Welcome back to Make A Difference Monthly. I am super excited about all the “pins” on pinterest for this linky party and for the emails I have been getting from readers that they are using the resources and ideas shared in this monthly linky party. Below is a review of the character traits that we focused on since I began this monthly party. Teacher and parent bloggers are encouraged to blog about how they teach their children the specific character, then link up here anytime throughout the month! Readers can refer back to these posts and use the ideas. It’s like paying it forward. Your blog post will be shared with hundreds of readers who will then be inspired to teach these important values to their children either at home or in the classroom!
Bloggers-This month is super to link up since I am sure we will all be writing about the Fourth of July, Please be sure to link up and share this with your blogger buddies! Thank you for your support in helping this linky party GROW!
July: Citizenship
Citizenship & Patriotism
Do your share to make your school and community better ¢ Cooperate ¢ Get involved in community affairs ¢ Stay informed; vote ¢ Be a good neighbor ¢ Obey laws and rules ¢ Respect authority ¢ Protect the environment ¢ Volunteer (from the Character Counts website. They have wonderful resources for parents and teachers)
I think it’s important to start by teaching young children how they can cooperate with their family and friends by following rules and helping to make a difference. This shows they are being a good citizen. As they get older, we can teach them what it means to be a good citizen of more than just their family and friends but on a larger scale like their community.
With Independence Day upon us this month, it’s a great time to teach your children about what it means to be a cooperating citizen of the United States and what it means to be patriotic.
Teach:
Citizenship: I think something like teaching your child about household chores will introduce them to the meaning of citizenship. A friend once told me that she teaches her children that there are certain chores everyone in the family must do simply as a part of being a member of the household.
Patriotism: From grandparents.com—Tell children that our country is like a family: Everyone has to pitch in or it doesn’t work. As members of the U.S. “family” ” in other words, as citizens ” we all have certain responsibilities, like going to school, voting, and obeying the law. Discuss how being a good citizen also means taking care of the country, by keeping it clean, looking out for people in trouble, and staying informed about the problems that we face. Of course, actions always have more impact than words, so set an example by dedicating some of your time to volunteering in the community.Find a project that is important to both you and the kids, such as helping out at a school or cleaning up a playground. Read more here.
Make:
Add dry beans to the middle of the paper plates to make it a noise maker!
Sing:
On the Fourth of July…
(sung to “London Bridge”)
It’s our country’s birthday,
Birthday, birthday.
It’s our country’s birthday,
On the Fourth of July!
On Independence Day…
(sung to “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)
Fireworks go snap, snap, snap!
Crack, crack, crack!
Zap, zap, zap!
Fireworks make me clap, clap, clap
On Independence Day!
Read:
We Live Here Too A great book that teaches kids how to be a contributing member of their community.
Do:
Things you can do that show you are a cooperating citizen of your community from Kelly Bear.
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I was friendly to a new child from a different country.
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I helped clean up the park.
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My mom and I passed out voter pamphlets.
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I collected used toys and clothes for needy children.
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I said “no” when a friend asked me to do something that wasn’t a good choice.
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I wear my bike helmet and follow other bike safety rules.
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I wait for the signal to cross the street and I stay in the cross walk
