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Sovereignty Vocabulary Introduction

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Sovereignty Vocabulary Introduction

Aotearoa New Zealand’s student council is deciding how to use its budget. Use the vocabulary in the briefing and activities to explain who can make decisions, and what people are entitled to. Read the briefing first; all the information you need is here.

Briefing: Who decides?

A country’s sovereignty is its authority to govern itself and make decisions without being controlled by another country. Sovereignty does not mean that every person or group can do anything they want. Governments make decisions within laws and may agree to work with other countries. A country may gain freedom from another country’s control over time, as New Zealand did through a gradual constitutional process. Autonomy means the ability or authority to make decisions for oneself or a group. A student council might have autonomy to choose activities within a budget set by its school. Rights are freedoms and protections people are entitled to, such as fair treatment and freedom of expression. Rights come with responsibilities, too: people should respect the rights of others. The adjective independent describes someone or something that is not controlled by others. Autonomous means having autonomy. The adjective for a person or thing connected with rights is rights-based; right can also mean correct or proper.

Decode the vocabulary

Use details from the briefing to answer each question. Choose the best answer where choices are given.

1.Which definition best matches sovereignty as it is used in the briefing?

A country’s authority to govern itself
A person’s right to own expensive things
A group’s freedom to ignore every law

2.Maia says, “Our council has autonomy to choose the end-of-term activities, as long as we stay within our budget.” What does autonomy mean here?

3.Complete the sentence with the most precise word: “A country free from another country’s control has gained .”

4.Match each word to its meaning.

sovereignty
autonomy
rights
independence

freedoms and protections people are entitled to
a country’s authority to govern itself
freedom from another country’s control
the freedom or authority to make decisions for oneself or a group

Use words precisely

Select words that fit the meaning and context, not just words that sound similar.

5.Choose the word form that correctly completes the sentence: “The team worked ________ on the project, without needing another group to direct every step.”

independent
independently
independence

6.Complete the sentence with the word for freedoms and protections people are entitled to: “People’s include protections such as fair treatment.”

7.Complete the sentence with the word for the ability or authority to make decisions for oneself or a group: “The group had the to decide how to organise its meeting.”

8.Complete the sentence with the word for a nation’s freedom from another country’s control: “A nation’s freedom from another country’s control is its .”

9.True or false? “Having sovereignty means a country is never affected by agreements or decisions involving other countries.” Give one reason for your answer.

TrueFalse

10.Which example is a right rather than a privilege or possession?

Being treated fairly under the law
Owning the newest phone
Getting the first choice of every activity

11.The prefix auto- often means “self”. Use that clue to explain how autonomy connects to making decisions.

12.The student council may choose a fundraising activity, but it must follow safety rules and respect everyone’s rights. Explain how this example shows both autonomy and a limit on autonomy. Use both terms accurately.