an inhabitant of a city or town, especially one entitled to its privileges or franchises.
I like to think of a citizen as someone who is a member of any community, whether it be a city, a nation, or even a classroom. In fact, I find it to be very important for the kids to learn they are all citizens who are not only entitled to the privileges of our classroom, but also have responsibilities to keep things running smoothly by taking care of the physical space and the people who are within that space. I guess that's why we spend so much time at the beginning of the year learning what it takes to be a good citizen. And it really is their immediate world--a place they know very well. I have some favorite books I love to share with the kids. This one is at or near the top of the list.
I like to think of a citizen as someone who is a member of any community, whether it be a city, a nation, or even a classroom. In fact, I find it to be very important for the kids to learn they are all citizens who are not only entitled to the privileges of our classroom, but also have responsibilities to keep things running smoothly by taking care of the physical space and the people who are within that space. I guess that's why we spend so much time at the beginning of the year learning what it takes to be a good citizen. And it really is their immediate world--a place they know very well. I have some favorite books I love to share with the kids. This one is at or near the top of the list.
It's Not My Fault by Nancy Carlson is one of my all-time favorites. We have such good discussions about being proactive and taking responsibility for our own actions. Both are things that good citizens should do to help keep a community cohesive (Wouldn't it be great if some of our political leaders could learn this too?!).
In addition to being a good classroom citizen, we learn about being a good citizen in a larger community as part of our first social studies unit. Our Iowa Core Curriculum states that students will understand the rights and responsibilities of each citizen and demonstrate the value of lifelong civic action. One idea my 3rd grade team tries to emphasize is community involvement. A big part of that is being a volunteer for an organization and giving time and energy. For the past 2 years, we have invited 4 different organizations to speak to the kids about how volunteers are a necessary part of the work they do to help make communities better. The kids love learning about the work done by these groups and get some insight into issues facing our local community. This year we had a homeless shelter, Labs for Liberty (a group that provides service dogs for veterans), the Animal Rescue League, and the food bank. I always find it interesting how different organizations spark a chord with different kids. It's fun to see what they take away from these visits.
As a last look at what kids have taken away from this unit, I want them to show they know what it takes to be a good citizen. I created a graphic organizer that we filled out as a class as we went through the unit. Then the kids chose one item from the list and illustrated what they learned about being a good citizen. Here are some examples of the kids' work:
You can grab this freebie at my TpT store by clicking on either picture.
In the end, I really just want my students to know that being a good citizen is about helping yourself and those around you be better, no matter the size of the community of which they are members. It's my job to help them learn to make this world a better place for all. Based on their ideas, they are off to a good start!
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