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WHAT IS A CITIZEN?
Lead a class discussion about the meaning of the words citizen and citizenship. Ask the students what they know and what they would like to learn. Tie a vocabulary lesson into this (conduct word searches, scrambles, spelling, puzzles, sentence use, etc.).
FIVE THEMES OF CITIZENSHIP
Honesty, compassion, respect, responsibility and courage
Explore these themes by making connections between them and your students' lives. |
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| HOW TO BE A GOOD CITIZEN?
Brainstorm a list of characteristics of a good citizen. Relate this to lives of students at home/school, and for people in the United States. Students can write about a time they felt they were a good citizen and share with the class.
Tie positive characteristics into class meetings or class rules. Students can think of ways to be responsible, to care for their peers/school. Practice good citizenship in class. Start a "good citizen box" and have students put a symbol in the box each time they show a characteristic. This can be discussed at weekly class meetings.
The class, pairs, or individuals can brainstorm things that can be done to show an act of good citizenship. They can come up with a plan and implement it. This can be done within the school (do something for a teacher, a peer, etc. or in the community i.e. a fundraiser, visit a nursing home, help the environment). |
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| WHAT IS U.S. CITIZENSHIP?
Examine American freedom documents: The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights...
Read about the history of Citizenship Day from the White House archives!
Discuss with older students the rights they or an adult U.S. citizen has. Talk about how these rights have changed over the years. A timeline of this can be done. Discuss the differences between men and women.
Discuss freedoms such as voicing opinions, practicing religion, etc. to help students gain more appreciation. Extension: have a mock vote in the classroom, discuss voting procedures, history
Discuss what would happen if there were no rules or laws at home, school, or in the community. |
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WORLD CITIZENSHIP
Read about citizenship in other countries of the world!
www.education-world.com/soc_sci/civics/index.shtml
Children from Australia to Zimbabwe
Celebrate the many faces of children around the world.
Vibrant color photographs portray positive images of children that help foster a sense of global citizenship. With an abundance of information about cultures, languages, and environment, this fascinating journey around the world will inspire both young and old alike. Readers will also discover Xanadu, an ideal imaginary land described and illustrated by elementary school children.
Find out more... |
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