Kindergarten Civic Ideals and Practices Inquiry
Why Do I Have to be Responsible?
Download entire Inquiry here.
Staging the Compelling Question
To launch this inquiry, teachers should introduce the word “responsibility” and engage students in a class discussion to unpack the meaning of the word. After establishing its meaning, teachers can help students make a connection between responsibilities and jobs: What responsibilities does a bus driver have? A teacher? A school principal? This activity draws upon students’ understandings that adults have clear responsibilities and helps establish the idea that students have responsibilities as well.
Video: https://safeshare.tv/x/ss582347570fa2d
Why Do I Have to be Responsible?
Download entire Inquiry here.
Staging the Compelling Question
To launch this inquiry, teachers should introduce the word “responsibility” and engage students in a class discussion to unpack the meaning of the word. After establishing its meaning, teachers can help students make a connection between responsibilities and jobs: What responsibilities does a bus driver have? A teacher? A school principal? This activity draws upon students’ understandings that adults have clear responsibilities and helps establish the idea that students have responsibilities as well.
Video: https://safeshare.tv/x/ss582347570fa2d
Supporting Question 1- What does responsibility look like?
- Source A: Image bank: Acting responsibly
Image 1: Responsibility at home
Supporting Question 2- What are my responsibilities at home and at school?
- Source A: Teacher-located books on responsibility-Teachers select books from their classroom, school, or local library on acting responsibly.
Possible titles:
Julia Cook, The Worst Day of My Life Ever, Boys Town Press, 2011.
Nancy Loewen, Do I Have to? Kids Talk about Responsibility. Picture Window Books, 2002
Cassie Mayer, Being Responsible, Heinemann, 2007
Supporting Question 3- What would happen if I weren't responsible?
- Image bank: Responsibility scenarios
| New York State Social Studies Framework Key Idea & Practices | K.4: Children and adults have rights and responsibilities at home, at school, in the classroom, and in the community. Gathering, Using, and Interpreting Evidence Comparison and Contextualization Civic Participation |
In addition to the Key Idea expressed earlier, this inquiry reflects the following Conceptual Understandings:
- (K.4a) Children have basic universal rights or protections as members of a family, school, community, nation, and the world.
- (K.4b) Children can be responsible members of a family or classroom and can perform important duties to promote the safety and general welfare of the group