3FN17 – Social Studies – Citizens

How do FreeNode lessons work?

FreeNodes are instructor-led schooling lessons with a unique approach, granting you the freedom to independently teach using a personalized lesson plan. This autonomy enables you to tailor your lessons to suit students’ individual needs, learning styles, and interests.

To use a FreeNode, read the provided class outline & follow the formatting provided for each class. Make sure to touch on the Theocratic Connection in each class. Follow the outline closely so it is aligned with our main at-home curriculum.

How Do I Use the FreeNode?

Read this lesson plan before class to familiarize yourself with the ideas and concepts you’ll be teaching the students. You may print this page out if you need to use it as a reference point during live classes.

This lesson is a guide, but feel free to expand on the content or decrease/increase what you teach depending on the learning levels of the students in your class or the amount of time you have to cover the material.

Can I show videos in FN classes?

Yes, feel free to include additional material to supplement the class lesson material. Videos, Physical Objects, Games, Activities, etc. are okay to share in live classes.

Videos should have no advertisements or logos and should be viewed by you before showing them to the students to ensure no offensive or questionable content is included.

The video should make up only 1-3 minutes of the live class and should not take the place of instructor-led instruction. Videos should be supplementary only.

How do bookmarks work?

Bookmarks help you keep track of lessons you’re going to teach in future live classes. The bookmarks you see are for all your bookmarked lessons across all grades.

You can bookmark a lesson by visiting the lesson you want to bookmark and clicking the “bookmark” button in the bookmark section.

You can remove a single bookmark by visiting a lesson you’ve bookmarked and clicking the “bookmark” button again to unbookmark it.

You can clear all of your bookmarks by clicking the “clear all bookmarks” button. Be careful, this will erase all of your bookmarks.

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Class Lesson Plan

Objectives:

  • Students understand what a citizen is and how to become one.
  • Students learn about the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
  • Explore universal human rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
  • Students recognize the importance of civic responsibilities.

Materials:

Whiteboard
Visual aids (examples of rights and responsibilities, images of global citizens)
A simple timeline or chart of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Interactive online resources such as videos and games (optional)

Introduction (2 minutes):

Ask students if they know what it means to be a citizen. Explain that a citizen belongs to a country, state, or community, and has rights, responsibilities, and privileges. Mention that this lesson will explore what it means to be a good citizen.

Theocratic Connections:

As subjects of God’s kingdom, we follow the laws and guidance provided by that government while looking forward to the promise in Psalm 37:29, which says the righteous will live on earth forever. This citizenship shapes our conduct and helps us live in harmony with Jehovah’s standards while respecting human governments. Optional: Reference the article”Carry On as Kingdom Citizens!” to highlight parallels to the requirements of citizenship.”

Activity 1 – What Is a Citizen? (8 minutes):

Define a citizen as a legally recognized member of a community or nation. Discuss:

  • Rights citizens enjoy, like freedom and security.
  • Responsibilities, such as obeying laws and respecting others.
  • Examples of how citizens can contribute to their communities (e.g., volunteering or participating in cleanups).

Explain the process of becoming a citizen:

  • By birth: Born in a country or to citizen parents.
  • By naturalization: Applying for citizenship, passing a test, and pledging loyalty.

Optional: Show examples of citizenship documents, such as passports or certificates.

Activity 2 – Universal Human Rights (8 minutes):

Explain that everyone has basic human rights, which come from Jehovah. Discuss:

  • Universal human rights include food, shelter, freedom of speech, and education.
  • These rights are meant to ensure fairness and happiness for all people.

Introduce the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

  • Created by the United Nations in 1948 after World War II to prevent atrocities like those committed during the war.
  • Protects civil, political, and economic rights.

Optional: Show a simplified version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and highlight key rights.

Activity 3 – Civic Responsibilities (8 minutes):

Define civic responsibilities as duties citizens have to their communities and governments. Examples include:

  • Obeying laws, paying taxes, and voting.
  • Helping the community through volunteering or acts of kindness.

Discuss how preaching the good news is a civic responsibility for Jehovah’s Witnesses, as it helps people learn about God’s Kingdom and promotes happiness and peace.

Optional: Ask students to brainstorm ways they can be responsible citizens in their communities.

Conclusion (4 minutes):

Recap the key points:

  • Citizens have rights and responsibilities that help make communities better.
  • Universal human rights protect everyone and ensure fairness.
  • Civic responsibilities are an important part of being a good citizen and showing love for others.

Ask students: “What’s one thing you can do this week to be a good citizen?”

Assessment:

Evaluate students’ understanding through discussions and their ability to explain citizenship, rights, and civic responsibilities.