In this Grade 3 lesson from California myWorld Interactive Chapter 5, students learn what it means to be a good citizen by exploring concepts such as public virtue, good deeds, role models, volunteering, civic engagement, and taxes. The lesson examines how citizenship is practiced at home, at school, and in the community, including through activism and responsible digital behavior. Students also build vocabulary around civic responsibilities and discuss how 21st-century technology shapes civic participation.
Section 1
Good Citizens Help Their Communities
Good citizens are people who help make their community a better place. They do this by following rules, respecting their neighbors, and being kind.
Good citizens care about the common good. This means they want what is best for everyone in the community, not just for themselves. They look for ways to help others and make life better for the whole group.
Section 2
Citizens Help Their Communities
Good citizens help their communities in many ways. This is called civic engagement. It means people take an active part in making their town or country a better place for everyone.
Grown-ups can vote to choose leaders. People also pay taxes. This is money that the government uses to pay for important things like schools, roads, and parks.
Section 3
Early Americans Valued Good Character
Being a good citizen is about more than just actions like voting. It also means having strong civic values. These are the shared beliefs and behaviors that help everyone in a society get along and succeed. They include ideas like justice, patriotism, and being informed.
Early American leaders showed the importance of these values. George Washington studied rules of civility, or polite and respectful behavior. The poet Phillis Wheatley used her writing to call for justice and freedom for all people. Their examples teach us that good character is essential for a strong country.
Section 4
Technology Creates Digital Citizens
New technology like computers and the internet connects people all over the world. This means a person’s community can include people from many different places.
Being a good citizen now includes how people act online. This is called digital citizenship. It means being kind, safe, and respectful on the internet. Good digital citizens do not share mean messages or hurt others online.
Book overview
Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.
Continue this chapter
Expand to review the lesson summary and core properties.
Section 1
Good Citizens Help Their Communities
Good citizens are people who help make their community a better place. They do this by following rules, respecting their neighbors, and being kind.
Good citizens care about the common good. This means they want what is best for everyone in the community, not just for themselves. They look for ways to help others and make life better for the whole group.
Section 2
Citizens Help Their Communities
Good citizens help their communities in many ways. This is called civic engagement. It means people take an active part in making their town or country a better place for everyone.
Grown-ups can vote to choose leaders. People also pay taxes. This is money that the government uses to pay for important things like schools, roads, and parks.
Section 3
Early Americans Valued Good Character
Being a good citizen is about more than just actions like voting. It also means having strong civic values. These are the shared beliefs and behaviors that help everyone in a society get along and succeed. They include ideas like justice, patriotism, and being informed.
Early American leaders showed the importance of these values. George Washington studied rules of civility, or polite and respectful behavior. The poet Phillis Wheatley used her writing to call for justice and freedom for all people. Their examples teach us that good character is essential for a strong country.
Section 4
Technology Creates Digital Citizens
New technology like computers and the internet connects people all over the world. This means a person’s community can include people from many different places.
Being a good citizen now includes how people act online. This is called digital citizenship. It means being kind, safe, and respectful on the internet. Good digital citizens do not share mean messages or hurt others online.
Book overview
Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.
Continue this chapter