- Definition
Democracy is a way of running a country where people either vote directly on laws or choose representatives to vote for them, like how Canadians elect people to make decisions on their behalf.
When a class votes for a student council representative, that person then votes on school issues for the whole class.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Democracy is a way people participate in public decisions, including by voting for representatives and sharing their views.
Ask your child: How could our family make a fair choice about what game to play?
Common mix-up: Voting is one part of democracy. Democracies also protect rights, hear different viewpoints, and use fair rules so that majority decisions do not erase minority voices.
Examples
- A family voting on which movie to watch.
- A sports team voting for their team captain.
- A class taking a vote on what game to play at recess.
democracy is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
