common	c.	of people
4.	democracy is a universal	d.	awareness
5.	the freely-expressed will	e.	of life
6.	all aspects	f.	in a democracy

Paragraph 2

1.	basic	a.	the law
2	within	b.	achieving this
3.	a democracy meets	c.	equally
4.	ordinary	d.	freedoms
5.	treat people	e.	popular needs
6.	fall short of	f.	people

GAP FILL

The International Day of Democracy ____________________. The United Nations General Assembly decided to have a special day ____________________ of living in a democracy. They chose September 15th as that day and invited every country and member organization ____________________ benefits of democracy. The U.N. declared there was no single model of democracy. A resolution said all democracies ____________________ “and that democracy does not belong to any country or region”. The U.N. said: “Democracy is a universal ____________________ freely-expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems, and their full participation ____________________.”

The International Day of Democracy website claims democracies ____________________ advantages for their citizens. The main one is to ensure people’s basic freedoms. “In a democracy, people are able to think, say and do what they wish ____________________ with respect for others, to practice their beliefs and to ____________________ they choose.” Another advantage is that a democracy meets popular needs. The more influence ____________________ over their government, the more likely government will meet their basic needs. The website says democracies ____________________ and are free from discrimination. It does say many of the world’s democracies fall ____________________ this. There is perhaps no country that has true equality.

GAP FILL

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

The International Day of Democracy started in 2007. The United Nations General Assembly decided to have a special day to ____________ awareness of living in a democracy. They ____________ September 15th as that day and invited every country and member organization to ____________ on the benefits of democracy. The U.N. declared there was no single model of democracy. A resolution said all democracies share ____________ features “and that democracy does not ____________ to any country or region”. The U.N. said: “Democracy is a universal value based on the ____________ -expressed will of people to determine their ____________ political, economic, social and cultural systems, and their full participation in all ____________ of life.”		belong raise focus aspects common own chose freely
The International Day of Democracy website ____________ democracies can have many advantages for their citizens. The ____________ one is to ensure people’s ____________ freedoms. “In a democracy, people are able to think, say and do what they wish ____________ the law and with respect for others, to practice their beliefs and to live the kinds of life they ____________.” Another advantage is that a democracy meets popular needs. The more influence ordinary people have over their government, the more likely government will ____________ their basic needs. The website says democracies treat people ____________ and are free from discrimination. It does say many of the world’s democracies fall ____________ of achieving this. There is perhaps no country that has true equality.		within  claims choose short basic equally main meet

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.

The International Day of Democracy starts / started in 2007. The United Nations General Assembly decided to have a special day to raise / rise awareness of living in a democracy. They chose / chosen September 15th as that day and invited every country and member organization to focus on the beneficial / benefits of democracy. The U.N. declared there was no single model of democracy. A resolution said all democracies share common features / feature “and that democracy does not belong to all / any country or region”. The U.N. said: “Democracy is a universal value based on the freedom- / freely-expressed will / shall of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems, and their full / fully participation in all aspects of life.”

The International Day of Democracy website claims democracies can have many advantage / advantages for their citizens. The main one is to ensure people’s / peoples basic freedoms. “In a democracy, people are able to think, say and do what they wish without / within the law and with respect for others, to practice their beliefs and to live the kinds of life they chosen / choose.” Another advantage is that a democracy met / meets popular needs. The more influence ordinary people have over their government, the more likeable / likely government will meet their basic needs. The website says democracies treat people equally and are free from / by discrimination. It does say many of the world’s democracies fall short of achieving this / these. There is perhaps no country that has true equality.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

The International Day of Democracy (1) ____ in 2007. The United Nations General Assembly decided to have a special day to (2) ____ awareness of living in a democracy. They chose September 15th as that day and invited every country and (3) ____ organization to focus on the benefits of democracy. The U.N. declared there was no single model (4) ____ democracy. A resolution said all democracies share common features “and that democracy does not belong to any country or region”. The U.N. said: “Democracy is a universal value based on the freely-expressed (5) ____ of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems, and their full participation in all aspects of (6) ____.”

The International Day of Democracy website claims democracies can have many advantages (7) ____ their citizens. The main one is to ensure (8) ____  basic freedoms. “In a democracy, people are able to think, say and do what they wish (9) ____ the law and with respect for others, to practice their beliefs and to live the kinds of life they choose.” Another advantage is that a democracy meets popular (10) ____. The more influence ordinary people have over their government, the more (11) ____ government will meet their basic needs. The website says democracies treat people equally and are free from discrimination. It does say many of the world’s democracies (12) ____ short of achieving this. There is perhaps no country that has true equality.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	start	(b)	started	(c)	starting	(d)	starts
2.	(a)	raise	(b)	rise	(c)	up	(d)	higher
3.	(a)	members	(b)	member’s	(c)	member	(d)	membership
4.	(a)	at	(b)	on	(c)	to	(d)	of
5.	(a)	shall	(b)	might	(c)	could	(d)	will
6.	(a)	lively	(b)	live	(c)	life	(d)	alive
7.	(a)	by	(b)	at	(c)	for	(d)	in
8.	(a)	people’s	(b)	peoples	(c)	persons	(d)	people
9.	(a)	without	(b)	within	(c)	withhold	(d)	wither
10.	(a)	necessary	(b)	needy	(c)	needed	(d)	needs
11.	(a)	liking	(b)	likely	(c)	likeable	(d)	liked
12.	(a)	fall	(b)	down	(c)	decrease	(d)	stumble

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	aersi awareness
2.	tvidine every country
3.	besenfti of democracy
4.	share mcnoom features
5.	any country or igonre
6.	in all estscpa of life
Paragraph 2
7.	many nasevtgdaa
8.	ensure people’s aisbc freedoms
9.	nithiw the law
10.	onrdiyra people
11.	the more yliekl
12.	true teyuqlia

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

(    )	expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and
(    )	say and do what they wish within the law and with respect for others, to practice their beliefs and to live the kinds of
(    )	The International Day of Democracy website claims democracies can have many advantages
(    )	life they choose.” Another advantage is that a democracy meets popular needs. The more influence ordinary
(    )	cultural systems, and their full participation in all aspects of life.”
(    )	for their citizens. The main one is to ensure people’s basic freedoms. “In a democracy, people are able to think,
(    )	to any country or region”. The U.N. said: “Democracy is a universal value based on the freely-
(    )	people have over their government, the more likely government will meet
(    )	their basic needs. The website says democracies treat people equally and are free from discrimination. It does say many
(    )	day to raise awareness of living in a democracy. They chose September 15th as that day and invited every
(    )	model of democracy. A resolution said all democracies share common features “and that democracy does not belong
(  1  )	The International Day of Democracy started in 2007. The United Nations General Assembly decided to have a special
(    )	country and member organization to focus on the benefits of democracy. The U.N. declared there was no single
(    )	of the world’s democracies fall short of achieving this. There is perhaps no country that has true equality.

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	raise     to     day     special     a     Have     awareness.
2.	and     organization     Invited     country     member     every.
3.	no     was     There     democracy     of     model     single.
4.	not    any    region    does    to    or    Democracy    belong    country.
5.	life     of     aspects     all     in     participation     Full.
6.	many     have     can     Democracies     advantages.
7.	law     the     within     wish     they     what     Do.
8.	ordinary     have     The     influence     people     more.
9.	meet     basic     will     their     needs     Government.
10.	Democracies     short     achieving     fall     of     this.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

THE DEMOCRACY SURVEY

Write five questions about International Day of Democracy in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out.  Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITING

Write about International Day of Democracy for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

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HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about International Day of Democracy. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about International Day of Democracy. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. POSTER: Make your own poster about International Day of Democracy. Write about will happen on this day around the world.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.