Global Citizenship GR 3-5 Final 7-13
Global Citizenship GR 3-5 Final 7-13
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Unit Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Background Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Unit Overview
UNIT OVERVIEW
Unit Overview
Exploring Our Roles as Global Citizens is a four-lesson unit with extension activities and a studentled inquiry project that is designed
1. To introduce the concept of global citizenship, including relevant knowledge, skills, values,
and civic actions.
2. To educate students about universal human rights outlined in the Convention on the Rights of
the Child (CRC) and what their responsibilities are to ensure these rights are protected.
3. To foster students skills in developing perspectives, critical and creative thinking, research,
and decision-making about a chosen global issue using a student-led inquiry model.
4. To empower students to recognize and use their individual strengths to make a positive
difference in their local communities.
Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that
1. A citizen is a member of a community with rights and responsibilities. Being a global citizen
means being informed about issues of global importance and taking action to better one or
more of these communities.
2. Human rights are universal and should be guaranteed to all people, everywhere. They include
the right to food and clean water, healthcare, education, and more.
3. Being a good citizen entails taking personal responsibility for ones decisions and actions,
including respecting others, obeying rules and laws, and setting a good example to others.
Global citizens feel a sense of responsibility to help when the rights of others are violated, no
matter where in the world they live.
4. Positive change often begins with one person who is passionate and dedicated to making a
difference. When individuals join with others, local action can create global change.
Essential Questions
1. What does it mean to be a global citizen? What distinguishes global citizenship from national
citizenship?
2. What are human rights? Who protects them? How do human rights relate to global citizenship?
3. What are the responsibilities of a citizen within communities at local, national, and global levels?
4. How can global citizens take thoughtful, informed, and responsible action locally to bring
about global change?
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Unit Overview
Background Information
What Is Global Citizenship?
Global citizenship is not a new concept, but in the current world order it takes on new meaning
and greater importance than before. While once reserved for people of high social standing or
those preparing for roles in politics or economics, global awareness is now the responsibility of
all people everywhere. And since todays world is becoming more interconnected every day due
to commerce, technology, and transnational challenges, the need to educate students in how to
become active global citizens is greater now than ever before.
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Unit Overview
Drawing from many sources, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF defines a global citizen as someone
who understands interconnectedness, respects and values diversity, has the ability to challenge
injustice, and takes action in personally meaningful ways. Todays education for global citizenship
empowers students to understand and exercise their human rights in ways that demonstrate
solidarity with human beings everywhere and make a positive impact on the world.
Just as students need instruction that prepares them to be productive U.S. citizens, so too do
they require an education that cultivates in them the knowledge, skills, values, and actions to be
responsible global citizens.
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