Lesson Report:
### Title:
Understanding Regimes: Group Research and Analysis
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**Synopsis:**
In this session, students focused on completing an in-depth research activity initiated in the previous lesson. The main objective was to explore various facets of regimes—particularly in the context of India—and analyze how these facets show up in democratic, transitional, authoritarian, or totalitarian states. The class worked in groups, researching and applying the information to develop a clearer picture of India’s political system using credible sources. Students also began drafting a group paragraph synthesizing their research findings and discussing the overall regime type India falls into.
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### Attendance:
– **Absent students (2):** Rodion, Bakhtagul
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### Topics Covered:
#### 1. **Opening Remarks and Check-In:**
– The instructor briefly recapped a weekend hike and introduced a new one happening in the coming weeks.
– Reviewed the previous class’s unfinished activity and noted they would dedicate today’s class to it.
#### 2. **Quick Recap of Previous Lessons:**
– **Main Topic:** Types of regimes
*Key discussion:* Definition and types of regimes, including democratic, transitional, authoritarian, and totalitarian.
– The importance of differentiating and categorizing regimes using a scale was emphasized – with focus on transition and overlaps between these different types.
#### 3. **Group Work Assignment:**
– **Objective:** Each group explores aspects of regime types in India.
– The class recalled and discussed the group assignments from the last session.
– *Activity:* Students were reminded of their assigned facets (e.g., media, military, economy) and partnered with their respective groups.
#### 4. **Source Credibility Review:**
– The class reviewed how to find credible sources, emphasizing:
– **Definition of a source:** Books, articles, websites.
– *Credibility markers:* Timeliness, author reliability, bias, etc.
– **Key instruction:** No Wikipedia use allowed—only trusted, well-regulated sources like BBC or peer-reviewed articles.
– Groups were required to locate one credible source for each regime facet they were investigating.
#### 5. **Drafting Topic Sentences:**
– Students collaborated to create a clear topic sentence based on their researched questions.
– Instructions were provided to develop strong topic sentences that **directly answered their main research question**, articulating the main claim succinctly.
#### 6. **Paragraph Writing:**
– Students were tasked with combining their findings into a group-written paragraph, incorporating details such as:
– **Supporting evidence** from their credible sources.
– **Examples:** Media control in India through data/statistics from reliable news outlets.
– They added their supporting information in a **Google Doc** shared with the entire class.
– The activity concluded with each group completing a summary that placed this particular facet in one of the four main regime categories.
#### 7. **Group Presentations:**
– Groups began sharing their findings, though full presentations were cut short due to time constraints.
– Some groups presented on:
– **Media:** How the Indian government exerts some control over the media, backed with stats.
– **Separation of powers:** Legislative, executive, and judicial branches’ inherent checks and balances.
– Additional groups pertaining to elections and ideology were unable to fully present due to time.
#### 8. **Categorizing Indian Facets by Regime Type:**
– As a final in-class task, groups were asked to discuss internally and decide where their researched facet (e.g., media, law, distribution of power) fit on the regime scale: democratic, transitional, authoritarian, or totalitarian.
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### Actionable Items:
#### **Urgent:**
– **Absences:**
– *Rodion and Bakhtagul* need to submit medical notes (*spravkas*) by Thursday, especially Rodion who risks failing due to missed classes.
– **Assignment Reminder (due Thursday):**
– Students need to:
1. **Vote for India’s position on the regime spectrum** (1-10 scale; democratic to totalitarian) via Google form (to be posted on e-course).
2. **Write one paragraph** summarizing their reasoning, including two pieces of evidence from the group work compiling all facet research.
#### **Upcoming Homework:**
– Upload the group Google Doc and the associated Google Form poll by Thursday on e-course.
Homework Instructions:
ASSIGNMENT #1: Determining India’s Position on the Regime Scale
In this assignment, you will evaluate where India falls on a regime scale ranging from democratic to totalitarian. Using the information gathered in class discussions and the research from the various facets (e.g., media, military, economy) on India’s regime, you will support your assessment with evidence. This assignment is designed to help you synthesize the information your group and your classmates have collected, pushing you to think critically about India’s political landscape.
Instructions:
1. Go to the Google Doc linked on eCourse, which contains all the group findings on the different regime facets.
2. Thoroughly review the findings on India’s regime regarding media, rule of law, elections, distribution of power, political parties, and ideology. Use this information to form your understanding of India’s overall regime.
3. Using the link provided on eCourse, access the attached Google form. On the form, rate where you think India falls on a regime scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is a fully democratic state and 10 is a fully totalitarian state.
4. After submitting the Google form, write a well-developed paragraph (4-5 sentences) explaining the reasoning behind your rating of India’s regime. Use at least two pieces of evidence from the information provided in the Google Doc to support your answer. This evidence could be in the form of statistics, textual analysis, or detailed observations from the different regime facets.
5. Submit your completed paragraph and rating via the main submission link for this assignment on eCourse.