Nina Dee Duff
Elementary School Teacher
Texarkana, Texas
89006

PURPOSE: To involve students in their own learning so that they will become responsible citizens and participate as leaders to safeguard the liberties and freedoms of all citizens.

OBJECTIVES: The students will learn to appreciate our country's heritage and traditions, be aware of the uniqueness of each individual, the qualities of a good leader, demonstrate the new for rules and laws, demonstrate crime prevention, explain the judicial system in relation to juveniles, use models for rational decision making, be aware of the ecological problems that accompany rapid scientific and technological progress, suggest solutions to the challenges created by the global environmental problems, use the skills of critical thinking and research, and practice being leaders in school.

MATERIALS:

• Participate in an American Partnership, Oklahoma State Department of Education
• Bright Ideas for Student Leaders, Reum, California Association of Student Councils, 1985
• Guidelines to Teaching the American Way of Life, Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1948.

1. Initiate a Citizenship Campaign during the first of school using the idea of students boarding the U.S. Citizenship.

2. Plan an assembly to kick off the good citizenship campaign. At this assembly present the Captain (principal), the Crew (teachers), and the Passengers (students). Tell the students in order for them to have the most enlightening voyage aboard the U.S. Citizenship there are certain responsibilities and rules they must keep as passengers.

3. Inform the students of the organization called SPICE (Students Participating in Citizenship Education) is going to be formed. To become a leader of this organization, they should prepare a speech to be presented to their class telling why they would make a good leader.

4. During the assembly award two honorary SPICE memberships to outstanding citizens of the school who have proven their citizenship.

5. Plan an election in each room so that each student may present why he/she should be chosen to attend the SPICE Council meetings. Ask the class to vote on who they think would make a good SPICE leader.

6. Publicize meetings and recognize students for accomplishments in newsletter and bulletin board. Place a bulletin board in the hall entitled Salute to Super Stars. Each time a representative

is elected, place the student's name on a star to be placed on the bulletin board. Pick a student to highlight each week on this SPICE bulletin board, and list outstanding students from each room. Post announcements on this board.

7. Conduct meetings with the SPICE Council using the following concepts from the books listed in the materials section. The SPICE Council should be presented with the materials they will use in peer teaching in their classrooms.

8. Plan assemblies to be sponsored by SPICE to enhance life aboard the U.S. Citizenship.

9. Have an awards assembly at the end of school to honor SPICE leaders and good citizenship. Give each member a certificate for making the voyage aboard the U.S. Citizenship.

CONCEPTS TO BE PRESENTED:

We the Students:

Awareness of self and environment
American freedoms -- meaning of citizenship
Leadership qualities -- creative traits

Duties and Rights of Citizenship:

National symbols
Appreciation of country's heritage and traditions Duties and responsibilities of citizenship

Citizenship in the Family:

Law and the family
Family and you

Citizenship in School -- Authority:

Rules, responsibility
Respect for property, authority, and laws
Critical thinking skills

Citizenship in the Community -- Rules, Laws:

Juvenile justice system
Crime prevention

The American Economy -- Choices:

American economic system
How Americans manage their money
Careers for Americans

Meeting the Challenges of the Future -- Decision making:

You and the law
Treating juvenile crime
Ecology
Problem of pollution
Energy for today and tomorrow
Protecting our future
 
SPICE CITIZENSHIP MONTHS:

• September: Citizenship Assembly (Sept. 17) and SPICE Kick-Off October: National School Lunch Week
• November: Education Week (Honor teachers and Children's Book Week)
• December: Christmas Open House and Visit Rest Homes
• January: Study of Creative People and Creative People Speakers
• February: Patriotic Week and (Red, White, and Blue Day)
• March: Energy Day and Kite Flying Contest
• April: Law Day and National Library Week (Young Authors)
• May: SPICE Day (Awards) and Field Trip

* Welcome Aboard the U.S. Citizenship *

We have assembled today to kick off our Citizenship Campaign at Dunbar School. How many of you know we celebrate "Citizenship Day" in the United States? Citizenship Day is September 17, because that is the day the Constitution was signed in 1787. There are many ceremonies held in cities across the country on this date. At these ceremonies, people born in another country are naturalized. This means that they take an oath of loyalty to our country and give up their citizenship in their old country.

You will be hearing a lot about our U.S. Constitution. We recently celebrated its 200th birthday or bicentennial.

To be a citizen of this great country is a privilege but it also involves some responsibilities. This year we want to study some of those responsibilities.

Our Captain aboard the U.S. Citizenship has worked very hard to get the ship to function properly. She/he is certainly being a good leader, and is doing everything she/he can to promote excellence aboard this ship.

We have several crew members aboard the U.S. Citizenship. You are familiar with the crew. Would the crew please stand up? They are working very hard for this ship to function properly.

We have some more people aboard the U.S. Citizenship, and that is you, boys and girls, the passengers. (Please stand) In order for this ship to function properly, we have to have your cooperation. There are rules and responsibilities that our passengers must keep.

We want this voyage to be the most productive one you have ever taken, and to be the most enlightening. To help us achieve our goals, we are creating a student organization, which we will call SPICE (Students Participating in Citizenship Education).

To become a member of this organization you must be a member of this school, know your rights and responsibilities of citizenship, and be a good citizen of our school. The main purpose of this organization will be to help make our school more effective, and to enrich our life aboard the U.S. Citizenship.

Next week, each classroom will be electing two representatives to come to the SPICE meeting. The representatives will in turn teach you what they learned at the SPICE meeting.

Students who would like to be elected may make presentations to their classes telling why they would make good leaders of the U.S. Citizenship. The SPICE Council members will serve for a period of three weeks and then new members will be elected.

Some activities the SPICE Council will sponsor are: Teacher

Appreciation Day, Young Author's Project, Energy Conservation Essay and Poster Contest, Kite Flying Contest, Patriotic Week, Christmas Open House, and Law Day. We hope at the end of school, we can honor all the good citizens of Dunbar School at a special Awards Assembly.

Today we want to recognize some special people who have proven their citizenship qualities aboard this ship. We want to make them honorary members of our SPICE Council because be believe they practice all the rules of good citizenship. (Identify two or three people to honor. Custodians, city officials, community helpers might be honored.) We want you to have these SPICE shirts because of your outstanding citizenship in our school and city.

Boys and girls that kicks off our SPICE Campaign let's be preparing for our election in two weeks. Please watch the bulletin board for all the details.

Thank you for your attention this morning.