Designed as a pre-requisite for other quinmester courses in the politcal studies cluster, this course of study for grades seven through nine, aims at providing the student with basic knowledge about Democracy, and an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of each citizen to make a Democracy work. Course goals are for the student to: 1) develop generalizations about the reasons for government; 2) analyze the Democratic principles and American heritage on which this government is based; 3) identify the civil and human rights accorded each citizen of the United States; 4) illustrate how constitutional rights imply responsibilities commensurate with those rights; 5) assess how our government has carried out its constitutional charges; 6) analyze the roles of the three branches of government; 7) specify the methods by which the constitution is kept a living document; 8) differentiate among the methods by which individuals can influence the government; 9) evaluate the importance of the individual's exercise of his right to vote in America; 10) identify problems facing our national government today. The guide is divided into a broad goals section; a content outline; objectives and learning activities; and a materials section. Three appendices contain additional activities. (Related documents are: SO 002 708 through SO 002 718, and SO 002 768 through SO 002 792.) (Author/SJM)