Roles of Citizens

Subject: Civics, Social Studies

Lesson Length: 45 mins - 1 hour

Topic: Community Roles and Responsibilities

Grade Level: 6, 7, 8

Standards / Framework:

C3: D2.Civ.2.6-8

Brief Description: Students will explain the roles citizens play, such as voters, taxpayers, officeholders, or members of the armed forces, and understand their significance in their community.

Know Before You Start: Students should be familiar with important members of their community, as well as their roles and responsibilities.

Hook:

Ask students:
- "What do you think it means to be a responsible citizen?"
- "Can you name any roles that citizens can play in our society?"
- "Have you ever wondered why these roles are important?"

Activity:

Have students anonymously write their answers to the three hook questions on a index card or sticky note. Collect the cards, shuffle them, and read some of the responses aloud to help stimulate engagement and encourage discussion.
Guide students in playing a game of “Who Am I?” where you will read descriptions of various roles citizens hold in a community and the students will guess which role the description is referring to. Allow a moment for discussion and then reveal the correct role while discussing its significance to the community.
Have students conduct a Think-Pair-Share in which they will complete a concept map around a chosen community role and the responsibilities and/or obligations attached. As each pair shares the concept map, highlight a few responsibilities from each by writing them on the board.
As a class, have students identify the top five community responsibilities shared by placing three sticky notes (with their names on them) next to the three responsibilities they believe are most important for a successful community. After every student has had an opportunity, facilitate a class discussion by identifying the top five responsibilities chosen by the class and highlighting the commonalities and differences in their choices.
Using the sample comic as a guide, have students create a comic that explains one role citizens play, such as voters, taxpayers, office holders, or armed forces.

Closure:

Have students share their comics with the class or in small groups.
Emphasize that being an informed, engaged, and responsible citizen is not just a role but a fundamental duty in a democratic society and can actively contribute to building a better community.

Differentiation: