Contextualization

Citizenship is not just a legal status, but an active role that every individual plays in their community, country, and the world. It is about understanding and fulfilling one's rights and responsibilities, and actively participating in the social, political, and economic life of the community. In this project, we will dive into the concept of citizenship, its evolution, and its relevance in today's world.

Citizenship can be seen as a social contract between the individual and the state. In return for enjoying the rights and privileges of citizenship, individuals have certain obligations and duties towards the state and fellow citizens. These duties may include obeying the law, paying taxes, serving on a jury, and defending the country if necessary. Rights, on the other hand, are the fundamental protections and freedoms that citizens enjoy under the law.

Understanding the evolution of citizenship can provide us with valuable insights into how societies have developed over time. In ancient Greece, for example, citizenship was limited to adult male property owners. In the Roman Republic, citizenship was expanded to include people from different social classes, but still excluded women, slaves, and foreigners. It was not until the 20th century that citizenship became more inclusive, with many countries granting women and minorities the right to vote and participate in political life.

Today, the concept of citizenship is not limited to one's country of birth or residence. With globalization, we are increasingly becoming global citizens, with rights and responsibilities that extend beyond national borders. This means caring about and taking action on global issues such as climate change, poverty, and human rights. It also means respecting and valuing the diversity of cultures, religions, and perspectives that make up our global community.

Citizenship is not just a theoretical concept, but something that we can all practice in our daily lives. It is about being informed and engaged, and using our voices and actions to make a positive difference in the world. In this project, we will explore different aspects of citizenship, from understanding the rights and responsibilities of citizens, to exploring the history of citizenship, to taking action on a local or global issue.

Resources

1. Citizenship in a Globalizing World: A Comparative Perspective: A book that provides a comprehensive overview of the concept of citizenship in a globalizing world.

2. The Evolution of American Citizenship, 1776–1921: A resource that explores the evolution of American citizenship over time.

3. What is Global Citizenship?: A resource that provides an introduction to the concept of global citizenship and how it is relevant in today's world.

4. iCivics: A website that offers a range of resources on citizenship and government, including interactive games, lesson plans, and webquests.

5. TED-Ed: What does it mean to be a citizen of the world?: A video that explores the concept of global citizenship and what it means to be a citizen of the world.

6. Khan Academy: Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens: A resource that explains the rights and responsibilities of citizens in the United States.

Make sure to use these resources as a starting point and to conduct further research to deepen your understanding of the topic. Good luck!

Practical Activity

Activity Title: "Active Citizens, Change Makers: Exploring the Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship"

Objective of the Project:

The main objective of this project is to enable students to understand the concept of citizenship, its evolution, and its relevance in today's world. Specifically, students will explore the rights and responsibilities of citizens, examine how citizenship has evolved over time, and learn about the concept of global citizenship.

Detailed Description of the Project:

Students will form groups of 3 to 5 members and work together on a research-based project. The project is divided into three main phases:

1. Exploring Rights and Responsibilities: Students will research and discuss the rights and responsibilities of citizens in their local community, country, and the world. This will involve understanding fundamental rights such as freedom of speech and religion, and key responsibilities such as obeying the law and paying taxes.

2. Understanding the Evolution of Citizenship: Students will research and create a timeline that shows how the concept of citizenship has evolved over time. They will need to identify key moments in history where citizenship was redefined or expanded, and discuss the reasons behind these changes.

3. Becoming Global Citizens: Students will learn about the concept of global citizenship and how it is relevant in today's world. They will choose a local or global issue that they care about, and come up with a plan of action to address this issue.

Necessary Materials:

• Access to books, articles, and online resources for research.
• Presentation software (e.g., PowerPoint, Google Slides) for creating the timeline and final presentation.
• Writing materials for note-taking and drafting the report.

Detailed Step-by-Step for Carrying out the Activity:

1. Form Groups and Assign Roles: Form groups of 3 to 5 students. Assign each member a role such as researcher, writer, presenter, and project manager.

2. Research and Discuss Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens: Each group member should research the rights and responsibilities of citizens in their local community, country, and the world. Discuss and compare findings within the group.

3. Create a Timeline of the Evolution of Citizenship: Each group should create a timeline that shows how the concept of citizenship has evolved over time. Include key moments in history where citizenship was redefined or expanded, and explain the reasons behind these changes.

4. Learn about Global Citizenship and Choose an Issue: Each group should learn about the concept of global citizenship and choose a local or global issue that they care about. This issue will be the focus of their action plan.

5. Develop an Action Plan: Each group should develop a plan of action to address their chosen issue. This could involve raising awareness, fundraising, volunteering, or any other form of action that they feel is appropriate.

6. Prepare a Final Presentation: Each group should prepare a final presentation that includes their findings on rights and responsibilities, their timeline of the evolution of citizenship, and their action plan. The presentation should be clear, engaging, and informative.

Project Deliverables:

At the end of the project, each group will submit a detailed report that reflects their research, discussions, and practical work. The report should be structured into four main sections:

1. Introduction: Contextualize the theme, its relevance, real-world application, and the objective of this project.

2. Development: Detail the theory behind the project theme, explain the activity in detail, indicate the methodology used, and present and discuss the obtained results.

3. Conclusions: Revisit the main points of the project, explicitly stating the learnings obtained and the conclusions drawn about the project.

4. Bibliography: Indicate the sources that were used to work on the project, such as books, web pages, videos, among others.

The written document should be detailed, showing a deep understanding of the topic and a clear connection between the theoretical concepts and the practical work carried out. The report should complement the final presentation, providing more in-depth analysis and reflection on the project.

The project should take each student more than twelve hours to complete and will be due one month from the date of assignment. The final presentation and written report should be submitted electronically. The report should be written in clear and concise language, avoiding jargon and explaining any technical terms used. The aim is to communicate the project's findings and the students' understanding of the topic in a way that is accessible and engaging for a wide audience.