This inquiry-based unit asks students to consider what it means to be a citizen of their classroom, community, and the world.
Students will learn about what good citizenship looks like in many contexts, brainstorm ways they can be good citizens, complete grade-appropriate activities, and craft an argument about being a global citizen.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This unit is thorough, designed to take three to five 30-minute sessions, and has everything you need to roll it out in your classroom right away.
The resources and activities included are varied and engaging; students will be able to have thoughtful conversations about citizenship and being a responsible member of society.
Additional Prerequisites
The lesson plan for session one gives a strategy for introducing the term citizen to students and a vocabulary key is included at the end of the unit.
An ad plays before the video in the first session.
The link to the additional "Thornwood girl" video is broken and the link to the list of optional read-alouds is broken.
Differentiation
Cross-curricular connections can be made in science and health classes by connecting responsible citizenship to taking care of the environment we all share and helping all people avoid pollution that can damage their health.
This unit would work very well for students working in pairs or small groups in order to offer multiple perspectives.
As an extension, have students create a flier with pictures and words that promotes the traits of good citizens in their school community.
This is an inquiry-based approach to decipher the conceptions and complications about citizenship and civic participation. It contains suitable formative performance tasks and activities that sharpen students ability to be responsible citizens at all times. This resource is ideal for classroom.
Standards
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Civics
D2.Civ.14.K-2 Describe how people have tried to improve their communities over time.
D2.Civ.6.K-2 Describe how communities work to accomplish common tasks, establish responsibilities, and fulfill roles of authority.
D2.Civ.8.K-2 Describe democratic principles such as equality, fairness, and respect for legitimate authority and rules.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Language (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 1 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.
Reading: Foundational Skills (K-5)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
Speaking & Listening (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.2 Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
Writing (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.
