What does it mean to be a citizen? This week, our Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd graders transformed into “Community Explorers” as we celebrated Civics Week!
We started our lesson by looking at the U.S. Constitution. We explained to our students that the Constitution is like the ultimate “Rule Book” for our country. Just like we have rules in our library to keep books safe, the Constitution has rules to keep every person in America safe and treated fairly.
We took a deep dive into one big idea from the Preamble (the beginning of the Constitution): “The General Welfare.” While that sounds like a “grown-up” phrase, our students learned it simply means keeping everyone safe and healthy. We discussed how a community is strongest when we all look out for one another.
To see “General Welfare” in action, we watched a special PBS LearningMedia video from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. We saw how “helpers” in the neighborhood, from doctors to firefighters, all work together to make sure everyone is okay.
We then turned our eyes toward our own school community, Northern Elementary! The students identified the people who work for our General Welfare every day:
The Principal: Our “Captain” who provides what we need to learn and leads the school.
The Teachers/Assistants: Our “Brain Builders” who help us learn.
The Librarian: Our “Keeper of Stories” who helps us learn and find new books.
The Custodians: Our “Building Protectors” who keep our school clean and working.
The Cafeteria Workers: Our “Energy Providers” who fuel our learning.
The School Nurse: Our “Health Guardian” who helps us feel better.
The SRO (School Resource Officer): Our “Peace Keeper” who keeps our halls safe.
The Bus Driver: Our “Road Navigators” who make sure students get to and from school safely.
To practice being good citizens, we set up Gratitude Stations. Students became illustrators and authors, creating custom postcards for these heroes. Students drew pictures of our school helpers in action, carrying mail, mopping floors, or teaching lessons. They also wrote a simple thank you: “Thank you for helping our community by keeping us safe!”
The highlight of the week was the delivery! Our young citizens hand-delivered their artwork to the front office, the kitchen, and the classrooms. By seeing the joy their gratitude brought to our school staff, students learned that they aren’t just learning about civics, they are living it.
Trena Kerns
Northern Elementary
K-5
Pulaski County Schools
