What It Means To Be An American Citizen

What It Means To Be An American Citizen Produced by Noon E Productions Distributed by... 800.323.9084 | FAX 847.328.6706 | www.unitedlearning.com ...
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What It Means To Be An American Citizen Produced by Noon E Productions

Distributed by...

800.323.9084 | FAX 847.328.6706 | www.unitedlearning.com

This video is the exclusive property of the copyright holder. Copying, transmitting, or reproducing in any form, or by any means, without prior written permission from the copyright holder is prohibited (Title 17, U.S. Code Sections 501 and 506). © 2003 Noon E Productions

What It Means To be An American Citizen Table of Contents Introduction to the Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Introduction to the Program . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Links to Curriculum Standards . . . . . . . . . .2 Student Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Instructional Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Pre-Test and Post-Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Introducing the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Student/Audience Preparation . . . . . . . . . .4 Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 View the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Follow-Up Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Description of Blackline Masters . . . . . . . .6 Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Extended Learning Activities . . . . . . . . . . .9 Internet Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Reference Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Script of Video Narration . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 This video is closed captioned. The purchase of this program entitles the user to the right to reproduce or duplicate, in whole or in part, this teacher’s guide and the blackline master handouts that accompany it for the purpose of teaching in conjunction with this program, What It Means To Be An American Citizen. This right is restricted only for use with this program. Any reproduction or duplication in whole or in part of this guide and the blackline master handouts for any purpose other than for use with this program is prohibited.

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America At Its Best What It Means To Be An American Citizen Grades 2-5 Viewing Time: 15-minutes with a ten-question Video Quiz INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES America At Its Best is a series about life in America, how the American government works, the diversity of the people who live in America, and what it means to be an American citizen. This enjoyable series teaches children the values on which America was built and what it takes to contribute and to be a valuable member of a community and a country. This series shows children through example how they can become model citizens and community members. INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAM What It Means To Be An American Citizen teaches what a citizen is and how to become a citizen of America. The importance of the right to vote is addressed, as well as the privilege of an education. This program demonstrates to children the character traits that make a good citizen and how they can cultivate those traits. The students will learn that as citizens we have rights and privileges, as well as responsibilities. The importance of becoming educated and developing one's positive attributes is stressed. This program teaches about being a good citizen through examples of youth in action. The subjects covered in this program include: • What is a Citizen? Citizen by Birth Citizen by Immigration 1

• Qualities of a Good Citizen Honesty Persistence Respect for Others and the Law Responsibility Problem Solving • Percy's Story: A Model Citizen • Democracy and Voting Independence Day Patriotism LINKS TO CURRICULUM STANDARDS This lesson correlates to the following standards, outlined by the McREL Education Standards (http://www.mcrel.org/about/) for students in grades 2-5. Standard 24: Understands the meaning of citizenship in the United States, and knows the requirements for citizenship and naturalization. Standard 25: Understands issues regarding personal, political, and economic rights. Standard 27: Understands how certain character traits enhance citizens' ability to fulfill personal and civic responsibilities. Standard 28: Understands how participation in civic and political life can help citizens attain individual and public goals.

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STUDENT OBJECTIVES After viewing the program and participating in the followup activities, students should be able to: • Define what it means to be a citizen of the United States. • List qualities of good citizenship. • Identify the role immigration has played in shaping America. • Define petitioning and describe how it works. • Provide examples of how a citizen can make a difference. • Provide everyday examples of voting, such as for class president or what game to play. • Provide examples of ways that Americans show their patriotism. • Explain the importance of voting in a democracy. INSTRUCTIONAL NOTES Before presenting this lesson to your students, we suggest that you preview the program and review the guide and the accompanying Blackline Master activities in order to familiarize yourself with their content. As you review the materials presented in this guide, you may find it necessary to make some changes, additions, or deletions to meet the specific needs of your class. We encourage you to do so, for only by tailoring this program to your class will they obtain the maximum instructional benefits afforded by the materials. PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST Blackline Master #1, Pre-Test, is an assessment tool intended to gauge student comprehension of the objec3

tives prior to viewing the program. Explain that they are not expected to get all answers correct, but they are expected to try their best. You can remind them that these are key concepts that they should focus on while watching the program. Blackline Master #2, Post-Test, is an assessment tool to be administered after viewing the program and completing additional activities. The results of this assessment can be compared to the results of the Pre-Test to determine the change in student comprehension before and after participation in this lesson. INTRODUCING THE PROGRAM After the Pre-Test, "activate" prior knowledge by asking about the subjects in the chapter outline of this program. Ask questions regarding the key concepts: what it means to be a citizen, qualities of a good citizen, the importance of voting, and ways to demonstrate patriotism. Blackline Master #4, Discussion Questions, may be used for this purpose. Tell the students that there will be a video quiz immediately following the program. Distribute Blackline Master #3, Video Quiz, and tell them to turn it face down on their desk and have a pen ready. When the quiz begins they should be ready to fill in the answers on their paper. STUDENT/AUDIENCE PREPARATION Blackline Master #6, Vocal Vocabulary Word Card, is an active learning activity intended for students to complete after viewing the program and answering discussion questions. This vocabulary activity can help students understand the vocabulary presented in the program. The teacher provides students with vocabulary words and 4

copies of Blackline Master #6, Vocal Vocabulary Word Card. It is suggested that the teacher model how to complete the activity before asking students to complete their own work independently. Listed below are vocabulary words presented in the program. These words have been identified to help students understand the content of the program. These words can be incorporated at any time during the lesson. citizen community citizenship petition

VOCABULARY responsibility immigration persistence democracy

honesty voting patriotism

VIEW THE PROGRAM Present the program. The viewing time is 15-minutes and includes a Video Quiz following the program. Support Material: Distribute Blackline Master #3, Video Quiz, prior to viewing the program. FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES Blackline Master #4, Discussion Questions, can be used after the viewing of the program to allow the students to expand on their understanding of the concepts and ideas covered in the program. These questions can be discussed as a class or in groups. When all activities and discussions are complete, distribute Blackline Master #2, Post Test. Blackline Master #5, Creative Writing, can be used for the students to write some of their own ideas about persistence. Then choose one or more Extended Learning Activities to allow 5

students to get hands-on experience with the concepts addressed in the program. DESCRIPTION OF BLACKLINE MASTERS Blackline Master #1, Pre-Test, is an assessment tool intended to gauge student comprehension of the objectives prior to viewing the program. Blackline Master #2, Post-Test, is an assessment tool to be administered after viewing the program and completing additional activities. The results of this assessment can be compared to the results of the Pre-Test to determine the change in student comprehension before and after participation in this lesson. Blackline Master #3, Video Quiz, is intended to reinforce the key concepts of the program immediately following the presentation of the program. The Video Quiz can be used as a tool to outline salient points before viewing the program. Blackline Master #4, Discussion Questions, can be included before viewing the program to help assess the students' comprehension or after viewing the program to enhance the students comprehension. Discussion Questions can be presented to the whole class or given to small groups to research and report back to the class. Blackline Master #5, Creative Writing. After having discussed the Discussion Questions as a class or in small groups, ask the students to do this assignment in writing to further strengthen and emphasize their understanding of being persistent. Blackline Master #6, Vocal Vocabulary Word Card, is an active learning activity centered on the vocabulary pre6

sented in the program. This is much like show-and-tell. It allows students to show what they know about a vocabulary word by telling a story to the class that illustrates the meaning of the vocabulary word. Decide which vocabulary words on which you would like your students to focus. Model for the class how to complete a Vocal Vocabulary Word Card and how to present it to the class that meets your expectations. Have students work in cooperative groups. ANSWER KEY Blackline Master #1, Pre-Test 1. True 6. True 2. True 7. False 3. False 8. B 4. True 9. True 5. True 10. True Blackline Master #2, Post-Test 1. citizen 2. immigrants 3. petition 4. honesty 5. persistence 6. vote 7. patriotism 8. democracy 9. responsibility 10. You may be born in America or choose to move to America and to make it your permanent home. Blackline Master #3, Video Quiz 1. True 6. All of the above 2. True 7. True 3. True 8. False 4. False 9. True 5. True 10. False 7

Blackline Master #4, Discussion Questions 1. To be a citizen of the United States, you are born in America or choose to move to America and make it your permanent home. If you choose to become an American citizen there are specific qualifications that you must follow that include passing a test about the history of America, the American government, and the rules and laws of America. 2. A quality is a personal trait that includes a way of behaving. Citizenship is a personal trait that means behaving in a way that is good for one's family, school, community, and country. 3. Answers should include persistence, honesty, responsibility, doing what is best for the group, listening, standing up for what is right. 4. Answers will vary and should include examples of children doing what is best for the group rather than for themselves. 5. Percy took responsibility; he was persistent and worked to make a change for something he believed was right. He used problem solving and leadership to come up with a solution that was good for his community. Blackline Master #5, Creative Writing Answers will vary. Blackline Master #6, Vocal Vocabulary SAMPLE: Name: Johnny Martin Vocabulary word: Persistence Where I found it: Video; "What it Means to be an American Citizen." Story that defines the word: Johnny wanted to learn to 8

play hockey. His parents took him to the local ice rink and he tried on some ice skates. It was very hard to stand up in them! He fell on his first steps onto the ice but Johnny kept on practicing. Johnny showed persistence by going to the ice rink and practicing every Saturday. Soon he learned to hold the hockey stick and kept trying to make a goal. After many hours of practice, Johnny was a good hockey player. One day he found out that there would be try-outs for the local hockey team. Johnny wanted to try. He knew that he had worked hard and had a chance. He went to the try-out and did his best. A few days later, his parents got a call. Johnny had made the team! EXTENDED LEARNING ACTIVITIES SCIENCE EXTENSIONS: Discuss what it would have been like to travel on a boat to America during colonial times. Discuss what kind of food, refrigeration, the condition of the water, and sanitary facilities that the immigrants experienced. How would this have affected the health and well being of the new colonists? ART CONNECTIONS: Have the class create a class flag. They can vote on a name for the class. Encourage the class to work together to think of images, colors, and symbols that represent their class. The flags may include cut-outs from magazines and photos or drawings to make a collage. Display the flag prominently in the classroom when complete. This activity could be done in small groups or as individual flags. MATH CONNECTIONS: Have the students create a sample ballot and vote (as below in Social Studies Connections). Use the results from the vote (perhaps on a different day) and count how 9

many votes there were for each item. Calculate what percentage voted for the different choices. Show how important each vote is by showing how many votes it would take to change the results. Define what percentage is and explain how percentage counts-the largest percentage, the majority, will decide the outcome. Explain that this is how a democracy works. CREATIVE WRITING CONNECTIONS: Pick one of the qualities of good citizenship and write a story about a person who has one of those qualities, such as persistence, honesty, and responsibility. SOCIAL STUDIES CONNECTIONS: Have a discussion about the many ways that adults show citizenship, such as voting, being on a jury, and being involved in the community. Discuss how important it is to be involved in these activities when children grow up. Create an issue for the students to vote on. Children could vote on what pet or plant to have in the classroom, what day to have group reading, or what activity to do during a free-time period. Have children create ballots with the choices. Make a place in the room that is private for the actual voting, with a box to put ballots in. Have each child vote, tally up the results and implement the choice; for example, get the winning pet, read on the winning day, do the winning activity. This could even become a weekly activity of voting on an issue of choice. INTERNET SITES http://www.thekingcenter.org/non.html This website offers the opportunity to see and hear Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., speaking on nonviolence. There is also information on the King Center, its mission is to advance Dr. King's movement toward justice, equality, and peace. 10

http://www.pbs.org/democracy/kids/mygovt/index.html How the government affects us: "Inside the Voting Booth," and "President For a Day." http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/citizenship/index.html This site describes the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/index.html Excellent website for teachers to use as a resource. Lesson plans for teachers, interactive activities for students, and images concerning immigration and "Our People, A Patchwork of Cultures." http://pbskids.org/arthur/holiday/scrapbook/volu3.html The cartoon illustrations on this website celebrates diversity (different religions and holidays) and includes ways for children to volunteer. http://www.pbs.org/democracy/kids/educators/citizenshipcity.html This website provides activities for students to encourage them to develop good citizenship, honesty, respect for others, and a sense of civic responsibility. http://www.peacefulcommunities.ca/2002/July/10/red_cro ss_kids.htm This website promotes an appreciation of diversity and the importance of cooperation and understanding so that people from different backgrounds can get along well. There are helpful exercises to facilitate this. REFERENCE MATERIALS Voting. De Capua, Sarah, Children's Press, A Division of Scholastic, Inc., New York, 2002. ISBN 0-516-22330-5 Covers: What is voting? Who can vote? Why you should vote, plus some information on volunteering. 11

Patriotism. Johnson, Linda Carlson, The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., New York, 1990. ISBN 0-82391114-4 An interesting book describing aspects of patriotism. Coming To America, The Story of Immigration. Maestro, Betsy, Scholastic, Inc., New York, 1996. ISBN 0-59044151-5 A superbly illustrated book that tells the story of the many contributions of immigrants. One Nation, Many Peoples, Immigration In the United States, A Resource Book. Pferdehirt, Julia, Knowledge Unlimited, Inc., New York, 1997. ISBN 1-55933-200-X Excellent book, provides an overview of immigration and examples of how our culture has been enriched by immigrants bringing their customs, sports, music, religions, etc. to America. The book has projects and activities illustrating this. Citizenship. Schleifer, Jay, The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., New York, 1990. ISBN 0-8239-1113-6 An interesting book that covers: What is citizenship? The rights and duties of citizens, and special responsibilities of good citizens, includes helpful examples. SCRIPT OF VIDEO NARRATION CITIZENSHIP A citizen is a member of a group. You are a member of a classroom, a city, a country, even of the world. Let's take a look at what it means to be a citizen. Kids all across the world participate as citizens of their classrooms. They participate by being involved, contributing, doing their work, and learning. Being a good citizen of the class helps to make the classroom successful. People are also citizens of their community. People contribute to their 12

community by helping to keep it clean, participating in activities, being respectful of neighbors, and helping others. Another way to be a citizen is by being a citizen of a particular country. There are citizens of countries all around the world. There are citizens of France, Japan, Denmark, Indonesia, Mexico, India, Iran, and many, many more countries. How do you become an American citizen? Many people are American citizens because they are born in America. People who are born in other countries may choose to become a citizen of America by going through a process called immigration. Immigration is a process of moving from one country to another to make it your permanent home. Throughout its history, people have moved to America from other countries to find freedom and new opportunities. These people are called immigrants. All Americans have come from families who were immigrants at one time because all Americans came to this land from another place even if it was hundreds or thousands of years ago. QUALITIES OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP Citizenship means behaving in a way that is good for you, the community, and the country. There are lots of important ways for people to show good citizenship. What is a quality? A quality is a way of behaving. Let's learn about the qualities that good citizens have. Honesty is an important quality of citizenship. George Washington, the funding fther of this country, was known to never tell a lie. Why is honesty important? Honesty helps to make things fair and right. If you don't tell the truth, then later people may not believe you even when it is the truth. 13

Persistence is another important quality of citizenship. Persistence is the ability to keep trying even when things aren't easy. Many accomplishments require persistence. In order to learn an instrument, like a flute, a person must be persistent. At first, it can seem hard to even hold it the right way or to make the correct sounds. But with lots of practice and patience, a person can make progress and make beautiful music. In order to succeed at a goal, it is important to keep practicing even when it seems difficult. Another important part of good citizenship is taking responsibility. What does responsibility mean? Responsibility means taking care of things, making sure that things go right. Some examples of responsibilities are taking out the garbage at home, helping a brother or sister with their schoolwork, and cleaning your bedroom. Taking care of a pet is a big responsibility. It is very important for the country that citizens take responsibility. When everyone contributes by being a good citizen and doing their part, the country runs smoothly and everyone's rights and freedoms are protected. Having respect for another means treating people kindly and fairly. It means having the same respect for other people's rights and belongings as one would for his or her own things. It is also important to obey the law and follow rules. When people follow rules, it helps to keep things organized and makes the world a safe place for everyone. Problem solving is the ability to make something work. Problem solving can involve figuring out a math problem or how to build something. It can also mean finding solutions to difficult situations such as when you have a disagreement with a friend. 14

Let's see how Percy uses problem solving, persistence, and other qualities of good citizenship to come up with a solution to a situation at school. MAKING A DIFFERENCE: THE PERCY STORY Percy and his friend Harold are enjoying a game of backgammon at the park. Harold needed to cross Main Street on his way home. Of course Harold knew to use the WALK sign in order to safely cross the street. He had learned this when crossing at school with his favorite crossing guard, Mr. Brimwit. As Harold got about halfway across the street, the WALK light began to change. Harold wasn't even halfway there. He just manages to get into the middle of the intersection when the light changes and the cars rush by. Percy saw that this was a very dangerous situation. He knew that the walk light needed to be changed to last longer so that Harold and others would have enough time to cross the street safely. At first, Percy was really mad about what had happened when Harold was crossing the street. He went home and over dinner complained to his parents about it. His mom suggested that instead of complaining, he could actually do something about it. He could? Sure! His parents told Percy that what he needs to make a difference is the support of others. His dad suggested that he speak with his teacher and classmates about it and see what they could suggest. Percy and Harold talked to their teacher and the other students and they all agreed it was a good idea to change the crosswalk to make the WALK sign last long enough so that Harold and the other students and adults could cross safely. This was good for all of the community. Their teacher suggested that they could all work to get people's name on a petition. She explained that a petition is something that people sign to show that they support an idea. The petition can then be used to influence people who make decisions about such matters. So Percy, Harold, and their friends and families went out on a 15

Saturday and got as many signatures as they could for the petition. And then he and his parents and kids from his class went to the city council meeting. Percy and Harold told their idea to the city council members and showed them how many members of the community agreed with their idea by showing them the petition. The members voted on the issue and decided that the walk sign should be changed. Percy, Harold, and his friends cheered. And so Percy and Harold and the other students at Parker Elementary were able to change the crosswalk to create a better, safer intersection on Main Street. They made a difference. Percy took responsibility for his community by seeing something that needed change. He then took the action needed to make that change. Percy and his friends were able to use many of the qualities of good citizenship, such as persistence, problem solving, and responsibility to help make a difference and to work for the common good. AMERICA IS A DEMOCRACY A democracy is a government that is run by the people. The first government to have a democracy was in ancient Greece. In ancient Greece, people participated in their government by voting and meeting to discuss rules and law. The word democracy comes from two Greek words. One word, demos, is a Greek word that means "the people. Another Greek word, kratos, means "authority" or "rule." These two words put together make up the word "democracy" meaning "ruled by the people." A democracy means that all people have a say in what happens. The ideas of democracy work in everyday life. A family of four wants to go out to dinner and everyone has their own idea about where to go. Susie wants Chinese, Jerome wants hamburgers, and Mom wants seafood. And Dad? Well, he likes it all. The family talks it over, with each person giving an opinion. And then they 16

vote on where to go. Each person gets one vote. On this day, Sally votes for Chinese, Mom votes for seafood, and Jerome votes for burgers. Looks like Dad is going to have the deciding vote. He remembers how much he liked the chicken chow mein at the Chinese restaurant last time they were there. So he chooses Chinese. There are two votes Chinese, one vote seafood, and one for hamburgers. Looks like they'll be having Chinese tonight because Chinese food had the most votes. That's how democracy plays a part in everyday life-by people making decisions as a group, with each person getting a voice. VOTING Voting is a very important part of a democracy, because it is through voting that people's opinions are heard and that people help to shape the government. In America, once a citizen is 18 years old, he or she has the right and privilege to vote in elections. It is important that all citizens take advantage of this right and make sure to use their vote. That way, the government is truly run by the people. PATRIOTISM Another important quality of a good citizen is patriotism. Patriotism means to be loyal and to support your country. Americans show their pride and loyalty to their country by doing what is right, by taking responsibility as citizens, and by participating in patriotic activities. Waving the American flag, saying the Pledge of Allegiance, and learning about America are all ways for people to show their patriotism. Another way to show patriotism is by celebrating Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July. This holiday represents the freedoms and rights that all Americans share. On this day, Americans show how proud they are to be Americans. 17

One of the best ways for a person to show patriotism is to be a good citizen. People are citizens in so many ways. You too can show citizenship by being honest, working hard, helping others, and taking responsibility. You can show good citizenship for your classroom, your community, your country, and the world. VIDEO QUIZ 1. A citizen is a member of a country. True or False 2. There are citizens of countries all around the world. True or False 3. Immigration means moving from one country to another to live. True or False 4. All immigrants who come to America come from China. True or False 5. A petition is something people sign to help make a change. True or False 6. A quality of good citizenship is: a. honesty b. responsibility c. persistence. d. All of the above. 7. Taking out the garbage is an example of being responsible. True or False 8. Honesty means to tell a lie. True or False 18

9. Every citizen can make a difference. True or False 10. It doesn't matter if people vote. True or False

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