How can people impact society?

SS.4.C.2.3

Explain the importance of public service, voting and volunteerism.

SS.4.C.2.3

Explain the importance of public service, voting and volunteerism.

Correlated Florida Standards (See Full Text on Cover Page)

  • LAFS.4.RI.1.1, LAFS.4.RI.1.2, LAFS.4.RI.2.4, LAFS.4.SL.1.1

Essential Question

How can people impact society?

Learning Goals/Objectives

  • Students will define and explain the importance of public service, voting and volunteerism.

Overview

The student will read a passage about public service, voting and volunteerism and complete a graphic organizer to demonstrate their understanding of the vocabulary and information presented.

Materials

  • Internet access to play video
  • Getting Involved reading
  • Getting Involved handout

Time

  • 20-25 minutes

Activity Sequence

INTRODUCTION/HOOK

  1. Play the following video, “Kid President – How to change the world (a work in progress)” Teacher Note: Stop the video at 2:22 when the following question is posed: How do we change the world? If needed, download the video before the lesson using
  2. Remind students that Kid President says in the video that you can change the world with small actions that can have a large impact.
  3. Have students create a list of ways they can change the world. Make a web using student responses.

ACTIVITY

  1. Place students into pairs and pass out the “Getting Involved” student reading and handout.
  2. Instruct students to work with their partner to complete the entire brainstorm column and write down anything they think they know about the three vocabulary terms in order to activate any prior knowledge.
  3. Read the first paragraph on “Public Service” aloud to the class.
  4. Work as a whole class to define the term “public service” using the evidence from the reading.
  5. Instruct students to add the class-created definition to the handout.
  6. Read the second “Public Service” paragraph aloud to the class and instruct students to highlight any text in the paragraph that explains why this term is important.
  7. Have students share out and write the evidence and the explanation on their handout.
  8. Instruct students to work with their partners to read the remaining sections and work together to complete the rest of the handout.

CLOSURE

  1. Give students the following prompt as an exit slip: “Choose one of the following vocabulary terms: public service, volunteerism or voting. Explain how that term can help change the world.”

OPTIONAL EXTENSION SUGGESTION

  1. Have students create public service posters. Explain to students that the poster should encourage others to do good deeds and will be posted around the school.

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Getting Involved

Public Service

Public Service is work or actions that benefit the public, such as being elected or appointed (chosen) to a government office. People who do public service as their job are known as public servants. Many people are known as public servants – the mayor, state representatives, the governor and even the president! Being president of the United States is a public service because the president works for the people of the United States, the public. The requirements to be elected or appointed to a government office change for each job. Usually, you have to be at least 18 years old and signed up to vote.

Our government and the people of the United States depend on public service. If people were not elected or appointed to government positions, our government would not work! The government was created around people and if we didn’t have people working in government we would have no laws, public services or order.

Volunteerism

Volunteerism is the act of volunteering. To volunteer means to perform a service willingly and without pay. When you volunteer, you donate, or give, your time and energy to help someone or something else. There are many different ways and places to volunteer. Volunteering can happen at school, in the community and with organizations you are part of. You can volunteer with family, friends and classmates.

Many places that people go to everyday require volunteers in order to keep them working. For example, many parks need volunteers to help them keep the park clean and free of trash and litter so that children can have a safe place to play.

Voting

Voting means making a choice and gives people the chance to state their opinion and be heard. Whether people are voting in a presidential election, for student council representatives or in a classroom discussion, each time you vote you are sharing your view.

In the United States, voting is an important part of the government. People who are at least 18 years old can register, or sign up, to vote. During elections, people who are signed up to vote can cast a ballot to make their choice for government officials in their city, for the state and for people who will work for the national government. This includes the president, Senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives. During elections, the act of voting is one of the few times when all adults in the U.S. have an equal say. No matter how much money you have or who your friends are, you only get one vote and everyone else only gets one vote.

Sources: and

NAME______DATE______

Getting Involved

Directions: Work with your partner to brainstorm what you think each term means. After reading, write down the definition of each term in your own words and a sentence summary to explain why the term is important.

Brainstorm / Definition / Evidence
Public Service
/ / /
Why is public service important? /
Volunteering
/ / /
Why is volunteering important? /
Voting
/ / /
Why is voting important? /

Getting Involved – Answer Key

Directions: Work with your partner to brainstorm what you think each term means. After reading, write down the definition of each term in your own words and a sentence summary to explain why the term is important.

Brainstorm / Definition / Evidence
Public Service
/ / work or actions that benefit the public, such as being elected or appointed (chosen) to a government office / If people were not elected or appointed to government positions, our government would not work! The government was created around people and if we didn’t have people working in government we would have no laws, public services or order.
Why is public service important? / Public service is important because in order for our government to work, we need people who are willing to serve.
Volunteering
/ / to perform a service willingly and without pay / Many places that people go to everyday require volunteers in order to keep them working
Why is volunteering important? / Volunteering is important because some places need volunteers in order to stay open or to be a safe place for people to enjoy, such as a park.
Voting
/ / making a choice / During elections, the act of voting is one of the few times when all adults in the U.S. have an equal say. No matter how much money you have or who your friends are, you only get one vote and everyone else only gets one vote.
Why is voting important? / Voting is important because it gives people an opportunity to be equal.

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