Why this area of study?

It is my belief that students and people of all ages should work on how they can be self-reflective and aware of their surroundings as a way to discover their own passions, and to be their most considerate self in the classroom and the world. Atlas (a website which consolodates all of the state’s requirements for teaching)  identifies the goals as,

“Apply their knowledge of political and social systems to participate actively as an informed citizen of a democracy,”

which I see as an entry point to this self-reflective practice. Preparing students to be part of a democracy means preparing them to have a moral compass, to listen with empathy, and to communicate clearly. This lesson scratches only the surface, but was certainly a great entry-point to have important conversations in my classroom

Toward the beginning of the year especially, there were several students who were struggling with kindness and safe bodies. We had the school psychologist, Ms. Santos, come in a couple times to talk with the kids about what’s expected and what’s unexpected, and how our actions change how people think of us. This concept that other people can think something of us that we don’t hold to be true about ourselves is really tricky (for all ages!) and something that takes a life time to grasp.

This unit on being a good citizen builds off of this behavior lesson in some way. As people grow up they realize in different ways and through different experiences what their purpose is and how their skillset, experiences, and interest can fit and be a part of the world. This unit in many ways is a jumping off point for figuring that out. Students in this unit begin to develop their own understandings of what they can bring to their community and what impact their actions have.