What are the characteristics of a Citizen

Do Now: What makes a citizen? What do all citizens do?

What is a Citizen

• A Citizen is a person who owes loyalty to a particular nation and is entitled to all its rights and protections. To be citizen of the United States, you must fulfill one of 3 requirements:

What is a Citizen? Cont.

• 1. You were born in the United States (or at least one parent is a citizen of the United States)

• 2. You were naturalized, that is, you have completed the official legal process of becoming a citizen.

• 3. You were 18 or younger when your parents were naturalized.

Becoming a Citizen

• Who is Carla? Where does she come from?• She is a girl from Argentina.• She became a Resident alien – Noncitizen

living in the country

To become a citizen you must take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States.

Rights and Responsibilities:

• Under American Law

• ALL are equal

• ALL have rights

Civic Virtue

• Willingness to work for the good of the nation or community even at great sacrifice• Cincinnatus Roman Farmer who gave

up a peaceful life to lead Rome.• Think of Washington and Jefferson

Democratic Value

• Is a sense of Patriotism (a feeling of love and devotion toward one’s country)

• Respect for laws• Moral Courage: Doing the right thing even

when it is unpopular – think Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Physical Courage: Police, Soldiers, Fire Fighters

Responsibilities of a citizen

• Voting

• Obeying the Laws

• Defending the Nation

• Serving on a Jury

• Serving the Community

• Being Informed

Becoming an American Citizen

• 1. Establish _______-year _________• 2. Apply for ___________________

________________________________________________________________

• 3. Go through the interview process________________________________________________________________

• 4. Take Oath of __________________________

Test questions

• How many stripes are there on our flag?• _________________________________• What country did we fight during the

Revolutionary War?• _________________________________• Who elects the President of the United

States?• _________________________________

Test questions

• What are the duties of the Supreme Court?• ___________________________________• How Many terms can the President Serve?• ___________________________________• How many Senators are there in Congress?• ___________________________________

On a yellow sheet answer

• Some people do not vote, some people do not volunteer to help their communities, should citizenship be earned rather than given?