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iCivics Curriculum Unit

Citizenship & Participation

Students will learn what it means to be a U.S. citizen and how citizenship is obtained. They will compare and contrast personal and political rights with social responsibilities and personal duties. Students will explore global citizenship, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens in other countries. They will also learn about community engagement by selecting a problem of their own and creating a plan to solve it.

Topics at a Glance: citizenship | civil liberties | civil rights | immigration | naturalization | citizen participation | civic engagement | global citizenship | duties of a U.S. citizen | rights and responsibilities of citizens | involuntary and voluntary participation in civic life | U.S. census | D.C. voting rights

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  • WebQuest

    Immigration & Citizenship

    For a person "coming to America", immigration is a precursor to citizenship. In this WebQuest, students learn why people migrate and what attracts them to America, and take a look at the naturalization process. 
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  • Game

    Immigration Nation

    Guide newcomers through the path to citizenship.
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  • Lesson Plan

    A Trip Around the World

    Students learn about citizenship around the world and compare the rights and responsibilities of citizens in other countries to the rights held by U.S. citizens.Got a 1:1 classroom? Find fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials here.
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  • Lesson Plan

    Students Engage!

    Problems need solutions, and solutions require plans. In this civic engagement lesson plan, students brainstorm a list of local problems and action steps that they might take to solve these problems in their community to affect political change.Got a 1:1 classroom? Find fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials here.
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  • Lesson Plan

    The Global You

    In this global citizenship lesson plan, students play international detective as they read accounts of international pollution issues. Students also complete an activity tracing ocean currents and discussing the paths of pollution. These activities prepare students to identify the mindset of a global citizen and to define global citizenship. This lesson reinforces concepts from “Citizen Me” and can be followed by “Students Engage!” but can also be taught independently. Note: This lesson contains an optional PowerPoint presentation (see Lesson Prep). 
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  • Lesson Plan

    Citizen Me

    Students learn that they are citizens at many levels of society — home, school, city, state, and nation — and create a graphic organizer that diagrams citizen rights and responsibilities at these different levels of citizenship.Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials below! 
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  • Lesson Plan

    Citizenship: Just the Facts

    In this lesson, students get the basics of U.S. citizenship. As a foundation for studying the rights and responsibilities of citizens, they’ll learn what it means to be a citizen and how people become U.S. citizens.Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials below!
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  • Game

    Neighborhood Good

    Meet with your neighbors, make a plan, and do some Neighborhood Good.
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  • Lesson Plan

    The Fourth Branch: You!

    Young people may not feel like they are part of the government, but they are! In this lesson, students learn how citizens influence government and measure the impact of their "citizen power" on each of our three branches.Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials below!
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See how it all fits together!

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