For K – 2
This lesson can be broken up into 4 – 6 30 minute lessons, based on the amount of time you want to spend on the following activities:
1. Introduce the topic of citizenship: Read books (for example 8 Keys to a Better Me by William J. Briggs and Bernstein Bears and the Truth by Stan and Jan Bernstein) and watch video clips (found at Discovery Education, teachertube, schooltube, etc).
2. With students, brainstorm ways they can be good citizens of the classroom, school, community, country, and the world.
3. Practice good citizenship skills by picking up trash around the school (helping the earth and the school).
4. In a small group or with big buddies, make posters about being good citizens and put them up around the school.
5. Have community helpers (ie. Marines) come into class to talk about citizenship or go on a field trip to meet with community helpers (police officers, fire fighters, etc.)
6. Have the students write scripts about what they do to be good citizens.
7. Paint pictures showing good citizens.
8. Have students work with a partner to practice pantomiming their scripts. One student will pantomime while the other student takes their picture with a digital camera. This is our warm-up for the actual acting and speaking.
9. If they are not familiar with using them, teach the kindergarteners how to use the flip video cameras. This is easier in a small group, where the kids can take turns filming each other.
10. Next, act out the scripts, read the scripts and have students film each other using the flip camera. This is a good time to show the images at the website: http://accad.osu.edu/%7Emidori/03_763/cinema/camera.html
Even kindergarteners can practice filming these shots.
11. Optional: the final touch is to create music using GarageBand.
12. Edit using the flip camera software or iMovie.
13. Share the movie with your school! Teach others about being good citizens.
14. Watch my kindergarteners show you how you can make a movie about citizenship. We made a movie to teach others about the steps of this lesson. Check out the K-102 kinders in their Movie about How to Make a Movie:
http://www.schooltube.com/video/f1b98e48beae4368da79/How-to-Make-a-Movie
