Ancient v. Modern Democracy

Is modern representative democracy "better" than ancient Athenian democracy?  In this activity, students work together to mine the readings for evidence that will help them answer this question.  The Government Department's sophomore tutorial includes a unit examining modern and ancient democracy.  Prior to the activity, students read a variety of modern and ancient texts on the subject.  The TF then has them work in small groups to find three quotations from the readings that address which type of democracy is "better."  When the class reconvenes, each group presents their quotations, which initiates a general discussion on the topic.