Cdvs in The Newsw14

Exploring Core Democratic Values
Looking at Current Issues in the News

Lesson plan:
1. Spend time introducing the Core Democratic Values and Principles.
2. Once the class is familiar with and can define/discuss CDVs, introduce the concept in the Basic Beliefs
collection of news articles or bring in articles from local papers or online news sources that demonstrate
that CDVs are in play today, every day in our current events/issues.
3. Define public policy and differentiate from Service Learning.
4. Give each group of four students one article to read and discuss. Most of the articles have focus
questions to facilitate a discussion in Part I of the Activity. Be ready to present (summarize, dont read)
the article to the rest of the class and tell why it is representative of the CDV at the top of the article.
Assignment: Find an article in any local newspaper or online news source (MLive, WSJ, NYT, etc.) that
presents a local, state, or national public policy issue. Print out for class and attach to this rubric.
Summarize the article. Identify the CDV that is being debated. Identify the level of government that would
have jurisdiction in this issue. (local, state, national) AND the branch of government that addresses this issue
Give the rationale for choosing the CDV you identified and why you said that. Develop 2-3 focus questions
that would help another student discuss the issue. Be ready to present your article to a small group and turn in.
Exploring CDVs in the News Rubric (USE TEMPLATE)

On time
Title/APA
Citation
3 points
Assignment is on time
and available for class
discussion
Article is identified using
APA citation format
(Use Template)
Article print
and include with
assignment
Grammar,
Spelling,
Article Summary
(5Ws and H)
(Use Template)
CDV identified
(Use Template)
Rationale for
each CDV
(Use Template)
Level of
government
(Use Template)
Branch of
government
(Use Template)
Focus questions
(Use Template)
Included article
highlights a U.S.
community, state, or
national public policy
issue
0-1 mistakes in grammar,
spelling and/or
punctuation.
Article is summarized
clearly and succinctly
including all important
information
CDV(s) identified
correctly
Rationale for each
identified CDV clearly
described
Correctly identifies the
U.S. level of government
with jurisdiction
Correctly identifies the
branch(es) of U.S.
government involved
2-3 focus questions that
will facilitate discussion
of the issue
1 point
Work is posted on time,
but not brought to class
for discussion
Article is identified by
the Title, Date, News
Source
Included article is about
something other than a
U.S. public policy issue
(service learning, etc.)
0 points
Assignment is late.
2 -3 mistakes in grammar,
spelling and/or
punctuation dont affect
understanding.
Article is summarized.
Important info may be
missing or summary
includes too much info.
Unclear choice; not really
the focus of this article
Any amount of
mistakes in writing
affect
understanding
Article summary is
missing.
Rationale for identified

CDV described, but may
be unclear
Unclear choice or reason;
not really the focus of
this article
Unclear choice or reason;
not really the focus of
this article
1 focus question that will
facilitate discussion
Article is
misidentified or
not identified
No copy of the
article turned in
with assignment
CDV identified
incorrectly or not
identified
Rationale for
identified CDV not
described
Level of U.S.
government
missing/incorrect.
Branch(es) of U.S.
govt involved
missing/incorrect.
No focus questions
written
Total points possible: 30; What do you think? ________ Total points earned: __________
CDVs in the News Use this template to complete this assignment. Student work is inserted in right-hand
column below for each section
Name and SST309 Section
Laura DeCarlo 03
Title of Article and APA
Obama: Community college should be as free and universal in America as
Citation
high school
Obama:CommunitycollegeshouldbeasfreeanduniversalinAmericaashighschool.
(n.d.).RetrievedMarch29,2015,fromhttp://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/community
collegetuitiontopthemestateunionspeech
Complete summary of Article

(5Ws and H) (Who, What,
When, Where, Why, and How?)
Core Democratic Value(s)
Rationale for each of the CDVs

(Why does the CDV you chose
fit this issue?)
During President Obamas state of the Union Address on January 20, 2015 he
stated that community college should be free to those who have a 2.5 GPA or
higher and working toward getting a degree or toward transferring to a four
year university. President Obama wants this bill to be passed because 40% of
college students choose community college and he believes that people
should graduate without a load of debt. Under this proposal the federal
government would cover seventy five percent of the average costs of
community college which would then force the state to pay the remaining
twenty five percent.
1. Common Good
2. Equality
3. Justice
etc. Separation of Powers
1. The Common Good is subliminally mentioned throughout this article. If
the Government chooses to pass this bill of free college to students at
community college it will benefit the community as a whole. Josh
Wyner, director of the College Excellence Program at the

Aspen Institute, argued that making two years of
community college as universal as a high school diploma
would boost economic growth and help close the
countrys growing wealth gap. If this bill were to be
passed, this would promote the well being of individuals,
the communities, and the country as a whole.
2. This article also shows examples of Equality. Everyone in the country has
a right to go to institutions to better their education but if they do not have
the money to do so they are stuck at a low paying job barely making it to pay
the bills. If this law is passed it gives everyone a chance to not only to go to
college but also to go to Community college for free.
3. This article is an example of Justice as well, if everyone has the right to go
to community college for free all people are being treated fairly and equally.
This bill also promotes justice because if people are not following the
requirements of the proposal then the college has a right to take that
opportunity away from someone.
etc. Separation of Powers this article is a good indication of the separation of
powers. It shows that although the president wants to pass a bill, it still has to
go through congress and congress has a right to deny the president. This is
shown in paragraph seven, when different proposals were brought up the
article states that Congress has not passed anything that comes close to
these proposals.
Branch of Government
The two branches of government indicated in this article are the Executive
indicated in this issue AND how and Legislative branches. This article is about passing the proposal of free
do you know?
college tuition to students attending community college. President Obama
who is head of the Executive Branch gave this proposal. The proposal has to
be approved by the legislative branches before the proposal can be passed.
Level of Government with
Both the Legislative and the Executive Levels of Government are presented
jurisdiction AND how do you in this article. President Obamas name is mentioned quite often because it is
know?
an article on his State of the Union Address. Congress is also mentioned
about passing and not passing certain proposals made by President Obama.
2-3 Focus questions how
Do you believe that this is an act of justice? Is it fair that only students going
would you lead a substantive
to community to college have this opportunity, why or why not? Being that
discussion on this article as it
we are college students at a university do you believe that we should have the
relates to the Core Democratic
opportunity to go to school for free or at least have our tuition cut in half,
Values?
why or why not? Do you believe that there should be more restrictions to this
bill if it is passed? If yes, what are they?

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Exploring Core Democratic Values

Looking at Current Issues in the News

Exploring CDVs in the News Rubric (USE TEMPLATE)

Rationale for identified

Complete summary of Article

Core Democratic Value(s)

Rationale for each of the CDVs

Wyner, director of the College Excellence Program at the

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