Citizenship

Word of the Month

November
Definition and Color Exercising the rights, privileges, responsibilities and duties of a citizen as a member of society. Color: Brown

Holiday: Election Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving In a recent survey of the percentage of voting-age citizens who actually cast a ballot  in their country’s elections, the United States ranked only 139th out of the 172 nations that held elections. (Parade.com)
Talk about how we are all citizens and need to practice our civic duties to honor our veterans and our constitution.

Teaching Strategies from KDE While character education is not mandatory, this web site offers additional instructional tools for teachers which could be used with their existing curriculum. The purpose of this web site is for teachers to use it to blend Character Education related teaching strategies into their curriculum rather than creating a separate add-on curriculum. Decisions about how to incorporate character education into the daily classroom curriculum are local decisions best made by teachers, administrators, school board members and parents at the school site. The links below will help teachers find strategies on the word of the month on a level best suited to the class they teach.
Suggested Reading

The Red Badge of Courage

On My Honor
The Story of George Washington and the Cherry Tree

The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw

The Constitution of the United States

The Bill of Rights

The Gettysburg Address
 

Quote: Within the character of the citizen lies the welfare of the nation. - Cicero
Family Activities
  • Encourage your children to be involved in the community through Scouts, 4-H, church youth groups, or charities.
  • Take your child with you when you vote. Talk to him about the candidates, the offices they aspire to hold and their positions on key issues.
  • Participate in community-building activities, such as cleaning up parks and assisting with school activities.
  • Discuss citizenship with your child and find examples of what good citizens have done for their communities.
—Mom, where are you going?

—I'm going to a meeting. People who live on this block are getting together to plan how we can clean up that empty lot down the street and turn it into a playground.

—That would be great, Mom! But I thought Aunt Jen was coming over tonight.

—She's coming over tomorrow night instead. She understands it's important that I be at tonight's meeting. A playground down the street is just what our community and our family need, and I want to help make it happen.

  • Taken from What Does 'Strong Character' Mean? -- Helping Your Child Become a Responsible Citizen http://www.edpubs.org/webstore/EdSearch/Details.asp?ItemID=ED000754P&EdSearchPage=0
Suggested Movies

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Lord of the Rings (any of the Three)

The Red Badge of Courage

October Sky - PG

Apollo 13 - PG

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