Our Rights and Responsibilities as a citizen and Student

1. Our Rights and Responsibilities as a citizen and Student By: Shelly Spooner, Christine Stottle, Jean Bartges and Stephanie Gilson

2. Standards Standards- A. Identify examples of the rights and responsibilities of citizenshipPersonal rightsPolitical rightsEconomic rightsPersonal responsibilitiesCivic responsibilitiesB. Identify personal rights and responsibilitiesC. Identify sources of conflict and disagreement and different ways conflicts can be resolvedD. Identify the importance of political leadership ad public service in the school, community, state and nationE. Describe ways citizens can influence the decision and actions of governmentF. Explain the benefits of following rules and laws and the consequences of violating themG. Identify ways to participate in government and civic life.

3. America…land of the free….. Americans enjoy rights and freedoms that other countries do not.

4. Moving to America in Search of Freedom…. • The United States is sometimes referred to as a "nation of immigrants." You may have also heard the phrases "salad bowl" and "melting pot." In its short history the United States has seen many waves of immigrants come to its shores and borders. • Fleeing political or religious persecution or searching for better economic conditions, many people have left their native lands to live in America. This has resulted in a very diverse U.S. population. People living here have different heritages, religious beliefs, ethnicity, languages, and national origins. Though there are these differences, Americans are bound together by basic political values and principles described in historical documents.

5. What is this?

6. It is The Constitution! • The constitution is the document which enforces these rights and governs our country. • "Our Constitution is founded on the principle that all men are equal as citizens and entitled to the same rights, whether they achieved citizenship by birth, or after coming here as immigrants, seeking to find in America new freedom and new opportunities." -John F. Kennedy, 1960

7. What’s written on the Constitution? The Constitution lists some key rights. Rights are things that all people have just because they are alive. By listing the rights, they are made special. They are made safe. The Bill of Rights is a part of the Constitution. The Bill of Rights lists many rights of the people.

8. How the Constitution started…. • The Constitution was written in 1787. Yes, it is over 200 years old. We actually have old copies of what was created. The master copies are stored at the national archives in Washington D.C. • From May to September 1787 a group of men known as the Framers met. The Framers talked about what should be in the Constitution. The United States was a brand new country. The United States had a government that did not work very well. The Framers met to find a new way of running the country. This meeting is called The Convention. Some of the Framers are famous to us today. They include James Madison, Ben Franklin, and George Washington.

9. About the Constitution • The Constitution is the highest law in the United States. All other laws come from the Constitution. It says how the government works. It creates the Presidency. It creates the Congress. It creates the Supreme Court. Each state also has a constitution. The constitutions of the states are their highest law for that state — but the United States Constitution is higher. • The Constitution can be changed. The Constitution is changed by an "amendment." Among the amendments is a list of the rights of the people. By listing these rights, they are made special. It is illegal for the government to violate those rights. The first ten amendments are special. They are called the Bill of Rights.

10. Americans, either immigrant or those born here are referred to as: • Aliens: Aliens are people who have left (emigrated) a foreign country to the United States. They have some of the same freedoms and legal rights as U.S. citizens, but they cannot vote in elections. • National: American nationals are natives of American territorial possessions. They have all the legal protections which citizens have, but they do not have the full political rights of US citizens. • Citizens: Persons born in the U.S. or to U.S. citizens in foreign countries are citizens of the United States. Persons born in other countries who want to become citizens must apply for and pass a citizenship test. Those who become citizens in this manner are naturalized citizens.

11. What is a citizen, again? • Persons born in the U.S. or born to U.S. citizens in foreign countries, are automatically citizens of the United States. Persons born in other countries who want to become citizens must apply for and pass a citizenship test. Those who become citizens in this manner are naturalized citizens.

12. What does a U.S. Citizen look like? • Because of the reasons we just talked about and America being a place in which people from other countries move to in search of freedom, citizens of the United States include all ofthe people in this classroom, your teachers, friends and neighbors. Citizens come in all sizes, shapes and colors and have different religious beliefs, ethnic and racial backgrounds.

13. What does the constitution have to do with being a citizen? • All American citizens enjoy the freedoms, protections, and legal rights which the Constitution promises. A citizen is a person who is a full member of the U.S. Citizens owe loyalty or allegiance to their country. They can take an active part in helping to improve their community and the U.S. system of government. Some ways in which citizens can help govern their community are by: • Nominating candidates to run for public office • Voting for candidates who are nominated • Holding public office at the local, state or national level • Directing or organizing community affairs

14. More about being a U.S. Citizen • As you become an adult, you will learn that citizenship involves three behaviors: • Free Choice: mean that there are no laws regulating your behavior. Attending a basketball game, making a new fried, deciding to go shopping -- these are activities you may choose freely to do. • Laws or Rules: laws or rules on the other hand, require a certain behavior. A highway speed limit requires a driver to stay below a certain speed. Rules, like laws, also restrict behavior. No talking in call without permission is a rule. • Social Responsibility is more restricted than free choice but more flexible obeying the law. Good citizenship means that you account for how your behavior affects others. How you act when taking part in a school trip, for example, will help determine what other people think about your classmates, your teacher, and your school. Good manners are examples of factors that lead to responsible behavior.

15. Our responsibilities as a citizen • Citizens of the U.S. have the opportunity and the responsibility to participate in their government. This process of self-government insures that power will always remain where it belongs - with the people. • The most important right citizens have is the right to vote. By voting, the people have a voice in the government. The people decide who will represent them in the government. Officials can be voted in or out of office. Every person’s vote counts the same as another person’s vote. • The right to vote is a duty or responsibility as well as a privilege. It is important for all citizens to vote in every election to make sure that the democratic, representative system of government is maintained. Persons who do not vote lose their voice in the government. Before voting in an election, each citizen should be well informed about the issues and candidates. • The government may call upon citizens to serve on a jury. If an individual is chosen for jury duty, he or she must stop work and attend the trial as long as he or she is needed. The members of the jury need to decide the case in as fair a way as they can. • Men can be asked to serve in the armed forces. During times of war, any man who is physically able can be called upon to fight for the U.S. In peaceful times, there can be a draft or men and women can enlist voluntarily.

16. Learn more about the laws and Rules of American Citizens • Court Game • This is a game based on understanding laws and the rights we have as people. It gives you what the lawyers know and then what the amendment says so they can decide what is right and what is wrong. The second game takes you inside the Supreme Court case that involves and student verses his school.  (Real life application)

17. Citizen = Citizenship • Having the rights, privileges, and duties of a citizen is called "citizenship." If you want to be a good citizen, you must obey laws that are created to help people live together. To make your own decisions, you exercise the right of free choice. You must also be socially responsible in situations where there are no laws to obey. Your ethics, morals, and values create this sense of duty or responsibility. Keep in mind, however, social responsibilities vary in different cultures. • As a citizen, you have the opportunity, some would say the responsibility, to question rules, laws, and actions you don't like. You may choose to do so in order to fight for social change, for example.

18. Citizenship • Citizenship is in a certain sense a full-time job. Which is why it is hard, because Americans also have other jobs - they've got families, they've got to earn a living. Citizenship is, at its best, a full-time job. It means taking ongoing responsibility for all of the communities in which you live: your family, your neighborhood, your church, your school, your synagogue, the town, the state, the nation, and of course increasingly now we talk about a genuine responsibility to the whole globe environmentally as well. Those are tremendous responsibilities and they do make a person pay a real price.

19. What does being a citizen mean to me? • Every person is expected to obey the laws of the community, state and country in which he or she lives. All Americans are expected to respect the rights of others. All persons living in the U.S. are expected to pay the income taxes and other taxes honestly and on time. • To be responsible members of their communities, citizens can volunteer their services to help obtain needed improvements. Citizens can offer their knowledge and talents to different local organizations or committees. Participation in town meetings, public hearing and community projects is important for community improvement and for finding out the problems that need to be solved.

20. Even though I am not old enough to vote or run for office, how can I still be a good citizen? • Do your share to make your school, your community, and the world a better place. . •  Take responsibility for what goes on around you. •  Participate in community service. •   Help take care of the environment. •  Be a good neighbor. •   Treat other people with respect and dignity. •  Follow the rules of your family, your school, and your society.

21. The mark of a good Citizen The mark of a good citizen understands that they have a responsibility to the community, environment, and law. You can instill in others the virtue of citizenship by explaining the difference between good and bad citizenship.

22. What can you do in your classroom to be a good citizen? • Here is a video from 1953, even though this video is very old and technology has changed, such as having black and white films, clothing and hairstyle, classroom arrangement etc., the responsibilities of a good citizen within the classroom has not changed. Watch as your grandparents exhibit good citizenship in the classroom….. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvoVOzULZY0

23. While watching the video… • Write down characteristics and examples of a good citizen • Write down differences in from 1953 and today including changes in technology, things within the classroom or changes in fashion.

24. Review games and activities that can be done during or after the lesson: Four Corners • This is a class activity.  Have your teacher read the situations on the attached page out loud while you stand together in the center of the room with your classmates.  Each student should decide his or her sense of responsibility for the outcome and stand in the corner of the room labeled accordingly.  • One corner should read "fully responsible," another "as responsible as the person who did it," another "partly responsible," and another "not responsible at all."  Each student should be able to explain his or her position.  Those students who choose the corner which reads "not at all responsible" should tell who they believe is responsible. • Then you will divide into three groups.  Each group role–play one of the above situations using responsible citizenship skills so that the crime, tragedy, or injury is prevented. • Complete the question on the attached worksheet. Discuss your response with your teacher and classmates.

25. Review activities cont’d…. • What Would You Do? Complete the graphic organizer by entering in the text box what you would do in each of the situations listed. See how respectful you are based on your responses to the situations. • After completing the attached worksheet, create your own scenario in groups of three and act it out in a short skit. discuss with your teacher and classmates what your responses have to do with respect and if your capacity to respect others' rights and property is satisfactory.

26. Assessment Citizenship Webquest