Civic Heroism
Summary: In this lesson, students will engage multiple online resources, learn about the duties of a U.S. citizen and consider how citizens translate everyday civic duties into acts of heroism and engagement. Students will be able to explain how active and involved citizens work to improve communities; identify opportunities for civic engagement; identify everyday civic heroes; assess their own potential to be a civic hero.
Overarching Questions:
- CIVICS: How well does the government balance individual rights and the common good, including the need to maintain order, safety and a healthy environment, during this time period?
- CIVICS: Have individuals and groups influenced public policy during this time period? If so, how and what has been the impact?
NJ. Student Learning Standards for Social Studies:
- 6.1.12.CivicsCM.14.a: Use a variety of evidence, including quantitative data, to evaluate the impact community groups and state policies have had on increasing the youth vote
- 6.1.12.CivicsDP.14.a: Draw from multiple perspectives and cite evidence to determine the extent to which nongovernmental organizations, special interest groups, third party political groups, and the media affect public policy.
Link for Lesson: Civic Heroism! WebQuest | Duties of a U.S. Citizen | iCivics
What is the Common Good?
Summary: In this lesson students will collaborate to define “the common good”; explore the philosophical background and foundation of the common good; discover expressions of the common good in founding documents; and consider how both government and individual citizens can act in the common good. Finally, after reading examples of the common good in children’s literature, students are asked to create a children’s book representing their own concept of the common good.
Overarching Questions:
- CIVICS: How well does the government balance individual rights and the common good, including the need to maintain order, safety and a healthy environment, during this time period?
NJ Student Learning Standards for Social Studies:
- 6.3.8.CivicsPI.1: Evaluate, take, and defend a position on why government is necessary, and the purposes government should serve.
- 6.3.8.CivicsPR.5: Engage in simulated democratic processes (e.g., legislative hearings, judicial proceedings, elections) to understand how conflicting points of view are addressed in a democratic society
Link to Lesson: What Is the Common Good? Why Is It Important?