6- Government

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Questions to consider when researching:

• Why do cultures create governments?

• What does a government provide for people?

• Which are necessary?

• Which help a culture succeed?

• Do you think governments are more likely to make a region peaceful or are they more likely to encourage war?

• Which is better for cultures and for trading goods and ideas?

• How do governments change over time?

• Governments often change as years, decades, and centuries pass. Consider the changes made by Ashoka of India and how his changes may have helped or hurt his people. Explore other leaders that made changes in governments. How did these changes help or hinder the culture?

Questions to Get You Thinking:

• What type of government did the culture have? Ex: Monarchy

• How is the government of one culture different from another?

• Was there a social structure (ex: The Caste System) that would have helped govern the culture?

• Did religion play a role in the government?

• How was the leader of the government chosen?

• Are there other parts of the government besides a single ruler?

• Did the government help the culture share ideas and goods with other cultures? Or, did the government prevent the culture from sharing ideas and goods?

Project Procedures

• Using your research about government, you need to answer the following question: Do you think a culture could be successful without a government? Why/why not?

• Use your research as evidence (pretend you are a lawyer and government is at trial) present a case proving government is needed or is not needed to make a culture successful.

• While putting together your evidence keep the following things in mind: -Would there be laws? Are laws necessary? -Would there be schools? Are schools necessary? -Would there be an army? Is an army necessary? -What other aspects of a culture would be different without a government?

• Hammurabi’s Code vs. Modern Day Laws

• Government of Ancient Rome vs. Modern U.S. Government

• Indian Caste System vs. Medieval Feudal System

• Ancient Chinese Government to Modern Chinese Government

• Evolution of the English and French Monarchies

• Government of Ancient Greece vs. Modern U.S. Government

Governments Helping or Hindering

Graphic organizers help us organize our thinking. Got to a Google Docs version of the graphic below to make a copy and add information. You can adapt the organizer for other topics such as How did governments help or hinder the growth of culture?