In this activity, students will apply concepts about government and create their own country. Students will have to select a form of government and explain the reasoning behind their decision - why do they think that this is the perfect type of government for their country? You can tailor this assignment to meet the needs of your class, but are encouraged to offer numerous choices to students. This storyboard can serve as the summative assignment for the unit and can be presented for the rest of the class, either individually, or as part of a class-wide country fair where each country is on display simultaneously.
Possible Create-A-Country Checklist Items:
Extended Activity
Students should create a storyboard that reflects the day-to-day life of a citizen in their country. Students can elaborate on certain cultural practices, or how the government impacts their lives. Students may present their storyboards to the class, and the class can decide which country sounds most appealing to them.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a country, identifying the type of government and any unique laws along with a flag & map.
Encourage students to provide constructive feedback on each other's storyboards to deepen understanding and foster collaboration. Peer review helps students reflect on their own work and learn from others.
Give students specific questions or criteria to use when reviewing a classmate's storyboard, such as clarity of government explanation or creativity in laws. This ensures feedback stays focused and helpful.
Demonstrate how to give positive, specific, and actionable comments by reviewing a sample storyboard together. Students learn best when they see examples of what quality feedback looks like.
Pair students or create small groups and schedule time for them to exchange storyboards and fill out feedback forms. Structured sessions keep the process organized and ensure every student gets input.
Have students review the feedback they received and choose at least one suggestion to revise or expand their storyboard. Reflection builds self-assessment skills and strengthens final projects.
To guide students in creating a country storyboard, have them select a government type, design a flag with symbolism, outline unique laws, and draw a map. Encourage them to explain their choices and present their work to the class for deeper engagement.
Creative checklist items include country name, flag design with explanations, government type with reasons, unique laws, and a map. You can also ask for cultural practices or a storyboard of daily life.
The best approach is to use simple definitions, real-world examples, and compare how decisions are made in each system. Visual aids like storyboards or diagrams can help students grasp differences between democracies, monarchies, dictatorships, and more.
Students can add cultural elements by describing daily life, traditions, holidays, foods, or typical activities in their country. This adds depth and makes the country storyboard more engaging and realistic.
Creating a country storyboard is effective because it encourages critical thinking, creativity, and application of government concepts. Students synthesize knowledge by making choices and justifying them, deepening understanding through hands-on learning.