Citizenship Unit Study Guide
Test Date:____________
CHARACTERISTICS- What are some characteristics of a good citizen?
 Respect- treating others the way you want to be treated
 Responsibility- taking care of your own business. You don’t make others
do what you are supposed to do
 Caring- treating people with kindness
 Fairness- taking turns
 Honesty- telling the truth, even when it’s difficult
 Trustworthiness- doing what you say you are going to do
RESPONSIBILITIES – What are the responsibilities of citizenship?
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Respect and protect the rights and property of others
Generate ideas and take actions to improve the school and community
Self-reliance and self-control or self-discipline
Honesty and trustworthiness
FAMOUS AMERICANS – What Americans are examples of good citizens? What
makes them good examples?
A. GEORGE WASHINGTON= led the fight for freedom from England and
helped establish a new country.
B. ABRAHAM LINCOLN= was the 16th president of the United States who
helped free enslaved African Americans.
C. SUSAN B. ANTHONY= led the struggle to give women equal rights,
including the right to vote.
D. HELEN KELLER= overcame disabilities and worked to help others who
were blind and deaf.
E. JACKIE ROBINSON= was the first African American player in the major
leagues of baseball. His actions helped to bring about other opportunities
for African Americans.
F. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.= was an African American minister who
worked for civil rights so that all people would be treated fairly. He led
peaceful marches and gave speeches.
VIRGINIANS –How does “good citizenship” unite people from different cultures
and backgrounds?
DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS –
 People living in Virginia have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and
traditions.
 People in Virginia are American Indians, Africans, Europeans, Asians, Latin
Americans, South Asians, and Middle-Easterners.
 All of the people who live in Virginia participate in and contribute to their
communities in some way. When
 People practice the responsibilities of good citizenship; they are
contributing to their communities.
COMMON PRINCIPLES –
 While people in our communities have different ethnic and cultural origins,
they are united as Americans and Virginians by common principles and
traditions.
CIVIC BEHAVIORS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
 Displaying responsibilities of good citizenship= respecting and protecting
the rights and property of others, participating in school and community
activities, demonstrating self-control and self-reliance, and being honest
and trustworthy.
 Voting= Voters in Virginia elect officials to make decisions for them in the
state and local government, AND:
 Taking part in state or local government= Citizens gather together and
speak to the government about making changes they think are
important, or they organize friends to vote for people they think should
lead us.