Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
Citizenship Unit
Section 3-Obligations of Citizenship:
Contents
Page
2
3-4
5
6-7
8-10
11
12
13-15
16
Content
Section Map
Benchmark Grid
Technology Options
Learner Section Guide
Reading (A1)
Listening (A2)
Speaking (A3)
Volunteer Opportunities (A4)
Obligations Summary Activity (SP)
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Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
Section Map
Intermediate Level
Technology:
Follow link in e-mail,
listen to story online,
watch video online,
take poll online, try
online discussion
forum
Activity 2:
Watch TV show
showing good and bad
citizen behavior and
answer questions.
Discuss as a class.
Activity 1:
Read story about
being a good citizen,
answer questions, fill
in graphic organizer.
Section Product:
Options 1 – Clickers test
of 10 questions studied for
Citizenship Test
Activity 3:
Ask partner questions
and fill in chart with
information.
Option 2 – Build a Venn
Diagram on What it
Means to Be a Good
Citizen in Stds’ native
country and in the U.S.
Activity 4:
Go to website
about volunteer
opportunities, email teacher with
interest, fill out
chart with info.
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Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
Section Benchmarks
Section Product (Description):
Activity Product:
 Learners will
produce…
Reading
*Grammar Focus
Listening/Speaking
*Grammar Focus
Activity 1:
 Read story about being
Read story about being a
a good citizen
good citizen, answer
questions, fill in graphic
organizer.
Activity 2:
Watch TV show showing
good and bad citizen
behavior and answer
questions. Discuss as a
class.
 Watch videos of show
 Discuss good and bad
behaviors of citizens
Activity 3:
Ask partner questions and
fill in chart with
information.
 Ask a partner questions
and listen for response
Hubbs Center EL Civics 2011-2013
Writing
*Grammar Focus
Work, Soft Skills, & Technology
Independent
Learning
 Answer comprehension  Fill in graphic organizer
questions
 Write 3-5 sentences
about citizenship to
answer question
 Open link in e-mail
 Listen to story on link
 Write answer to
questions
 Watch video online
 Use online poll
 Use online discussion
forum
 Fill in chart with
partner’s information
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Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
Activity Product:
 Learners will
produce…
Reading
*Grammar Focus
Activity 4:
Go to website about
volunteer
opportunities, e-mail
teacher with interest,
fill out chart with
info.
Listening/Speaking
*Grammar Focus
Writing
*Grammar Focus
Work, Soft Skills, & Technology
Independent
Learning
 Fill out chart with
information
Section Product:
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 Go to website and
search volunteer
opportunities
 Send e-mail to
teacher about
interest
Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
Learner Section Guide
The Problem: _____________________________________________________________
Solutions:
What skills do we need to solve this problem?
________________________________
_________________________________
________________________________
_________________________________
________________________________
_________________________________
Learning Goals
These are the learning goals we have for this unit.
Listening/Speaking
Reading
 Listen to story on website
 Read story and answer questions
 Watch videos of good and bad citizen
 Read about volunteer opportunities online
behavior and discuss
Writing/Grammar
Technology
 Write answers to questions about story
 Open link in e-mail
 Write sentences about being a good citizen  Search site for possible volunteer
opportunity
 Fill out chart with information
 Listen to story online
 Watch video online
 Take poll online
 Try online discussion forum
These 3 Learning Goals are most important to me:
Learning Goals
At the end of the unit…
1. _________________________________
Hard
So-so
Easy
2. __________________________________
Hard
So-so
Easy
3. __________________________________
Hard
So-so
Easy
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Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
To meet these goals I will:
___ Come to class every day.
___ Study at home 15 minutes
every night.
___ Study at home 30 minutes
every night.
___ Practice speaking in class.
___ Practice writing in class.
___ Read more every day.
___ Practice English at work.
___ Practice English outside of
school.
___ Practice English with my family.
___ Go to the Learning Lab (1408)
for English help.
___ Go to the DEL (Computer lab1419) or computer help
Section Assessment:
Section Project Score: ________ Section Assessment Score: _______
Self Evaluation:
Check all that apply
Skill
By Myself
I can
Help
others:
I can
I can
I can
Hubbs Center EL Civics 2011-2013
Still Need Help
____ Need more computer skills
____ Need more English skills
____ I feel too nervous.
____ I don’t need to do it.
____ I don’t want to do it.
____ Need more computer skills
____ Need more English skills
____ I feel too nervous.
____ I don’t need to do it.
____ I don’t want to do it.
____ Need more computer skills
____ Need more English skills
____ I feel too nervous.
____ I don’t need to do it.
____ I don’t want to do it.
____ Need more computer skills
____ Need more English skills
____ I feel too nervous.
____ I don’t need to do it.
____ I don’t want to do it.
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Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
Technology Extension Options for Section 3
Note to teachers: You can do any or all of these options during the course of
this section. You can also assign different learners easier or more difficult
tasks, based on their technology skill level.
 Have learners listen to the reading in A1 individually by clicking on link
http://resources.marshalladulteducation.org given in email.
 A2 could easily be turned into an online poll using SurveyMonkey or Poll
Daddy. You could take one question at a time and ask it of the students
in TodaysMeet.com or another online discussion website.
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Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
Reading (A1)
Read Being a Good Citizen or play from: http://resources.marshalladulteducation.org
Pre-reading
Citizen:
anyone who lives in a town or city
Candidate: a person who seeks a political office
What is a good citizen?
Do you think you’re a good
citizen?
Part 1: Reading
We are all members of many communities. We are part of a neighborhood, town, and
school. Children, teenagers, adults, and seniors - all of us have a part in bettering our
communities. Good citizens make great communities! Here are some ways to become a
better citizen:
Obey laws/Follow rules – Every community has laws and rules. Drivers must stop at red
traffic lights. People must pay their bills on time. Landlords must keep sidewalks
shoveled. Children must raise their hand before speaking in class. Rules and laws are
important. Think of what would happen if communities did not have them!
Get involved – Know what’s happening in your community. Read about current events in
the local newspaper. Learn about people, places and things in your area. Ask your
children what’s going on in their schools. Attend community events and school
activities. Be an active part of your community!
Vote – Voting is an important part of citizenship. Read about candidates for office in
your local newspaper. Know who you are voting for and what their ideas are. Write a
letter to a local or state politician. Let him or her know about your ideas, opinions, and
concerns.
Reach out – Find ways to help others. Give food to a food shelf. Help coach a kids’
soccer team. Visit with a lonely neighbor. Make a meal for a family who is going through
difficult times. Ask your family members if they can think of ways to help others.
Teenagers could do chores for an elderly neighbor. Children could help clean up trash in
the neighborhood.
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Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
Part 2: After reading “Being a Good Citizen”, write three examples of each of the ways to be a good citizen.
Share your examples with the class.
Obey laws
Follow rules
Hubbs Center EL Civics 2011-2013
Get
involved
Vote
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Reach out
Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
Part 3: Reading Comprehension
1. What does it mean to “reach out” in your community?_______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Why is it important to be a good citizen? ________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3. What are two ways to become a better citizen?___________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
4. What does active mean?___________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
5. What do you think would happen if a community did not have laws and
rules?_____________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
6. What does the words seniors mean in this reading?_______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
7. How can you learn about local politics?_________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Writing
Option A:
How can you become a better citizen?
Option B:
Do you think you’re a good citizen? Why or why not?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
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Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
Listening (A2)
Go to WatchABC.com and search for the television show “What would you
do?” Have students watch episodes about witnessing some bad behaviors.
Have them think, write and share about what they would do if they witnessed
those behaviors in public.
Which behaviors are what good citizens do?
Which behaviors are what bad citizens do?
Would they say/do something to the person doing the bad behavior? Why or
why not?
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Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
Speaking (A3)
Ask a student the questions and check his/her answers. This is to see how
much you obey, are involved, vote and reach out, as discussed in the reading.
Question:
1. Do you pay your bills on time?
2. Do you ever break the law by speeding?
3. Do you break the law by driving a car
without a license?
4. Do you ever break the law by driving a car
without insurance?
5. Do you vote?
6. Do you know what your children are
studying in school?
7. Do you read the papers that your children
bring home from school?
8. Do you talk to your children’s teachers?
9. Do you know who is the mayor, governor
and senators of our state?
10. Do you read or watch the news?
11. Do you hold the door for the person
coming in behind you?
12. Do you leave trash in classrooms on the
tables or on the floor?
13. Do you leave trash on the ground
outside?
14. Do you make dinner for a family who is
going through a difficult time?
15. Do you make friends with people who
are in your community, but not from your
culture?
16. Do you give food or money to the poor?
Hubbs Center EL Civics 2011-2013
Always
Sometimes
Never
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Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
Volunteer Opportunities (A4)
To volunteer means to do something without being forced (to choose to do it)
and without getting paid to do it. You volunteer because you want to do
something nice for other people. You might also volunteer to gain work
experience. Most people who volunteer find that what they get, (experience,
happiness, feeling good about themselves) is much more than what they give.
In other words, you do this because you want to help but you end up feeling
like you gained so much from the experience.
Go to www.VolunteerMatch.org. Type in your Zip Code.
Read through the volunteer opportunities. Write an email about the
opportunity that you would be interested in trying. Send email to the teacher
and to another student, whom you might like to try this volunteer opportunity
with.
Note to teacher: You could do this activity as a jigsaw. Assign each group a
different volunteer opportunity and have them report back to each other
saying what the opportunity is, where, what they’d do as volunteer, etc.
Obviously, you would need to do the search before class and prepare
questions. The next page shows some potential questions you can ask.
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Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
Directions: Go to VolunteerMatch.com. Type in 55104 as the Zip Code.
Group 1 Click on: ___________________________________
Group 2 Click on: ___________________________________
Group 3 Click on: ___________________________________
Group 4 Click on: ___________________________________
Answer the following questions about the volunteer opportunity (if the information is not in the listing,
write “N/A” for “information not available.”
Question
1
What is the name of the organization (the place)?
2
What would you do as a volunteer?
3
For what days/hours do they want a volunteer?
4
How many people in your group think they would like to do
this volunteer opportunity?
How many people in your group think they would not like to
do this volunteer opportunity?
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Hubbs Center EL Civics 2011-2013
Answer
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Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
Now, share your answers. In your new group, share your answers.
Group 1’s Answers
Group 2’s Answers
Group 3’s Answers
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Question 5
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Group 4’s Answers
Citizenship_ Section 3_Obligations of Citizenship
Obligations Summary Activity (SP)
1. Were you a good citizen in your native country? What qualities must a person have or
should a person do to be a good citizen in your native country? Write in the circle “My
Country.”
2. You learned about what it means to be a good citizen in the U.S. Write some examples in
the circle “In the U.S.”
3. In the area where the circle intersect (in the middle) write the qualities or actions that are
the same.
Qualities or Actions of a Good Citizen
My Country
Hubbs Center EL Civics 2011-2013
The Same
In the U.S.
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