Little Bears Family Homeschool Study Notes
Citizenship
Contents
* Introduction * Themes * Textbooks & Literature * Internet Resources *
Introduction
The revised National Curriculum for 2000 now includes citizenship as a required subject.
Obviously, since up until now there has been no National Curriculum to guide us in this subject, we have had to pioneer our own path! As home educators, we feel that citizenship is not something that can just be squeezed in but should be given due priority. [As a Christian, I see being a "good citizen" as being just a small part of living a "Christian life". However, although I will endeavour to pass on to my children broadly "Christian morals", I believe that "living a good life", if not in any case impossible, is futile, unless we come to know Jesus and accept Him as Saviour and Lord and allow ourselves to be transformed by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.]
We hope to cover the meaning of citizenship and its rights & responsibilities, but to go further and look at what being a 'good' or 'bad' citizen might involve. You will see on our timetable that we are probably going to study Citizenship alongside Social Studies and Character Building as "P.S.E." - Personal, Social (and moral) education.
Themes for Citizenship
* Rights: of citizens the UN
Declaration of "Human Rights" and the "Rights of
the Child"
[Note: There is something of a conflict between the
humanist viewpoint and that of the Bible, since fallen man has no
"rights" as such, but God has extended His Grace
toward us, and we have a responsibility to be gracious
to others.]
* Responsibilities: of citizens (positive: what we should do, and negative: what we shouldn't do): to man/ to God/ to the environment * and of Governments *
* Charity *
Further suggestions welcome
Recommendations for Textbooks
My understanding of citizenship starts with the Bible. A good children's teaching resource might be: "Leading Little Ones to God" by Marian Schooland, available by mail-order from the Alethean Bookshop.
"That for which our Fathers Fought" including, amongst other things, an English translation of the Magna Carta of 1215, the Constitution of the USA and the Bill of Rights. $4 from Trivium Pursuit www.muscanet.com/~trivium
I am looking for other books, though, and
hope to list them here.
Suggestions
would be most welcome!
I sometimes think there's plenty of room for me to start writing my own books... Actually, when I was in Sweden, I was required to study what they called "Sociology" which in fact was more a study of Swedish Society, but the main textbook, "Samhällsboken" (The book of society) was such a good book! I haven't found anything its equal here in England - or indeed in English, so if nobody else does, I'll be writing my own! Watch this space!
Internet Resources
I have been searching the internet for resources for citizenship, but I must be looking in all the wrong places, as I can't find a thing!
The UK Schools Resources site at Liverpool university has a "Personal Social and Moral Education" index, but I can't say that I'm overly impressed by it:- http://www.liv.ac.uk/~evansjon/humanities/psme.html
Blue Web'n:- http://www.kn.packbell.com/wired/bluewebn
The Convention on the Rights of the Child. I'm also looking for links to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
This page is still under construction
Please be patient - I am working on it! Links to follow!
Comments & Suggestions Welcome
© Sharon Mortemore
12 February, 2000
