Living+Democracy+Final+Exam

// The question is surely as old as the subject: What is the meaning of democracy? // Your assignment, your challenge, is to answer that question as best you can. We’ve read and discussed different viewpoints on the issue, and your personal insights, beliefs and experiences certainly provide your own experiences. For your final exam I would like you to demonstrate your idea of what democracy means and how people should act in a democratic society. You have 3-5 minutes to make your presentation to the class. The manner of your presentation is completely up to you. Relax, be creative, and work from your heart. __Some ideas:__ §  Create some art  §   Write some poetry  §   Perform an original song  §   Give a speech  §   Create an ad campaign  §   Produce a TV ad  §   Film a public service announcement   §   Create a slide show  §   Produce a series of radio ads            §   Come up with another unique manner of sharing your understanding with the class
 * The meaning of democracy**

(//__The essence of F-level work is that the student demonstrated a pattern of uncritical thinking and/or failed to do the required work__//) (//__The essence of D-level work is that it demonstrates only a minimal level of understanding and skill in critical thinking.__//) (//__The essence of C-level work is that it demonstrates more than a minimal level of critical thinking, but it is also highly inconsistent, with as many weaknesses as strengths.__//) (//__The essence of B-level work is that it demonstrates more strengths than weaknesses and is more consistent in high level performance than C-level work. It nevertheless has some distinctive weaknesses, though no major ones.__//) (//__The essence of A-level work is overall excellence, no major weaknesses.__//)
 * The Grade of F **
 * Explanation ||  §  a superficial account; more descriptive than analytical or creative; a fragmentary or sketchy account of facts/ideas or glib generalizations; a black-and-white account; less a theory than an unexamined hunch or borrowed idea.  ||
 * Interpretation ||  §  a simplistic or superficial reading; mechanical translation, a decoding with little or no interpretation; no sense of wider importance or significance; a restatement of what was taught or read. ||
 * Application ||  §   can perform only with coaching or relies on highly scripted, singular “plug-in” (algorithmic and mechanical) skills, procedures, or approaches. ||
 * Perspective ||  §  unaware of differing points of view; prone to overlook or ignore other perspectives; has difficulty imagining other ways of seeing things; prone to egocentric argument and personal criticisms. ||
 * Empathy ||  §  has little or no empathy beyond intellectual awareness of others; sees things through own ideas and feelings; ignores or is threatened or puzzled by different feelings, attitudes, or views. ||
 * Self-Knowledge ||  §   completely unaware of the bounds of one’s understanding and of the role of projection and prejudice in opinions and attempts to understand  ||
 * The Grade of D **
 * Explanation || * an incomplete account but with apt and insightful ideas; extends and deepens some of what was learned; some “reading between the lines”; account has limited support/argument/data or sweeping generalizations. There is a theory, but one with limited testing and evidence. ||
 * Interpretation || * a plausible interpretation or analysis of the importance/meaning/significance; makes sense of a story; provides history and context ||
 * Application || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">relies on a limited repertoire of routines; able to perform well in familiar or simple contexts, with perhaps some needed coaching; limited use of personal judgment and responsiveness to specifics of feedback/situation.  ||
 * Perspective || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">knows of different points of view and somewhat able to place own view in perspective, but weakness in considering worth of each perspective, especially one’s own uncritical about tacit assumptions ||
 * Empathy || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">has some capacity and self-discipline to “walk in another’s shoes” but is still primarily limited to one’s own reactions and attitudes; puzzled or put out by different feelings or attitudes. ||
 * Self-Knowledge || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">generally unaware of one’s specific ignorance; generally unaware of how subjective prejudgments color understandings.  ||
 * The Grade of C **
 * Explanation || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">an account that reflects some in-depth and personalized ideas; the student is making the work her own, going beyond the given – there is supported theory here, but insufficient or inadequate argument or evidence. ||
 * Interpretation || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">a helpful interpretation or analysis of the importance/meaning/significance; tells a clear and instructive story; provides a useful history or context; sees different levels of interpretation. ||
 * Application || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">able to perform well with knowledge and skill in a few key contexts, with a limited repertoire, flexibility, or adaptability to diverse contexts.  ||
 * Perspective || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">a reasonably critical and comprehensive look at all the points of view in the context of one’s own; makes clear that there is plausibility to other points of view. ||
 * Empathy || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">knows and feels what others see and feel differently; somewhat able to empathize with others; has difficulty making sense of odd or alien views. ||
 * Self-Knowledge || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">generally aware of what is and is not understood; aware of how prejudice and projection can occur without awareness and shape one’s views.  ||
 * The Grade of B **
 * Explanation || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">an atypical and revealing account, going beyond what is obvious or what was explicitly taught; makes subtle connections; well supported by argument and evidence; novel thinking displayed. ||
 * Interpretation || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">a nuanced interpretation and analysis of the importance/meaning/significance; tells an insightful story; provides a telling history or context; sees subtle differences, levels, and ironies in diverse interpretations. ||
 * Application || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">competent in using knowledge and skill and adapting understanding in a variety of appropriate and demanding contexts.  ||
 * Perspective || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">a revealing and coordinated critical view; makes own view more plausible by considering the plausibility of other perspectives; makes apt criticisms, discriminations, and qualifications. ||
 * Empathy || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">disposed to see and feel what others see and feel; open to the unfamiliar and different. ||
 * Self-Knowledge || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">aware of one’s ignorance and that of others; aware of one’s prejudices; knows the strengths and limits of one’s understanding.  ||
 * The Grade of A **
 * Explanation || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">an unusually thorough, elegant, and inventive account (model, theory, or explanation); fully supported, verified, and justified; deep and broad; goes well beyond the information given. ||
 * Interpretation || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">a powerful and illuminating interpretation and analysis of the importance/meaning/significance; tells a rich and insightful story; provides a rich history or context; sees deeply and incisively any ironies in the different interpretations. ||
 * Application || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">fluent, flexible, and efficient; able to use knowledge and skill and adjust understandings well in novel, diverse, and difficult contexts.  ||
 * Perspective || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">a penetrating and novel viewpoint; effectively critiques and encompasses other plausible perspectives; takes a long and dispassionate, critical view of the issues involved. ||
 * Empathy || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">disposed and able to see and feel what others see and feel; unusually open to and willing to seek out the odd, alien, or different. ||
 * Self-Knowledge || * <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">deeply aware of the boundaries of one’s own and others’ understanding; able to recognize his prejudices and projections; has integrity – able and willing to act on what one understands.  ||