Geography Teaching Today

What is citizenship?

Idea: We are all citizens of planet earth because we all live here and share the same resources. We have the same needs but these needs are met in different and often unequal ways.

What are your reactions to this statement? What are your initial thoughts on citizenship?

In this activity we are going to begin to explore the term citizenship and develop a common frame of reference with our pupils. There are no rigid right and wrong answers to this, although there may be underlying principles that can be agreed.

Citizenship is a term that children are not likely to be familiar with, let alone able to define. It's true that this term has different meanings for different people, but if we are to enhance our teaching of geography by enabling children to realise their potential as global citizens, we need to ensure that pupils explore definitions and form some kind of consensus as to what the term 'citizen' means. I've used the expression 'global citizen' because, as our actions have global influences and repercussions, there is an implied assumption that this is really the only kind of citizen that we can be.

• What do you think?
• Are there other types of citizen apart from a global citizen? What are they?

Consider what questions you might want to encourage, model and/or share in the classroom when investigating the nature of citizenship.

• What is a 'good citizen'?
• What do we mean by global citizenship?
• How would you describe citizenship?
• Why would you want to be a good citizen?

What do pupils think a 'good global citizen' might be like? Brainstorm ideas and key concepts.

• What do you have to know to be a global citizen?
• What skills do you think you might need?
• What values and attitudes do you think would be helpful?

It's useful with older pupils to enable them to recognise and define these areas of learning - attitudes and values, skills and knowledge - although younger children might just be asked to brainstorm ideas, or contribute one-word responses to the question in a 'circle time'. Alternatively, you could provide a range of appropriate and non-appropriate vocabulary and ask children to rank and sort.

Ideas could be gathered individually, in pairs, in groups or as a class. Compare the ideas with Oxfam's definition in the documents provided below and ask if pupils would change any of their ideas. (Text is taken from Education for Global Citizenship: (A Guide for Schools). A free copy is available from the Oxfam website.)

The Global Citizen teacher version uses the original text from Education for Global Citizenship.

The Global Citizen child friendly version uses some simpler vocabulary - suitable for Key Stage 2 children and some Key Stage 1.

In both documents, the words underlined could be used for other short activities: challenge children to work in pairs or small groups, using dictionaries to come up with definitions in a given time. Reinforce and gradually build in this more difficult vocabulary with pupils over time.

Think about how you could summarise and extend children's thinking - for example:

• Make group posters about being a global Citizen on a 'wanted' theme.
• Collect key ideas and vote for the best.
• Collect and record ideas from pupils on post-its.
• Encourage and support discussion and argument.
• Collect key ideas, laminate each of them and ask groups to rank them.
• Ask pupils to identify good role models and say why.
• Make short videos in which others are interviewed (pupils and teachers) about citizenship (What is it? What could we do? Etc.).

A discussion around the kind and range of influence a citizen might have helps to reinforce one of geography's 'big ideas' - interdependence.

Additional reading

Bailey, R (2000) Teaching values and citizenship across the curriculum, London: Kogan Page.

Grimwade, K (2000) Geography and the new agenda: citizenship, PSHE and sustainable development in the primary curriculum, Sheffield: Geographical Association.

Holden, C (1998) Children as citizens: education for participation, London: Jessica Kingsley.

Walkington, H (1999) Theory into practice: global citizenship education, Sheffield: Geographical Association.

Now do Activity 4