Traits of Good Citizens
Session 1: Rules and Responsibilities

Materials

• Book about proper behavior in school
• Chart paper and markers

Instructional Activities

1. During the first week of school, hold a class meeting about classroom and school rules. Ask students what behaviors make them feel comfortable and safe at school. Brainstorm with students to develop a class list of appropriate behaviors for school. A helpful Web site may be “Teaching Citizenship’s Five Themes”: <http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr008.shtml>. 
   
   
2. Make up or read a humorous story for students wherein people are interacting without rules. Speculate with students how the characters might feel and how not following rules might create problems.
   
   
3. Help students recognize the following reasons for rules:
   •    To protect rights of people
   •    To suggest good behavior
   •    To keep people safe
   
   
4. With students, create a list of classroom rules and the reason each is needed. (State rules in a positive tone. For example, you might say, “Walk inside the school,” instead of “Don’t run.”) Write the rules on a large piece of paper, and have students illustrate the list with their own drawings.  Post the illustrated rules in a central location in the classroom.