Introduction to Citizenship
Subject: Social Studies Topic: Citizenship
Grade Level: 7th Expected Time: 1 1/2 hours
could be split into 2 lessons
Unit Essential Question:
1. What makes a person a good citizen
2. How should we decide who can become a citizen?
Guiding Questions:
1. What is the definition of Citizenship?
2. What are characteristics of a good citizen?
NCSS Standards:
IV. Individual Development and Identity
IX. Global Connections
X. Civic Ideals and Practices
MMSD Grade 7 Social Studies Standards:
Behavioral Sciences:
9. Explain how most issues encountered in social studies are complex, need thoughtful analysis, and may lack simple solutions. (P) (6-3, 8-8)
History:
6. Understand how people of different historical periods, places, and backgrounds understand their world. (P) (6-8, 8-7)
Political Science:
1. Describe the purpose of government and how its powers are acquired, used, and justified. (P) (6-1, 6-4, 6-5, 8-1, 8-3, 8-4, 8-5, 8-6)
UW-Madison Teacher Education Standards:
Standard 2: Understands the social context of schooling- The way I am choosing to approach this lesson and this unit is informed by the social context of the school I am teaching this lesson in. In my current practicum classroom there are a number of immigrants in y class. Some of them have become citizens others are undocumented or have parents who are not documented. Thus I am being very careful not to ask students to disclose their own citizenship status. I’ve also designed this unit so that I’m careful about the way students explore the content and express their opinions since many of the students in my class are sensitive to this topic based on their personal situation.
Standard 4: Demonstrates Pedagogical Knowledge in Specific Domains- In this lesson I am using a KWL chart, translation, and movement as ways for students to engage with the content. Within social studies these strategies incorporate multiple intelligences for students to understand the content. Students will also be using drawing to represent what they believe are characteristics of a good citizen. I made these pedagogical decisions because it is important to include multiple strategies for students to learn, particularly about content that may feel very abstract to a 7th grader.
Lesson Objectives:
Materials:
Students are currently in a unit called The Power of Perspective In this unit they are focusing on Latin America for social studies. I previously taught two lessons on Revolutions in Guatemala and the CIA supported overthrow of the Guatemalan government. My Cooperating Teacher expressed interest in having the students also learn about citizenship and immigration. So, I am moving students into the discussion of citizenship and immigration. Helping students make the connection that political instability and economic exploitation in countries like Guatemala can cause people to want to immigrate to the United States. Then the connection that will be made is once they immigrate how does a person become a citizen, or can they become a citizen and why would they want to be?
Lesson Opening:
- Quickly recap our lessons about Guatemala
- Ask students how our study of Guatemala connects to the study of citizenship.
- Students will share as a whole class what they put in the K-section of their charts and we will fill out the big KWL chart on the Butcher paper.
- We will fill out as a class what the students want to know about citizenship.
- Through the questioning process I will elaborate for students how their questions reveal the complexity of citizenship (MMSD Behavioral science Standard 9)
- I will explain that we will fill out the Learn section of the chart at the end of the unit. I will explain my rationale so students know it is a way for me to know they learned and a way for them to make sure I covered the information they wanted to learn.
Procedural Steps:
Lesson Closure:
I will collect the drawings students made of what they believe is a good citizen. I will also collect students individual KWL charts. These both will act as a form of pre-assessment for the unit so I can tell what students are already thinking about citizenship.
Subject: Social Studies Topic: Citizenship
Grade Level: 7th Expected Time: 1 1/2 hours
could be split into 2 lessons
Unit Essential Question:
1. What makes a person a good citizen
2. How should we decide who can become a citizen?
Guiding Questions:
1. What is the definition of Citizenship?
2. What are characteristics of a good citizen?
NCSS Standards:
IV. Individual Development and Identity
IX. Global Connections
X. Civic Ideals and Practices
MMSD Grade 7 Social Studies Standards:
Behavioral Sciences:
9. Explain how most issues encountered in social studies are complex, need thoughtful analysis, and may lack simple solutions. (P) (6-3, 8-8)
History:
6. Understand how people of different historical periods, places, and backgrounds understand their world. (P) (6-8, 8-7)
Political Science:
1. Describe the purpose of government and how its powers are acquired, used, and justified. (P) (6-1, 6-4, 6-5, 8-1, 8-3, 8-4, 8-5, 8-6)
UW-Madison Teacher Education Standards:
Standard 2: Understands the social context of schooling- The way I am choosing to approach this lesson and this unit is informed by the social context of the school I am teaching this lesson in. In my current practicum classroom there are a number of immigrants in y class. Some of them have become citizens others are undocumented or have parents who are not documented. Thus I am being very careful not to ask students to disclose their own citizenship status. I’ve also designed this unit so that I’m careful about the way students explore the content and express their opinions since many of the students in my class are sensitive to this topic based on their personal situation.
Standard 4: Demonstrates Pedagogical Knowledge in Specific Domains- In this lesson I am using a KWL chart, translation, and movement as ways for students to engage with the content. Within social studies these strategies incorporate multiple intelligences for students to understand the content. Students will also be using drawing to represent what they believe are characteristics of a good citizen. I made these pedagogical decisions because it is important to include multiple strategies for students to learn, particularly about content that may feel very abstract to a 7th grader.
Lesson Objectives:
- SWBAT activate their background knowledge about citizenship by using a KWL chart.
- SWBAT think critically about citizenship by asking questions about what it means to be a citizen, how a person becomes a citizen and why people want to become citizens by filling out the KWL chart.
- SWBAT draw and write the characteristics that they think are important for a good citizen.
- SWBAT Interpret multiple definitions of Citizenship and decide which the think is best, justifying their reasons to each other.
- SWBAT explain what the 14th amendment means by translating it into “middle school language.”
Materials:
- Blank templates of people
- Pencils (students)
- Markers (students)
- Copies of the 14th amendment
- Soc studies notebooks (students)
- Four definitions of Citizenship printed or written on individual sheets of paper in large font.
- Butcher paper for a KWL chart
Students are currently in a unit called The Power of Perspective In this unit they are focusing on Latin America for social studies. I previously taught two lessons on Revolutions in Guatemala and the CIA supported overthrow of the Guatemalan government. My Cooperating Teacher expressed interest in having the students also learn about citizenship and immigration. So, I am moving students into the discussion of citizenship and immigration. Helping students make the connection that political instability and economic exploitation in countries like Guatemala can cause people to want to immigrate to the United States. Then the connection that will be made is once they immigrate how does a person become a citizen, or can they become a citizen and why would they want to be?
Lesson Opening:
- Brief introduction the lesson:
- Quickly recap our lessons about Guatemala
- Ask students how our study of Guatemala connects to the study of citizenship.
- Fill out a KWL Chart (A table with three sections: Know- where students write what they already know about the topic, Want to know- where students ask questions that they would like answered by the end of the lesson or unit, Learn- where students record what they have learned throughout the lesson or Unit)
- Students will share as a whole class what they put in the K-section of their charts and we will fill out the big KWL chart on the Butcher paper.
- We will fill out as a class what the students want to know about citizenship.
- Through the questioning process I will elaborate for students how their questions reveal the complexity of citizenship (MMSD Behavioral science Standard 9)
- I will explain that we will fill out the Learn section of the chart at the end of the unit. I will explain my rationale so students know it is a way for me to know they learned and a way for them to make sure I covered the information they wanted to learn.
Procedural Steps:
- Model for students some of the characteristics I would draw on my person template to display what I think a good citizen is.
- Have students help pass out blank “people templates” (I just used a gingerbread person outline.)
- Students will draw on their own template characteristics of a good citizen to them. Using words to label the symbols that need explaining, students can choose to use a key.
- Students will tape their citizens on the classroom wall when they are done.
- The cass will do a gallery walk and look at each others work.
- Students will have the chance to share with the class if they noticed any trends concerning what people thought was part of being a good citizen.
- Then I will walk to the each corner of the room and read the definition of citizenship that will already be posted in each corner of the room.
- Students will take a few minutes to walk around the room and read the definitions again if they need to be reminded.
- Students will vote on the definition they feel is best by standing by that definition.
- Students will share with those in the same group why they think that definition is best.
- Students will choose one person in their group to share with the rest of their class why they believe the definition they chose is best. If students hear the rationale for a different definition and decide it is better they may move and share with the class why they chose to move.
- Then we will have a class discussion about who gets to define citizenship in the United States.
- Students suggestions will be written on the board.
- Based on students comments this will launch us into understanding the role of government and why they define citizenship. (MMSD Political Science Standard 1)
- I will tell students that the way our government makes decisions about citizenship is based on the 14th amendment which was added to the constitution in 1868.
- Students will receive a copy of the 14th amendment at their table group. As a group they will translate the 14th amendment into “middle school language.” Students will be allowed to use abbreviations or acronyms if they feel they are relevant as long as they are not inappropriate. Dictionaries, thesauruses, and the teacher will be available as resources for students during this time.
Lesson Closure:
- Students will share their translations of the 14th amendment with the class.
- Students will write a reflection about why those amending the constitution would define citizenship this way based on the context (remind students about what just happened historically). MMSD History Standard 6
I will collect the drawings students made of what they believe is a good citizen. I will also collect students individual KWL charts. These both will act as a form of pre-assessment for the unit so I can tell what students are already thinking about citizenship.