N E W YO RK S T A TE SO CI A L S T U DIE S RE SO U R CE T O OL KI T
3rd Grade Leadership and Government Inquiry
Does It Matter How
Leaders Are Chosen?
Public domain. Pete Souza, photograph of President Barack Obama, January 2009.
Supporting Questions
1. Who is in charge of the government?
2. How are leaders of governments chosen?
3. What can happen when leaders make decisions that people do not like?
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N E W YO RK S T A TE SO CI A L S T U DIE S RE SO U R CE T O OL KI T
3rd Grade Leadership and Government Inquiry
Does It Matter How Leaders Are Chosen?
New York State
Social Studies
Framework Key Idea
& Practices
Staging the Question
3.7: Governments in communities around the world have the authority to make and the power to
enforce laws. The role of the citizen within these communities or countries varies across different types
of governments.
Gathering, Using, and Interpreting Evidence
Economics and Economic Systems
Comparison and Contextualization
Civic Participation
Discuss whether leaders are necessary.
Supporting Question 1
Supporting Question 2
Supporting Question 3
Understand
Understand
Assess
Who is in charge of the government?
Formative
Performance Task
Create cards for each form of
government and sort the cards into
categories according to who holds the
power.
Featured Sources
Source A: “Who Rules?”
Source B: “Democracy?” and
“Democracy vs. Autocracy”
Summative
Performance
Task
Taking
Informed
Action
How are leaders of governments
chosen?
Formative
Performance Task
Complete a chart for three countries,
naming the type of government, the
head of state (name and title), and how
the leader is chosen.
What can happen when leaders make
decisions that people do not like?
Formative
Performance Task
Discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of different kinds of
government leadership.
Featured Source
Featured Sources
Source A: Government profiles:
Descriptions of how leaders are chosen
and images of heads of state of
selected countries
Source A: “Thailand’s Army Arrests
Students for Using Salute from ‘Hunger
Games’”
Source B: “Thousands Protest in Hong
Kong on Monday for Free Elections”
ARGUMENT Does it matter how leaders are chosen? Construct an argument (e.g., detailed outline, poster, essay)
that addresses the compelling question using specific claims and relevant evidence from contemporary sources
while acknowledging competing views.
ACT Create a public service announcement about the role of voting to share with the rest of the school before the
next school election.
THIS WORK IS LICENSED UNDER A CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION-NONCOMMERCIAL-SHAREALIKE 4.0
INTERNATIONAL LICENSE.
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Overview
Inquiry Description
This inquiry is an exploration into governments around the world; it examines how the fundamental principles of
governments vary in different world communities with diverse political systems. In uncovering the idea that the
role of citizens varies in governments around the world, students develop an argument supported by evidence that
answers the compelling question “Does it matter how leaders are chosen?”
In addition to the Key Idea expressed earlier, this inquiry reflects the following Conceptual Understandings:



(3.7a) The US government is based on democratic principles. The fundamental principles of other
governments may be similar to or different from those of the US government.
(3.7b) The process of selecting leaders, solving problems, and making decisions differs across
governments in nations and communities around the world.
(3.7d) The definition of citizenship and the role of the citizen vary across different types of political
systems, and citizens play a greater role in the political process in some countries than in others.
This inquiry embeds the Taking Informed Action sequence throughout. The understand element is developed
through Supporting Questions 1 and 2, while the assess element is represented in Supporting Question 3. The
action piece, the development of a public service announcement on the role of voting, can be done in addition to or
as a substitute for the Summative Performance Task.
NOTE: This inquiry is expected to take three to five 30-minute class periods. The inquiry time frame might expand
if teachers think their students need additional instructional experiences (i.e., supporting questions, formative
performance tasks, and featured sources). Teachers are encouraged to adapt the inquiriesto meet the
requirements and interests of their particular students. Resources can also be modified as necessary to meet
individualized education programs (IEPs) or Section 504 Plans for students with disabilities.
Structure of the Inquiry
In addressing the compelling question “Does it matter how leaders are chosen?” students work through a series of
supporting questions, formative performance tasks, and featured sources in order to construct an argument
supported by evidence and counterevidence from a variety of sources.
Staging the Compelling Question
This inquiry opens with the compelling question “Does it matter how leaders are chosen?” To engage students in
considering the compelling question, teachers and students can discuss the idea of whether leaders are necessary.
In doing so, students should develop an understanding of the concept of leadership and of the relationship between
leaders and followers.
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Supporting Question 1
The first supporting question—“Who is in charge of the government?”—plays upon students’ understandings of
authority figures and the institution of government. This question grounds the inquiry by establishing the idea
that, although they may have different titles (e.g., president, king), every country has people in charge of leading
the government. The featured sources—two secondary texts describing various forms of government and who is in
charge in each—demonstrate how governments around the world differ in terms of who holds authority. In the
formative performance task, students use the featured sources to create cards naming each form of government
(i.e., autocracy, monarchy, dictatorship, democracy, oligarchy, theocracy, anarchy). They then sort the cards into
categories according to who holds the power in that type of government—one person, a few people, or all people—
and explain their choices to a partner.
Supporting Question 2
The second supporting question—“How are leaders of governments chosen?”—examines the process of selecting
national leaders, illustrating how this process and other decision-making processes differ across governments
around the world. The formative performance task is to complete a chart for three countries, naming the type of
government and the head of state (name and title) and describing how the leader is chosen. The featured sources—
descriptions of how leaders are chosen accompanied by an image bank of heads of state in selected countries—
should help students complete the task.
NOTE: Teachers may need to attend to the vocabulary needs of students in navigating the government descriptions
and to the possibility that the heads of state in the source may change.
Supporting Question 3
The third supporting question—“What happens when leaders make decisions that people don’t like?”—
investigates how the role of citizens varies in countries around the world and asks students to examine how
citizens respond to unpopular actions taken by their governments. The featured sources—two articles reporting
on unrest in two countries—illustrate the fact that citizens face similar and different challenges around the world.
In the formative performance task, students cite the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of
government and participate in a structured discussion.
Summative Performance Task
At this point in the inquiry, students have explored various forms of government, identified examples of each form,
and described how the leaders are selected. Additionally, they have investigated the implications of disagreeing
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with one’s government. Students should be able to demonstrate the breadth of their understanding and their
ability to use evidence from multiple sources to construct an evidence-based argument responding to the
compelling question “Does it matter how leaders are chosen?”
Student arguments will likely vary, but could include any of the following:




It matters how leaders are chosen because if there were no elections, people would have no say in their
government.
It matters how leaders are chosen because governments should represent what the people want.
It does not matter how leaders are chosen because even when leaders are elected, people may still not like
the government.
It does not matter how leaders are chosen because even if people get to vote, there may not be good
choices.
Students have the opportunity to Take Informed Action by creating a public service announcement about the role
of voting to share with the rest of the school before the next school elections.
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Supporting Question 1
Featured Source
Source A: iCivics, article about different heads of government, “Who Rules?”, 2011
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© 2011 iCivics, Inc. www.icivics.org/teachers.
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Supporting Question 1
Featured Source
Source B: Congress for Kids, descriptions of two types of governmental, “Democracy” and
“Democracy v. Autocracy,” 2015
Democracy
The United States has had the same type of government for more than 200 years. It’s called a “representative
democracy.” Among the nations of the world, it is unusual for a system of government to last so long. Most
governments are based on a written set of principles, sometimes called a “constitution” or a “charter.” When
citizens directly participate by voting, the government is called a “democracy.”
Used with permission. Congress for Kids: http://www.congressforkids.net/Independence_democracy.htm.
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Democracy vs. Autocracy
The power and strength of government come from the people in a democracy. The word “democracy” comes from
two Greek words: “demos” meaning “people” and “kratos” meaning “power” or “authority.” The United States is a
democracy.
Some countries have autocratic governments. The word “autocracy,” the opposite of democracy, comes from the
Greek words: “autos” meaning “self” and “kratos” meaning “power.” In an autocratic government, one person or
group holds all the power, without the participation, or sometimes even the consent, of the people.
Used with permission. Congress for Kids: http://www.congressforkids.net/Independence_demovsauto.htm.
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Supporting Question 2
Featured Source
Source A: Government profiles: Descriptions of how leaders are chosen and images of heads of
state in selected countries
Saudi Arabia is led by
In Switzerland citizens
one powerful king. The
elect representatives.
throne is inherited
The Federal Council is a
through the family. The
seven-member council
king appoints a Council
of Ministers to help
govern, but there are no
elections. The king is the head of state and
absolute monarch.
which serves as a group
head of state. Citizens
also vote several times a
year to decide on laws. All citizens may vote
directly on these laws.
In The United States the
head of state is the
president, who is elected
indirectly by the citizens
through an electoral
college. In order to prevent
one person from having too
much power, there are three branches of
government. People vote to choose the
members of Congress and judges are
appointed to a Supreme Court by the
President.
China is a state ruled by a
powerful central
government. The head of
state is the president, but
the president is not elected
by the citizens. The
National People’s
Congress is the group that
elects the president. The members of the
National People’s Congress are chosen by
the Communist Party of China. Citizens only
vote for representatives on the lowest level of
the country’s government structure.
One man leads North
Korea and controls its
government. He also
controls its ruling political
party. The ruling party
chooses candidates for
an Assembly, and citizens
vote. But the candidates
do not have opponents, so citizens have no
choices.
In Thailand there is
a king, but he has
little direct power.
The head of
government is the
prime minister, who
is appointed by the
king after being
chosen by members of parliament. Members
of parliament are elected by citizens.
Source: Adapted from icivics.org, kids.net.au, and kids.nationalgeographic.com
Created for the New York State K–12 Social Studies Toolkit by Binghamton University, 2015. Adapted from iCivics.org, kids.net.au,
and kids. nationalgeographic.com.
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Barack Obama. President of the United States of America.
Public domain. Pete Souza, photograph of President Barack Obama, January 2009.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/images/Administration/People/president_official_portrait_lores.jpg.
The Swiss Federal Council
Used with permission. The Federal Council.
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Salman bin Adbul-Aziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia.
© Raed Qutena/European Pressphoto Agency.
Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China.
© Reuters.
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Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand.
© Reuters.
Kim Jong-un, leader of North Korea.
© Reuters.
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Supporting Question 3
Featured Source
Source A: Newsela staff, article describing Thai student protests adapted from the Los Angeles
Times, “Imitating the movie “Mockingjay,” protesters get arrested in Thailand,” November 20,
2014
Imitating the Movie "Mockingjay," Protesters Get Arrested in Thailand
By Los Angeles Times, adapted by Newsela staff
Life is imitating a movie in Thailand. Students there are using a hand signal from the “Hunger Games” movies to
protest against the military. Now, officials have banned the three-finger salute and have arrested young
demonstrators for using it.
Three students in the capital, Bangkok, were arrested in a movie theater showing “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay
— Part 1.” The students were the latest protesters accused of using a hand gesture from the movie. "Mockingjay"
is the newest movie based on the books by Suzanne Collins about teens fighting a tyrant.
Thailand's military took over the government on May 22 and cut back freedoms, including the right to protest. The
military said it was necessary to restore order after months of protests.
Using Symbols Against Military Rule
In 2013, Thailand was hit by demonstrations for and against the last prime minister. People against the prime
minister called his government dishonest and corrupt and said it should go. Supporters said the government was
elected by the people and should stay.
Groups of five or more people have been banned since the military took over. Young people are frustrated by not
being able to get together and demand more freedoms.
Many young protesters are using symbols to protest the military rule. Some are reading “1984,” George Orwell’s
novel about a fight against a dictatorship, openly in public.
Premieres of “Mockingjay” were canceled at two Bangkok movie theaters. Student organizers had bought up
hundreds of tickets. They planned to give tickets away and gather people against the military. A colonel with the
city's police said the three students who were arrested were taken to an army camp for “attitude adjustment.”
The Chinese government held back “Mockingjay” from the country’s theaters until next year, said the magazine
Variety. It wasn’t clear if that was because of the movie's popularity with pro-democracy activists. Chinese officials
have been dealing with protests for greater democracy in Hong Kong for over a month.
"Ruin Their Future"
In Thailand, five other student protesters were arrested for using the three-finger salute. They used it during a
speech by the army's leader, Prayuth Chan-Ocha.
Prayuth told reporters that it only bothered him when the students used the hand sign because it could "ruin their
future." Prayuth also said that restrictions of freedoms will continue until the time is right to lift them.
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Defenders of human rights criticized the government. They said banning symbols of protest is going too far.
Matilda Bogner, a United Nations human rights official, called it a human rights violation. It shuts down people's
right to speak out, she said.
"Life in Thailand is growing more absurd by the day," John Sifton wrote in a Twitter post. He works for the group
Human Rights Watch.
If Prayuth's government is that afraid of young people imitating a movie, that is a sign that things need to change,
Sifton wrote.
Original version by the Los Angeles Times, adapted by Newsela (newsela.com). https://newsela.com/articles/thaihungergames/id/6147/.
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Supporting Question 3
Featured Source
Source B: Newsela staff, article describing Hong Kong protests over elections adapted from the Los
Angeles Times, “Thousands Protest in Hong Kong on Monday for Free Elections,” September 29,
2014
Thousands Protest in Hong Kong on Monday for Free Elections
By Los Angeles Times, adapted by Newsela staff
© AP Photo/Vincent Yu.
Thousands of protesters blocked the streets of Hong Kong on Monday. The protesters are calling for the Chinese
government to give them free elections.
Hong Kong is a territory of 7 million people on China’s south coast. It was long ruled by the British. In 1997, power
was transferred to China. The Chinese government promised that the government of Hong Kong would be able to
govern the territory for at least 50 years. Hong Kong’s people enjoy more freedoms than people in mainland China.
Now, the territory is protesting because China announced new election rules at the end of the summer. The rules
would limit free elections. Only people approved by the Chinese government could run for election as Hong Kong’s
top official in 2017.
People in Hong Kong are unhappy over other issues, as well. These include high housing prices. There is also a
growing income gap between the rich and poor. In addition, young protesters don’t feel connected to mainland
China. Instead, they feel a strong sense that they are Hong Kongers.
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Protesters Block Streets
Monday’s demonstrations forced schools, banks and other businesses to close. Government officials said they
would stop the plans for a big fireworks celebration on Wednesday. The holiday marks the founding of China.
The protesters demonstrated in neighborhoods throughout Hong Kong. They sat down on roadways and blocked
streets. Police backed away from fighting directly with the demonstrators. On Sunday, police had fired tear gas at
protesters. Tear gas is a chemical that irritates the eyes. It is used to break up protests.
The Chinese government had warned that the demonstrations could cause serious damage to Hong Kong
businesses. Some workers refused to work in support of the protesters. Also, a number of businesses opened late
or closed early. But for the most part, business went on as usual.
The protests were started over the summer by a group called Occupy Central.
What Will Happen Next?
Chi-Keung Choy is a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Choy said the protests have become much
more widespread. No one seems to be in control. Choy said he does not know what will happen next. However, to
get the protesters off the streets, government officials will have to give in to some of their demands, he said.
Western governments are concerned about the situation. But they have been careful about showing support for the
protesters.
Hua Chunying is a spokeswoman for the Chinese government. She warned other countries not to interfere.
“Hong Kong belongs to China,” she said. “We strongly oppose any countries interfering or supporting Occupy
Central by any methods.”
“This Is a People’s Movement”
In Hong Kong, demonstrations are usually well organized and calm. The wildness of the protests has surprised
people. It has also encouraged many people to stand with the protesters.
Jerry Ip is 25 years old. He and a few friends were tear-gassed by police Sunday night. He said, “I felt like I’d die.”
Even so, Ip said he would not give up. “We’re fighting for the future of Hong Kong. This is our homeland.”
Hong Kong’s government has tried to calm the situation. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying is the top official in Hong
Kong. He promised that police would treat protesters with respect. He also said that he hoped people would “keep
calm.”
Leung said government officials would soon hold talks about the election rules. Then on Monday, he took it back.
He said the government would listen to what people think another time.
A local lawmaker named Alan Leong said that people in Hong Kong were going to be upset about this
decision. ”This is a people’s movement,” he said.
Original version by the Los Angeles Times, adapted by Newsela (newsela.com). https://newsela.com/articles/hongkongprotest/id/5402/.
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