Power and
Authority:
~ What’s the difference?
Focus Questions:
 What is authority?
What is the difference between authority
and power?
POWER
 If one person makes
another do
something, that
person is using
power.
Let’s Play!
 We will play the “paddle” game. Draw a
“thumbs up” on one side of your paddle
and a “thumbs down” on the other side.
 Listen to the following scenarios. If the
scenario shows a person acting on
his/her own, raise your thumbs up
paddle. If the scenario shows a person
acting because someone had power over
him/her, raise your thumbs down paddle.
Scenario 1:
 Tim is going
swimming after
school
Scenario 2:
 Julia’s mother made
her wait an hour after
eating before going
in the pool.
Scenario 3:
 Isaiah could not watch the baseball game
because his brother kept changing the
channel.
Scenario 4:
 Grace gave a dollar to her friend to buy a
snack
Scenario 5:
 Kyle’s father said he could not go outside
to play until his homework was finished
Discussion…
 Now you can turn and talk to a partner about
the scenarios in which someone acted on
his/her own and when the person acted
because someone had power over him/her.
 Next, please respond to these two questions in
your empowerment journals:
1.) Describe a time that you acted on your own
when you made a choice.
2.) Describe a time when you acted because
someone had power over you.
AUTHORITY
 The right to use power to influence or
control the behavior of others.
 Note the difference between power and
authority: Authority involves the right to
tell others what to do.
Who has authority…
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In your home?
(parents)
At school?
(teachers, principal)
In our community?
(police officers, mayor)
Tell me…how is authority different from
power?
Role Play!
 In groups, you will create a skit to
demonstrate a particular scenario. You will
have 10-15 minutes to prepare your skit.
 Other students will be asked to tell whether
they feel your skit accurately demonstrates
power and/or authority. Make it count!
Scenario 1:
 A teacher assigning homework/class
work to his/her class.
Scenario 2:
 A parent telling a child to do their chores.
Scenario 3:
 A student demanding
money for recess
from another student.
Scenario 4:
 A police officer giving someone a ticket.
Scenario 5:
 A thief robbing a bank.
Discussion…
 How did you feel
creating and
watching those
skits?
 Do you feel you
have a greater
understanding of
power and
authority?
 Let’s see…
In which scene is the person using
person using power without
authority? Explain…
WRAP UP!
Concluding thoughts…
 Why is authority needed?
 Why is it important to know
the difference between
authority and power?
Check out these Heritage Minutes and
consider how authority and power
influence the events.
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Governor Frontenac
Orphans
Jennie Trout
Louis Riel
Nellie McClung
 In your
empowerment
journal, state the
types/sources of
power you see
people using to
achieve their goals,
and critique the use
of the power.