It is April and we have a new character trait — Citizenship.
Back when I (Sharon) was in elementary school, I remember each month we would have an all-school assembly out on the playground and the principal would announce who had received the “Citizen of the Month” award for that month. It came with a cardstock certificate and a bumper sticker announcing to all tailgaters “My child is Citizen of the Month at Cajon Park Elementary”. I’m pretty sure it was one of my elementary school goals to receive that award each year. (And I think I succeeded.) But to be honest, I’m not sure at the time if I truly knew what it meant. What was my school trying to encourage with these monthly award ceremonies? What did it mean to be “Citizen of the Month”? What does it mean to be a citizen?
Well, this month, as a school, we will focus on the character trait of Citizenship.
SLOCA Defines Citizenship As:
Recognizing one’s place in the greater communities (family, school, local and country) through active service and respectful devotion to the community’s members, values and standards.
Catch Pharse: Everyone Counts.
Forging Citizenship:
Let’s help our kids understand the broader meaning of Citizenship. It is not just about being a citizen of a particular country. (Which is the definition I would have given you if asked in elementary school.) Use the discussion prompts and questions below to dig deep with your kids about the character trait of citizenship, what it means and how they can be good citizens. And let’s all strive to be “Citizen of the Month” every month.
- First, ask your kids if they can define Citizenship.
- Read with them the SLOCA definition. See how the definitions compare.
- What makes a community?
- What communities are you a part of? Do you like being a part of these communities? What do you appreciate about them?
- What are the qualities of a good citizen?
- What responsibilities do you have as a citizen? What privileges do you have?
- What are some things we can do to serve our family, our school, our city, or our country in these current times?
- Can one person make a difference? Can you think of an example (or more), perhaps someone studied this year?
- What does “Everyone counts” mean to you?
- As we continue our study of American History, consider discussing this idea of citizenship in relation to slavery, immigrants, women’s rights, civil rights, etc.
- Imagine what the world would be like if we all just lived for ourselves.
- Take the time to make an acrostic of “CITIZENSHIP”. (For example: C-Community or Country, I-Indespensible or Indivisible, etc.) Display it in your home to remind you of this month’s character trait.
- Search for quotes from people that you think exemplify citizenship. Share them as a family or write them up.
- If you could pick one person that you know to be “Citizen of the Month” who would you pick and why?
Print Outs:
