Everyday Civics - Virginia Standards of Learning

Citizenship: Home, School, and Community

Standard of Learning

K.8	The student will demonstrate that being a good citizen involves
	a) taking turns and sharing;
	b) taking responsibility for certain classroom chores;
	c) taking care of personal belongings and respecting what belongs to others;
	d) following rules and understanding the consequence of breaking rules;
	e) practicing honesty, self-control, and kindness to others.

Content

Understand that a community is a place where people live.

Recognize the following examples of being a good citizen:

Taking turns
Sharing
Completing classroom chores
Taking care of one’s things
Respecting what belongs to others
Being honest
Practicing self-control
Being kind to others.

Realize that good citizens are involved in their home, school, and community and take responsibility for their own actions.

Understand the results of following rules and the consequences of breaking them, as depicted in the following chart:

	Rule	Results of following the rule	Consequences (if the rule is not followed)
Home	Put toys away.	Toys are safe. Know where toys are located.	Toys can be broken or lost.
School	Line up to go to the play ground.	Everyone gets there safely	Someone can get lost or hurt.
Community	Look both ways before crossing the street	Cross the street safely	Someone can get hurt.

Sample Resources

Below is an annotated list of Internet resources for this organizing topic. Copyright restrictions may exist for the material on some Web sites. Please note and abide by any such restrictions.

Daly, Mary. “I Am Responsible.” Scholastic Teachers. Scholastic, Inc. <http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/theme/respk1.htm>. This unit on responsibility offers a variety of activities, a responsibility reflection sheet, and a list of books that help teach responsibility.

Kids and Community. American Planning Association. <http://www.planning.org/kidsandcommunity/>.
This Web site offers information about city planning, activities for students, and reviews of books about communities.

Kids Next Door. United States. Department of Housing and Urban Development. <http://www.hud.gov/kids/index.html>. This Web site offers information and activities that teach students about citizenship and communities.

Learning Adventures in Citizenship: From New York to Your Town. Public Broadcasting Service. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/newyork/laic/>. On this Web site, students can explore the history of New York and take part in activities that encourage participation in their own community; the site also includes a section for teachers.

Patrick, John. “How Can We Help Children Learn to Be Responsible Citizens?” Educational ResourcesInformationCenter (ERIC). United States. Department of Education. <http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content/responsible.citizen.html>. This brochure gives teachers and parents ideas for teaching responsible citizenship and offers resources for additional information and materials.