Teacher's Guide for APPLESEEDS Celebrating Citizenship

"Special Rights & Duties of Citizenship" (p. 3 - 4)

1. List 2 reasons that the Constitution of the United States is such an important document.
2. Only citizens can enjoy certain rights. Write a short essay explaining these rights. In your final paragraph, tell if you think it is fair that these rights are reserved for legal citizens only. Support your statements.
3. Explain at least three responsibilities that come along with citizenship.

"Becoming a Citizen" & "Be Proud" (p. 5 - 6)

1. How do people become American citizens?
2. Immigrants say that they come to America because it has many good things to offer. What do you think that means?
3. What steps must a person take to become a naturalized citizen?
4. Why should you be proud to be an American?

"Picking the Best" (p. 7 - 11)

1. A third grade student in Virginia said that "we vote to pick the best." Explain what she means.
2. How can voters make the best choice when voting?
3. Although you cannot vote in legal elections until you are 18, you have opportunities to vote before that. Write about a situation when you got to vote and tell what the outcome was. Did you feel the election was fair? Why or why not?
4. In the early days of the U.S. government, certain groups of people could not vote. What groups were excluded and why was this so?
5. Write a short essay explaining at least three changes that allowed all Americans of age to vote.
6. Even when you are too young to vote, you can still have a voice in your community. Explain how.

"Citizenship Day" (p. 12 - 15)

1. How do children at the Folwell School celebrate Citizenship Day?
2. What does Citizenship Day celebrate?
3. List two facts that you learned about the Daughters of the American Revolution from the article.
4. What things could YOUR class do to celebrate Citizenship Day?
5. Why does the author compare baseball to citizenship?
6. Take the quiz on p. 15. List three questions that you think should be added to this test for Citizenship.

"A New American Family" (p. 18 - 20)

1. What does the word 'adoption' mean?
2. How do you think Claire and Max feel about being adopted?
3. What important papers do Claire and Max need to prove citizenship?
4. How do Claire and Max learn about America and American culture?
5. How do Claire and Max's parents help them to understand their native Asian culture?

Activity: Have the students make passports. Arrange for them to be able to use them to enter certain places in the school. (Ex: office, cafeteria, library, etc.)

"I Pledge Allegiance" (p. 22 - 23)

Write an essay telling how you feel about the recent controversy over the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Be sure to give reasons to support your statements.

"Respecting our Flag" & "In their own Words" (p. 24 - 26)

1. Why do we celebrate June 14?
2. Describe the American Flag as if you were speaking to someone who has never seen it. Be specific.
3. Explain what the red and white stripes, blue field, and white stars represent.
4. List at least two ways that you can respect the flag.
5. What could you do if you saw someone disrespecting the flag?
6. Why did Yosiat's family come to America?
7. Why do you think that Yosiat never felt discrimination in elementary school, but felt it later in middle school?
8. What important act did Congress pass in 1917? How did it benefit Puerto Ricans?

"Branching Out" (p. 30 - 31)

Read the booklist on pages 30 - 31. Choose one of the books written about, or search your library for another book that relates to citizenship. Write a book report using your teacher's guidelines. Be sure to make a beautiful cover!

1. IMMIGRANT
   1. A person who leaves America after birth.
   2. A person who settles somewhere after coming from another country.
   3. A person who has lived in more than three different countries.
2. REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY
   1. A government in which the citizens vote to select the people who make the laws that affects them.
   2. A government represented by men chosen by the President.
   3. A government in which only females are allowed to rule.
3. SUFFRAGISTS
   1. People who suffer through discrimination.
   2. People who want to keep immigrants out of the U.S.
   3. Citizens who fight for the right to vote.
4. NATURALIZATION
   1. The act of being permitted to vote.
   2. The process of becoming a citizen in the U.S.
   3. Laws benefiting nature and the environment.
5. ALLEGIANCE
   1. Loyalty
   2. Peace
   3. Respect
6. REPUBLIC
   1. A country where laws are made by the King.
   2. A country where there are no laws.
   3. A country where we elect people to make laws for us.
7. LIBERTY
   1. Wealth
   2. Freedom
   3. Laws
8. JUSTICE
   1. Fairness
   2. Happiness
   3. Employment

Answer Key:

Multiple Choice

1. B       p.5
2. A       p.7
3. C       p. 9
4. B       p. 21
5. A       p. 22
6. C       p. 22
7. B       p. 23
8. A       p. 23

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Updated: 11/21/08 11:08 am
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