American Citizenship

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While a citizen is simply defined as a person who is recognized as a legal member of a nation, this excellent and affordable video points out that being a "good" citizen involves a whole lot more. With the aid of a few energetic elementary-aged kids of various ethnicities, as well as an engaging young adult host, American Citizenship teaches viewers that good citizenship is based on respect, courtesy, and service to others. While the right to speech, property ownership, and democratic participation in the highest levels of government have long been cherished benefits of American citizenship, this program, which also looks at immigration and naturalization, stresses that with rights come responsibilities (such as jury duty). Although there are moments of unabashed patriotism (“you’re a member of the best club in the world!”), the video does not shy away from the sordid history of America’s denial of rights to minority groups, including women and African-Americans. The accompanying teacher’s guide, which builds nicely on the video’s content, is also sensitive to students who may not be American citizens. One in the six-volume series American Government for Children, the other titles are: The History of American Government, A History of the Presidency, The Three Branches of Government, What Is Government? and Federal, State and Local Government. Enthusiastically and highly recommended, this is also an Editor's Choice.

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K-Gr 4-Virtually every school and public library will want to purchase this series. It begins by answering the question, "What Is Government?," by explaining the reasons why people form governments. Various types of governments, such as monarchies and dictatorships, are discussed and contrasted with democracies. Other videos in the series give an overview of the three branches of our government, and the reasons for different levels of governance. Two videos concentrate on the history of the presidency and our American government. Teachers will especially welcome the video on citizenship which clearly explains the rights and responsibilities of American citizens. In each video, a group of young people split up to conduct research on the general topic. Considerable use is made of historical documents and tape. For example, in A History of the Presidency there are numerous clips of almost every president of the past century plus photos of presidents from our early history. Within the tapes are also short clips featuring current governmental figures, such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who comment on their role or the function of government. Technical quality is excellent, the young actors are ethnically diverse, and the narration is very clear and understandable. Even the youngest students will be able to comprehend the basics of government after watching these videos. In light of the events of 9-11, many schools are going to want to purchase teaching materials on citizenship and government, and this series is one of the best available.

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal. Used with permission.

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