Citizenship Lesson

Citizenship

Who Gets To Be An American?

A History of Immigration

Almost everyone living in the United States has ancestors who lived in another country at one time.  People have been coming to America for hundreds of years. About 12% of Americans are Black.  About 16% of Americans are Latino.  About 4% of Americans are Asian.  Even though we all have different backgrounds, we have worked together to build a nation.  

What We Value:

• freedom

• equality

• opportunity

• justice

• democracy

What is a citizen?

• Members of a community who are loyal to a government

• Citizens are protected by that government

• Citizens support their government by paying taxes and serving in the armed forces

Open Ended

What is a citizen? Write it in your own words.

In the United States, citizenship at first was limited to rich white men.

After a long, hard struggle:

African-American men got to be citizens after the North won the Civil War.  The Civil War was fought to free the slaves.  The North won, the slaves were freed, and African-Americans got citizenship.

Next,

Women got the right to vote about 50 years after African-American men got the right to vote.  This happened with the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

Finally,

Native Americans became Indians in 1924 when Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act.

Multiple Choice

In the very beginning of the United States, only these people could vote:

• rich white men

• women

• African-Americans

• Native Americans

Becoming a Citizen Today!

• NATURAL BORN CITIZENS!

• 1.  You are born in America!  If you are born in any of the 50 states, in an American territory, on a U.S. military base, or born on American soil to people who are not U.S. citizens - you are an American citizen!

• 2.  If you are born in another country, you can still be an American citizen if both of your parents are citizens.  You can even choose to be a citizen of both the United States and another country.  This is called dual citizenship.

Multiple Choice

What is it called when someone has citizenship in two countries?

• multiple citizenship

• double citizenship

• dual citizenship

Multiple Choice

True or Not True: If you are born in Florida, you are a citizen of the United States.

• True! Anyone born in any of the 50 states is automatically a citizen

• Not True! You have to also take and pass a test to become a citizen, no matter where you live.

Becoming a Naturalized Citizen!

• If you are born in another country, you can still become a U.S. citizen if:

• You are over the age of 18

• You have been a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. for five years, or you have been married to a U.S. citizen for 3 years.

• You must be able to read, write, and speak English

• You must be of good moral character

• You must shown an understanding of American history and government

How To Become a Naturalized Citizen

• 1.  Complete an application and send it to the government

• 2.  Be interviewed by the government

• 3.  Take a citizenship exam about the history and government of the United States

• Pass the test!

• Participate in a special ceremony!  Take an oath and swear to be loyal to the United States.  If you have children, then your children will be citizens, too!

Multiple Choice

You can become a U.S. citizen even if you are not born in the United States

• yes

• no

Multiple Select

Check all the things you need to become a naturalized citizen

• 18 or older

• read, write, and speak English

• pass a test about American history and government

• have a good-paying job