Citizenship
What is a citizen's responsibility to participate civil society?
Photo Credit: Dunlap Broadside [Declaration of Independence] by The U.S. National Archives is licensed under CC by 2.0
Through the book Coming To America, students explore democratic values and the history of how and why people came to America. The students learn that people came to America to enjoy the rights held by American citizens.
Throughout history America has been seen as a land of freedom and opportunity. This lesson will explore the history of why and how people came to America.
The Bill of Rights consists of ten amendments to the Constitution. It spells out rights for all United States citizens. The language in the Bill of Rights is difficult for primary students, so this lesson introduces some simple rights and expectations of all Americans. Some immigrants come to America to enjoy rights they might not have experienced in another country. Some immigrants want to become United States citizens because of these protected rights and practices.
Americans not only have rights as citizens but also responsibilities. It is important for children to learn about these responsibilities at an early age. Students will be able to get along better in their classroom, neighborhood and community if they do their duty as good citizens.
Protecting and preserving our natural resources is one of the responsibilities of an American citizen. This concept is defined in a way that children can relate it to their own lives. Ways in which children can help to protect and conserve our natural resources are explored.