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Students will learn what it means to be a U.S. citizen and how citizenship is obtained. They will compare and contrast personal and political rights with social responsibilities and personal duties. Students will explore global citizenship, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens in other countries. They will also learn about community engagement by selecting a problem of their own and creating a plan to solve it.
Topics at a Glance: citizenship | civil liberties | civil rights | immigration | naturalization | citizen participation | civic engagement | global citizenship | duties of a U.S. citizen | rights and responsibilities of citizens | involuntary and voluntary participation in civic life | U.S. census | D.C. voting rights
Transform your students’ gameplay into meaningful and memorable learning. You can now download and assign extension pack materials directly from the Neighborhood Good game…
Do you ever wonder how kids can make a difference? In this DBQuest, young people from three different periods in U.S. history share, in their own words, how they helped their…
Women have long served the U.S. military, serving first in support and civilian roles. Not until WWI could women enlist. This DBQuest looks at the changing roles of women in the…
In this video, students learn about Rachel Carson’s achievements. A writer and marine biologist, Carson educated people about nature’s ecosystems. She also warned against the…
What does the American Revolution’s rallying cry “taxation without representation” have to do with the District of Columbia? Looking at three different types of sources--…
The U.S. government circulates a census every 10 years. This infographic will help your students know how to make it count.
What do you know about the U.S. Census? How does it affect your community? Are you prepared to be counted? Learn the who, what, when, where, why and how of the census in this…
Make your students’ gameplay more meaningful by using our immigration lesson plan designed specifically for Immigration Nation. This easy-to-use Extension Pack helps you give…
What ocean is off the east coast? Who is our southern neighbor? What are the U.S. territories? Can you draw the Rocky Mountains on a map? In this lesson, students answer these…
Let's explore what it means to be a civic hero!
For a person "coming to America", immigration is a precursor to citizenship. In this WebQuest, students learn why people migrate and what attracts them to America, and take a look at the naturalization process.
Guide newcomers through the path to citizenship.
America is often described as a 'land of immigrants'. So how do they get here? In this lesson, students learn about the U.S. process of immigration, including requirements for…
Whether you enjoy finding opportunities within a well-structured sequence of resources or prefer looking around for pieces and bits that can be jigsawed together, our Scope & Sequence documents are a perfect reference point for planning. Scope & Sequence documents are available for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms and list all of our resources in one place.
Start here if you are coming to the Roadmap for the first time.
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The five design challenges.
Home » The Roadmap » The Seven Themes
The aim of the Roadmap is to provide guidance that shifts content and instruction from breadth to depth by offering an inquiry framework that weaves history and civics together and inspires students to learn by asking difficult questions, then seeking answers in the classroom through facts and discussion for a truly national and cross-state conversation about civics and history to invigorate classrooms with engaging and relatable questions.
The Seven Content Themes map out the disciplinary and conceptual terrain, as well as the skills and dispositional learning needed to support healthy civic participation.
The Five Design Challenges span the seven themes and state honestly and transparently some of the rich dilemmas that educators will encounter as they work with the content themes and instructional guidance.
Our changing landscapes, we the people, a new government & constitution, institutional & social transformation, a people in the world, contemporary debates & possibilities.
This theme explores the relationship between self-government and civic participation, drawing on the discipline of history to explore how citizens’ active engagement has mattered for American society and on the discipline of civics to explore the principles, values, habits, and skills that support productive engagement in a healthy, resilient constitutional democracy.
This theme focuses attention on the overarching goal of engaging young people as civic participants and preparing them to assume that role successfully.
Key concepts.
History sample guiding questions, civic driving questions, civic sample guiding questions, explore resources.
Introducing kindergarteners to their new classroom community
Katharina Matro, a high school social studies teacher who grew up in Germany, explains how consistent and open education about the Holocaust has shaped her own commitment to democracy and her love of country. Matro also serves as a member of the Teaching Division of the American Historical Association's governing council.
In this learning resources, students will delve into the women's suffrage movement and use different historical accounts to understand the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Students will also consider which groups were left out of the suffrage movement and the importance of voting patterns today.
Children often lack knowledge and skills necessary to interact with each other, especially when confronted with differences in mobility, hearing, sight, developmental skills or verbal skills.
This learning resources focuses on the Polio vaccination in the 1940s and 1950s and the problems this epidemic posed to public health. Students will also compare this to the current global pandemic and the debates around the COVID-19 vaccine.
This lesson provides students with a variety of materials to learn about the polio epidemic and it has them draw connections between that event and the current pandemic.
From telegraphs to television to Twitter, how, why, and when presidents address the nation and global community has changed across U.S. history. This lesson examines the messages and mediums used by presidents and asks students to engage in point of view and change over time analyses as part of their evaluation.
This activity and resource collection guides students through answering a document-based question about the March on Washington. Using 6 supporting documents/images and a page of historical background, students answer the question, "Is the March on Washington evidence of the power of grassroots organizing or of charismatic leadership?"
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of political issues and political parties. By exploring the compelling question about how well political parties represent individuals, students consider their own political ideology as a lens for learning about the extent to which political parties address international and domestic issues.
This theme begins from the recognition that American civic experience is tied to a particular place, and explores the history of how the United States has come to develop the physical and geographical shape it has, the complex experiences of harm and benefit which that history has delivered to different portions of the American population, and the civics questions of how political communities form in the first place, become connected to specific places, and develop membership rules.
The theme also takes up the question of our contemporary responsibility to the natural world.
Too often we look back at the way people lived and evaluate the past in terms of the technology that dominates our lives today. We ask: Imagine life without automobiles or electric lights or running water. No refrigerators, washing machines, radio, television, or movies? No computers, CDs, cell phones or credit cards? How did they survive? If that is how you want to approach the past, ask yourself this: what invention do we not have that will make Iowans of the future look back and wonder how made it through the day?
In this lesson, students practice their sourcing, corroboration and close reading skills by examining two diary entries of Spanish explorers involved in the Portola Expedition. Students are asked to consider the relative strengths and weaknesses in using these diary accounts to understand the purpose of the expedition and life for Native Americans across California in the 18th century.
The physical landscape shapes the food people eat, the homes they build, the way they move around and the environment they live in. Students will investigate environmental history, which involves understanding relationships — and sometimes trade-offs — people make with the landscapes around them. Students also will use the perspectives of a historian, economist, geographer and political scientist to analyze images and documents.
In this learning resource, students will engage with the different histories of Fort Monroe in Hampton Virginia. Students will interpret the multiple historical events that occurred at Fort Monroe, starting with the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to North America to its formation as a safe haven for enslaved people during the Civil War.
This is a fourth grade resource that guides students through the diverse experiences of immigrants that traveled to New York in the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth century. Students will use primary sources to form an argument to answer the question: Did the American Dream come true for immigrants in New York?
This lesson plan examines the life of Catharine Paine Blaine, missionary, schoolteacher, and women’s rights activist who traveled from Seneca Falls, New York to Washington Territory in the 1850s. Students will examine primary sources and make connections to their own experiences, mapping the route that the Blaines took to reach Seattle from Seneca Falls.
In this lesson, students will analyze the visual and literary visions of the New World that were created in England during the early phases of colonization, and the impact they had on the development of the patterns of colonization that dominated the early 17th century. This lesson will enable students to interact with written and visual accounts of this critical formative period at the end of the 16th century, when the English view of the New World was being formulated, with consequences that we are still seeing today.
This unit looks at migration patterns in the United States in from the 18th century through the 20th century. Students will look at the interactions between Native people and European settlers in the cessions of Indigenous lands. They will also engage with the forced migration of enslaved people into the South.
This learning resource uses geospatial technology to investigate how products and resources in the thirteen colonies depended on location. Students will also use the geospatial resource to follow the population growth of the thirteen colonies throughout the 1700s.
This theme explores the idea of “the people” as a political concept--not just a group of people who share a landscape but a group of people who share political ideals and institutions. The theme explores the history of how the contemporary American people has taken shape as a political body and builds civic understanding about how political institutions and shared ideals can work to connect a diverse population to shared processes of societal decision-making.
The theme also explores the challenge of e pluribus unum: forging one political people out of diverse experiences.
Students will explore what it means to be responsible in a variety of settings. These lessons will focus on how to be responsible at home, in school, in the community and in the world. Students also will work together to establish classroom/school rules and determine how to be a responsible citizen to improve their community.
A primary source set guiding students in exploring their identities.
This learning resource investigates Harriet Tubman's life and legacy through historical documents and media. Students will compare the history told in textbooks to the reality of Tubman's incredible resistance as an abolitionist.
Students will learn about the history of the holiday of Juneteenth, analyze text sources that reveal important symbolism and rituals in Juneteenth commemorations, and reflect upon the significance of Juneteenth as an American holiday.
The African-American Civil Rights movement is typically seen as having taken place mostly in the 1950s and 60s, when a confluence of social and economic factors enabled political change. The movement, however, has much deeper roots, and thus our toolkit starts in the 19th Century, some two generations before leaders like King, Parks, and others were born. Viewing the Civil Rights movement as a generational one provides a broader perspective on the ideas and people at the foundation of this work to achieve “a more perfect union” for all Americans.
We’re collecting New Deal Curricula for High School and College courses. Please contact us if you would like to contribute to our collection. We would like to help disseminate curricula and teaching aids across the country.
This theme explores the institutional history of the United States as well as the theoretical underpinnings of constitutional design.
In this lesson, students will learn about the judicial branch and legal processes in the court room. Students will also engage in a mock trial using contentious issues in the classroom.
This lesson builds on previous lesson, continuing to develop the students’ understanding of the Constitution by examining the Bill of Rights. The narrative provides an historical background for the writing of the first ten amendments, as well as the reasons why each amendment was seen as crucial to the states accepting the Constitution.
This lesson will help students understand why the Founders thought a republican form of government was best. Students will also learn about civic virtue and the common welfare.
Using the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul as a landmark, students will analyze the structure as the primary source for learning about its significance. The lesson will combine writing, art, and historical context.
In this lesson, students will examine some of the fundamental ideas about government that are contained in the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. When they have completed this lesson, students should be able to explain those ideas and identify which ideas the class holds in common.
This lesson outlines a role-playing activity intended to help students better understand the perspectives of individual delegates at the critical point when they were debating representation at the Constitutional Convention.
A lesson plan that facilitates discussion amongst students about the challenges George Washington faced as the first President of the United States.
Students will investigate the powers of the Presidency in the Constitution, as outlined in the "Federalist Papers".
In this lesson, students learn about the landmark Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison and its lasting ramifications for judicial review by analyzing and discussing segments of John Marshall's opinion.
Students will be able to identify and explain aspects of the Equal Rights Amendment debate including various legal and societal considerations.
Institutional & social transformation - a series of refoundings.
This theme explores how social arrangements and conflicts have combined with political institutions to shape American life from the earliest colonial period to the present, investigates which moments of change have most defined the country, and builds understanding of how American political institutions and society changes.
An inspiring story about a black, female journalist breaking barriers while seeking truth, justice and equality. This book highlights Ethel's journey from young journalist to White House correspondant, and her legacy of asking the tough questions that mattered most in the fight for Civil Rights.
This lesson plan attempts to dissolve the artificial boundary between domestic and international affairs in the postwar period to show students how we choose to discuss history. Students will examine a variety of primary source documents used inside the United States and abroad during the Cold War and the concurrent civil rights movement, to see how these documents can be used as evidence for both Cold War and civil rights issues in several different ways.
This online presentation highlights the fight over a woman’s right to vote by illustrating the arguments made by suffragists and their opponents.
This theme explores the place of the U.S. and the American people in a global context, investigating key historical events in international affairs,and building understanding of the principles, values, and laws at stake in debates about America’s role in the world.
This primary source set can be used in conjunction with other secondary sources to gain a complete picture of Japan’s attack at Pearl Harbor and the immediate response of American sailors, airmen, divers, and nurses.
In this lesson, students analyze primary source archival footage to explore the politics of the atomic bomb and the policy of containment, propagated paranoia related to the spread of communism, the nuclear arms race and détente, as well as the fall of the Berlin Wall and decline of the USSR.
This unit plan highlights how patterns of immigration are both similar and different for immigrant groups coming to America, using a diagram and PowerPoint Presentation that details the progression of the immigrant experience that serves as a model for a variety of immigrant groups. Included in the set is a Universal Design for Learning chart and an extensive annotated list of primary source documents from the Library of Congress provide a visual reinforcement of the immigrant journey both before, during, and after their arrival in the United States.
In this lesson, students will investigate the the confluence of factors, including the quickening pace of industrialization, urbanization, increasing immigration, and a growing presence on the world stage that faced America in the late 19th Century. These pressures gave rise to various political movements, each seeking to provide answers to the most serious questions of the day. Overall, Americans found answers to these issues in the ideas of the Progressives. From both major political parties, the Progressives offered solutions to economic, social, and political problems, in some ways using and in others changing the American system of government that had existed for a century at that point.
Through the use of primary and secondary sources, students will understand the impact that World War I had on Arkansas.
In this lesson, students learn about the events surrounding the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, simulate the Senate's debate about the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, and ultimately consider overarching questions about presidential power and decision-making in American foreign affairs.
This theme explores the contemporary terrain of civic participation and civic agency, investigating how historical narratives shape current political arguments, how values and information shape policy arguments, and how the American people continues to renew or remake itself in pursuit of fulfillment of the promise of constitutional democracy.
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Did you know that only 24% of American eighth-graders scored proficient or above in civics on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2018? This statistic underscores the urgent need for effective civics education initiatives in schools.
In this blog, we delve into the critical role of civics project ideas in shaping informed and engaged citizens among school students.
We’ll explore why civics education goes beyond textbooks and classroom lectures and how hands-on projects offer invaluable opportunities for students to apply their knowledge, develop critical thinking skills, and actively participate in their communities.
From mock trials to community service campaigns, we’ll present a range of exciting project ideas tailored to inspire and empower students. Get ready to embark on a journey of civic discovery and empowerment!
Table of Contents
A civics project is an educational activity that helps students learn about government, politics, and citizenship by engaging them in hands-on experiences. These projects can take many forms, such as creating mock governments, organizing community service events, participating in debates or simulations, conducting research on social issues, or even meeting with local officials.
However, the goal of civics projects is to deepen students’ understanding of how their government works, encourage critical thinking about societal issues, and foster a sense of civic responsibility and engagement among young people.
Here’s a diverse list of civics project ideas for elementary, middle and high school students:
These project ideas cover a wide range of topics and approaches, allowing students to explore their interests and make a positive impact in their communities and beyond.
Engaging in civics project ideas can offer numerous benefits for school students, including:
Planning and implementing civics projects requires careful consideration and organization to ensure success. Here are some practical tips to help you plan and execute civics projects effectively:
Here are some common challenges that students may encounter in civics projects, along with potential solutions:
Civics project ideas offer invaluable opportunities for students to actively engage with their communities, deepen their understanding of civic responsibility, and cultivate essential skills for informed citizenship.
Through hands-on learning experiences, students tackle not only real-world challenges but also develop critical thinking, empathy, and leadership abilities. Despite facing challenges such as resource constraints and varying levels of interest, the benefits of civics projects far outweigh the obstacles.
By implementing practical solutions and fostering a culture of civic engagement, schools can empower students to become active participants in shaping a better, more equitable society for all.
An example of a civics project is organizing a voter registration drive in the local community. Students can work together to educate eligible voters, distribute registration forms, and encourage civic participation.
Civics projects can be tailored to various age groups, ranging from elementary school to high school students. The complexity and scope of the projects may vary depending on the student’s developmental stage and academic level.
Teachers can integrate civics projects into their curriculum by aligning them with educational standards, identifying relevant topics, and incorporating hands-on activities, research assignments, or community engagement opportunities. They can also collaborate with other educators and community partners to enhance the learning experience.
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While voting and census participation are the two activities that tend to come to people’s minds when thinking of civic engagement, there are infinite ways for people to get involved.
The term civic engagement doesn’t have a standard definition and it could be applied to a range of activities. Examples include local clean-ups, tutoring, donating blood, membership in community associations, voting, census participation, writing lawmakers, protests, and civil disobedience.
In other posts, Street Civics has more narrowly defined civic engagement but, for this post, the term is used in its broadest sense – participation in community activities and decision-making.
Civic engagement activities could be either political or apolitical. I often get the impression that people sometimes struggle to find apolitical means of engagement. On one hand, there seems to be an endless sea of ways to get involved. On the other hand, it’s difficult to know what’s worth your time and what organizations are trustworthy.
Political participation can also be a bit intimidating upon first glance. However, readers should not feel intimidated by any means of engagement. Every experience is a learning opportunity and people won’t turn away good help (provided said help is not intentionally or unintentionally sabotaging the collective effort).
The below list of civic engagement activities is divided into six sections with three suggestions each. Five sections are different means of getting involved apolitically (locally, nationally, etc.). The last section is devoted to political means of involvement.
The below suggestions are reputable and impactful means of getting civically engaged. I have personally gotten involved in many of the efforts below and believe in their impact. No matter how one gets involved, though, always do some background reading on the opportunities and sponsoring organization – especially when doing work outside of your community – to make sure the program is legitimately helpful.
1. become an election poll volunteer..
Volunteering on election days can be exciting work! Helping make sure every vote gets counted is a noble and nonpartisan way of getting involved. There are typically a few different assignments including early voting workers, polling place workers, technicians, interpreters, and a precinct captain.
The exact roles, eligibility requirements, and pre-training are determined at the state level. In some states, you also may be given a stipend for your work. If you’re interested in volunteering on election day, you can find a link to your state’s or territory’s board of elections in this post . You can also check the national compendium for more information on your state.
National Registration Day is a holiday endorsed by a few election agencies and nonprofits to celebrate democracy. The day is used as a catalyst to register voters across the U.S. The efforts supported by volunteers have had tremendous impacts and registered millions of voters. In 2018 alone, the program registered over 800,000 voters.
Volunteering for National Registration Day is usually one of my first suggestions for people looking to get involved in elections. It’s one day a year, and it has a tremendous impact. It’s also a great introduction to the electoral process. You can find out more on their website linked here .
Registering voters is important. So, I’m suggesting two ways to help. While National Registration Day tends to be one of the biggest catalysts for voter registration, there are hundreds (perhaps, thousands) of voter registration campaigns taking place all the time. Many nonprofit organizations have ongoing campaigns dedicated to getting people ready to vote.
If you want to get involved in the electoral process regularly, try looking through HeadCount’s list of nonprofits that do this work. Many of these organizations offer ongoing and flexible opportunities for volunteers.
4. work with youth..
Youth development is something that concerns the whole community. Providing good role models for youth is a critical factor in their success later in life. Not only that but keeping kids in school is one of the best ways to prevent crime in communities.
Supporting the development of youth in your community could take many forms such as coaching sports teams, tutoring, teaching life skills, or providing constructive extracurricular activities. It’s best to check with local schools or search “youth” on Idealist.org for local opportunities.
Studies have shown that when healthcare providers and the community engage each other more the whole community becomes healthier. Public health is virtually in perpetual need of more support – both from individuals taking more responsibility for their behavior and through sustained contributions to public health programs.
One of my favorite ways to get involved is by donating blood. It’s a simple process, requiring very little time and effort and will actually save lives! The Red Cross app even updates you when your blood arrives at a hospital to help a patient. How cool is that??? If you can, I strongly recommend giving blood. Who knows, you may end up like James Harrison and end up saving millions of lives!
If you aren’t eligible to give blood or faint at the sight of it but still want to get involved in public health, check out Idealist.org for public health opportunities in your area.
While engaging local government may sound a bit dull to some, it’s really not. In fact, engaging with local town halls or hearings can be productive (and sometimes entertaining). Of course, politics can inject high emotions, but getting involved in local decision making with a level head can have important impacts on your everyday life.
At times, local government decisions can serve as a model that bubbles up to the regional and national levels, making citizen engagement at the local level that much more important. Finding out just how to get involved, though, can be a challenge even in some of the most populated cities.
I suggest monitoring your local government’s social media and websites for upcoming town halls, meetings, hearings, votes, etc. Keep an eye out for when big decisions are coming up. You don’t have to wait until officials are holding town halls; send them letters and/or organize efforts to demonstrate your opinion anytime decisions are being made and you have an opinion worth sharing.
7. join the americorps or seniorcorps..
These two programs are organized through federal agencies but are driven by local needs. AmeriCorps and Senior Corps volunteers find opportunities to serve their communities locally or nationally in a variety of capacities like teaching, community development, and environmental management.
While AmeriCorps is open to people of all ages, Senior Corps is for those 55 and up. Many young professionals volunteer with AmeriCorps to gain strong professional experience while giving back. Senior Corps is a relatively newer program that offers a structured way for seasoned professionals to give back by sharing their deep professional experience.
Both programs have unique positions available in local communities and all over the country. If you’re interested, you can find out more here .
If you’re the outdoorsy type and live near a national park, you’ll want to volunteer with the National Park Service (NPS). Volunteers can help keep local parks clean and pure while enjoying their natural beauty.
Opportunities with the NPS can range from helping with a one-time event to long term positions. Admittedly, this is one of my favorite examples on this list because the opportunities with NPS can take place in truly awe-inspiring national parks. Not only that but if you manage to log 250 hours of volunteer service, you’re able to get the coveted America the Beautiful Pass that allows free entry to ALL national parks!
To find volunteer opportunities with NPS, check here .
There is no shortage of nonprofit organizations doing incredible work. No matter what issue you care about there is likely an organization dedicated to promoting it – maybe even lobbying Congress for it as well. Supporting organizations that align with your interests is a great way to invest in the things that matter to you.
Many people never realize that some organizations are working hard on their behalf or in the name of their interests. While the term “lobbying” can sound like a dirty word to some, the activity is an important part of democracy, and many organizations lobby. If there is a particular issue that you care deeply about, you might consider supporting a credible nonprofit organization that represents your values through donations or volunteering your time.
If you’re not familiar with any organizations off the bat, take your time to get to know some before donating. Follow several that seem to represent your values for a few months to get a feel about how they talk about the issues. If it continues to resonate, support them heartedly!
10. volunteer with the peace corps..
I completed two assignments with the Peace Corps, and I voluntarily lobby for the National Peace Corps Association once a year. So, I can say with confidence that I would recommend joining the peace corp – to the right the people, that is .
Volunteering abroad is a serious commitment. Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) serve for two years after receiving three months of training. They are often assigned to remote places in the world and live with few amenities. If volunteers are lucky enough to have electricity and running water, other volunteers will mercilessly tease them for being in the “Posh Corps.”
While not for everyone, the Peace Corps is an incredible opportunity to experience life in other countries – not as a tourist, but as a member of the community. For those who truly have a passion to give back and discover the world, consider a more serious path to service. You can find out more here .
UN volunteer roles tend to be specialized, professional, and require serious commitment. However, there is a wide range of roles available to volunteers including translation, adminstrative support, human rights advocacy, disease outbreak response, refugee assistance, and much more.
Some of the positions such as translation are available online , others will require volunteers to be in-person. Like the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps, the UN volunteer program is a great way to gain experience professionally while giving back. Qualifications will vary greatly depending on the position, but there are many opportunities. Find out more here .
Just as nonprofit organizations are working at the national level for many interests, many nonprofit organizations are working at the international level as well. Consistently supporting reputable organizations that work on issues you care about is a natural way to get involved at the international level as well.
Many nonprofit organizations also have volunteer abroad programs. HOWEVER, A WORD OF CAUTION. Volunteer abroad programs are notoriously tricky endeavors. For one, working in international development successfully requires extensive planning involving the local community. There are a lot of ways to get international development wrong and there is probably a patron nonprofit for every offense.
Secondly, volunteer abroad programs have also become cash cows for sketchy and predatory “nonprofits.” Even if the organization you volunteer with is reputable, it doesn’t mean they know what they are doing on the ground in foreign lands. Many well-intentioned church groups have supplied kind-hearted volunteers (and their cash) to sham operations abroad over the years.
In some cases, it can be extreme and “volunteers” may be unwittingly supporting illicit activity or feeding into local power dynamics. For these reasons, I strongly urge anyone that is considering volunteering abroad to do extensive background research on prospective programs and organizations.
There are, of course, very trustworthy and worthwhile experiences facilitated by international nonprofits and, if you’re truly considering signing up with one of these organizations I would encourage you to aim for the big names like Doctors Without Borders , Red Cross , and Habitat for Humanity . While big organizations can make mistakes abroad too, they are much less risky than some of the random organizations that pop up on a google search for “volunteer abroad.”
13. help researchers advance science on zooniverse.org..
Zooniverse allows volunteers to help researchers with a wide range of interactive tasks. For instance, researchers often need assistance in pattern recognition; recently, volunteers have been asked to look for wind patterns in thousands of pictures of the surface of Mars.
The platform is open to researchers from all sorts of fields. So, the tasks for volunteers on Zooniverse can vary greatly. The platform promotes “people-powered research” and is an amazing way for any science geek to give back.
The Crisis Text Line is exactly what it sounds like and has become an important online resource. The program naturally requires a serious commitment from volunteers given the potential stakes involved.
Volunteers are first required to undergo 30 hours of training; they are then asked to be logged on for four hours a week until 200 hours are reached. The Crisis Text Line is particularly grateful for the night owls among us as most texts come in between the hours of 7 pm and 3 am. Find out more here .
Be My Eyes is a revolutionary yet simple idea. Volunteers help the visually impaired complete everyday tasks over video chat. The app has had dramatic impacts on the lives of those with visual impairments. Since it launched, the app has attracted more than 3,000,000 million volunteers to the platform.
To volunteer or request help, you just download the mobile app and wait. You and several other volunteers will receive the same alert when someone needs help. So, if you can’t answer the call, another volunteer in the group can pick up.
Those who are politically inclined or strong supporters of a candidate may want to consider volunteering for a political party or a specific campaign. Volunteers can get involved in a wide array of tasks and there are jobs even for the more introverted.
As always, political volunteers should be mindful of who they engage with as well as where and how. Volunteers have the biggest impact within their communities and make the biggest impression with face-to-face interaction. Mail works too but, over-the-phone engagement could damage a campaign.
If you want to know how to volunteer for a party or candidate read our post about it here .
Ordinary individuals can make a big difference in the way government runs if they engage thoughtfully and consistently. And, that’s not just empty encouragement; I’ve seen individuals influence government law and policy because they were committed to making a change.
Make no mistake, it’s not easy to change government institutions as a single individual; it takes time to build relationships and to gain allies. It also requires a commitment to stay up-to-date and to deliver the right messages at the right time.
If people are truly committed to developing relationships with their elected leaders, they often develop relationships with staff members first. So, start by reaching out to set up a meeting with an official, but don’t be surprised if you’re offered a meeting with a legislative director or assistant. Maintain connections to the office, build support, and work towards higher-level meetings. If you’re new to advocacy, check out our post that includes three things you should know.
While this might sound bold (or trite depending on your perspective), Street Civics is dedicated to creating resources that help people create social change. In my research, I’ve come across an endless supply of examples of “ordinary” people having extraordinary impacts on the world.
There are many approaches to social change such as advocacy, grassroots activism, community involvement, community organizing, and more (see below). All are valid approaches and the lines between them are often blurry. Ultimately, the important thing is that people understand they have the power to create the change they seek. For those looking to make a bigger change, see below for additional resources.
Dan Jasper is the founder and primary author of Street Civics. He specializes in advocacy and international affairs.
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Define citizenship on five levels (home, school, city, state, nation). Describe key rights and responsibilities of citizens. Identify the source of rights and responsibilities at each level of citizenship. Recognize conflict between rights and responsibilities. Suggest examples of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in their own lives.
Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like In the United States, potential jury members are notified of their duty by a summons. a phone call. an e-mail. a text message., The US Constitution defines citizenship in the Thirteenth Amendment. Fourteenth Amendment. Fifteenth Amendment. Sixteenth Amendment., One example of a civic responsibility that is not a requirement is ...
Objectives of the Project: Identify the knowledge and skills that are gained through interaction with government and civic life. Practice teamwork, problem solving, and civic participation. Analyze problems and determine multiple solution options. Support decisions with evidence, practice, and follow up.
Use the lesson plan below to discuss civic engagement and the role citizens play in making our voices heard. U.S. government, civics, social studies. 60 minutes. Middle and High School. To ...
Underline the word "citizen" in the first question and the word "responsibilities" in the second question. 2. When class begins, ask students to read the two questions silently. Ask students what they think the theme of the lesson will be. Make sure students understand the key words: citizen. and.
ition to your regular tools for evaluating the learning of course content. Assessing civic responsibility and the concepts related to it—compassion, the political process, the meaning of citizenship, a willingness to get involved, understand-ing government's role in a democracy, interpreting the individual's rol.
civicQ responsibility 2 Background 5-9 Teaching Materials 10 About the Lesson 11 Lesson Contents World War II on the Home Front: NATIONAL STANDARDS The lesson addresses Standard V of the National Standards for Civics and Government: StudentS Should be able to: • Identify personal and civic responsibilities and explain their importance.
10 ways to be a responsible U.S. citizen. 1. Show your loyalty to the USA. You will have taken the Oath of Allegiance if you are a newly naturalized citizen. It is a civic duty to be loyal to the USA and give up loyalty to any other country. U.S. citizens can have citizenship in two countries at the same time.
Guide to Civic Responsibility. Intended Learning Outcome: Analyze the results of actions and inactions with the likely effects on the larger local and/or global communities. Assessment may include but in not limited to the following criteria and intended outcomes: Analyzes community needs within appropriate context
Responsibilities are tasks that are expected of citizens, while duties are tasks that are required of citizens by law. D. In the United States, the responsibility of voting includes. registering to vote in one's home state. making contributions to political campaigns. signing up for a political party. signing up for Selective Service.
Students will learn what it means to be a U.S. citizen and how citizenship is obtained. They will compare and contrast personal and political rights with social responsibilities and personal duties. Students will explore global citizenship, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens in other countries. They will also learn about community engagement by selecting a problem of their own and ...
The phrase ''civic duty'' refers to the actions that all individuals must take in order to be citizens of a country. Each country has its own specific requirements for civic duty, meaning that the ...
This theme explores the relationship between self-government and civic participation, drawing on the discipline of history to explore how citizens' active engagement has mattered for American society and on the discipline of civics to explore the principles, values, habits, and skills that support productive engagement in a healthy, resilient constitutional democracy.
The Importance of Teaching Civic Responsibility in America. Závon Billups spends his days fighting for truth, struggling against apathy, and doing his best to counter the snarling partisanship that has consumed American politics. He is, in other words, a civics teacher. He describes his students as the change agents of the 21st century.
Adapted with permission by Elizabeth Larson-Keagy, PhD, Executive Editor, The Journal for Civic Commitment, from A Practical Guide for Integrating Civic Responsibility into the Curriculum, edited by Karla Gottlieb and Gail Robinson, American Association of Community Colleges, Washington, D.C., 2002 Defining Civic Responsibility "If there is a crisis in education in the United States today ...
declaration of candidacy. someone wants to be a candidate so they announce it. direct primary. members vote by a secret ballot to choose general election candidate. open primary. voter votes for whoever they want without declaring a party. party-raiding. members of one party vote in the other party's primary. plurality.
Engaging in civics project ideas can offer numerous benefits for school students, including: Hands-on Learning: Civics projects offer practical, experiential learning opportunities that deepen understanding. Civic Engagement: Projects foster active participation in civic life, instilling a sense of responsibility and empowerment.
Examples include local clean-ups, tutoring, donating blood, membership in community associations, voting, census participation, writing lawmakers, protests, and civil disobedience. In other posts, Street Civics has more narrowly defined civic engagement but, for this post, the term is used in its broadest sense - participation in community ...
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Alexandrovsky District (Russian: Александровский райо́н) is an administrative and municipal district (), one of the sixteen in Tomsk Oblast, Russia.It is located in the northwest of the oblast and borders with the territory of Strezhevoy Town Under Oblast Jurisdiction, with Kargasoksky District, and with Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.
A wintry residential street in Tomsk. The Tomsk region was long an important center of Western Siberia, but lost importance after the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which passed the region by to the south.But due to the discovery of oil in the late 20th century, Tomsk Oblast received a vital injection of economic importance and has reclaimed some of its status as an important ...
Tomsk Oblast (Russian: То́мская о́бласть, romanized: Tomskaya oblast') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast).It lies in the southeastern West Siberian Plain, in the southwest of the Siberian Federal District.Its administrative center is the city of Tomsk.Population: 1,047,394 (2010 Census).[9]The development of the territory which now constitutes the oblast began in the ...