Unit 1 Resources: Foundations of American Citizenship - Deerlake ...

Name Date ClassCooperative Learning Activity 5America Volunteers★ BACKGROUNDAmerican citizens are required to perform certain civic duties.Americans must obey the law, pay taxes, defend the country in timesof war, and serve on a jury, if they are called to do so. In most states,young people must attend school until they reach the age of 16. Inaddition to these legal duties, most American citizens recognize othercivic responsibilities. These include staying informed of laws and decisionsthat affect their lives, voting, respecting others’ rights, and contributingto the common good. One way of contributing to thecommon good is through volunteering. Many people donate their timeor money to help their communities in various ways. In fact, everyyear more than half of all Americans do volunteer work in order toimprove their communities. You can encourage volunteerism in yourcommunity by building a Web site that contains information aboutorganizations or groups that rely on volunteers.CHAPTER 5Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.★ GROUP DIRECTIONS1. Use Chapter 5, the library, or Internet resources to learn howAmericans meet pressing social needs by volunteering.2. Read local newspapers or magazines, and contact charitable organizationsor other groups to research your community’s needs forvolunteer service.3. Use what you learn to create storyboards for a Web site. If youhave access to the necessary tools, create an actual Web site.4. Consider the following as you do your research:after-school programs homeless shelters elderly peopletutoring animal shelters hospitalsreligious organizations museums emergency relief★ ORGANIZING THE GROUP1. Decision Making Form a group with three or more students. Usingsuggestions from the box above and ideas of your own, determinethe topics that will be part of your Web site. Decide how to divideresponsibility for each topic within your group.75