Campers in Structures in Our World are learning that the buildings we inhabit are not the only structures in our world. Debate raged in class today as they tried to determine which governmental structure allows for the most harmonious populace. Three teams faced off, each representing a different form of government; dictatorship, constitutional monarchy, and representative democracy.
The rules were strict, each group had two minutes for an opening and one minute to close, with five minutes in between for questions and discussion. They had to treat each other respectfully and weren’t allowed to engage in personal attacks. Ideally, they supported their position with facts and examples.
Choosing to focus on harmony, rather than whether the type of government was good or bad, required some extra critical thinking. Each group had to decide what “harmony” meant. From the arguments they presented they seemed to have decided that harmony meant absence of discord in the society. While there wasn’t much agreement about which structure was most likely to guarantee harmony, everyone agreed that the exercise helped them see government differently.
