9 Interesting Citizenship Activities For High School Students

A pleasant society can be created when a resident knows their responsibility as a citizen. Although it may take time and effort, it is important for a community and a nation to have many proud natives who can engage and fulfill their duties as citizens. If you are wondering, these are the qualities that indicate the signs of cognizance of Good Citizenship.

When taught to students, good citizenship should instill a sense of pride and unity in them. Thanks to schools for their focus on spreading relevant awareness through various activities. Apart from the USA, many schools around the globe today include citizenship lessons and activities for students.

These activities are confined as festive chores on Citizenship Day and aspire to rigorous training, creating the finest citizens. Let us comprehend more about its benefits, adorned with some handpicked activities for high schoolers.

How would these activities benefit?

High school students can prove to be great volunteers as they are full of energy and are eager to make a difference. That being said, what lies in it for these students to be encouraged to participate in such activities?

Here are a few reasons they should consider volunteering in citizenship activities:

• Better teamwork and participation are crucial to the all-round development of high school students.
• Citizenship activities can help these students expand their knowledge of the world around them and be more aware and engaged with the happenings in and around their locality as well as pay attention to the current affairs of the world.
• High school students may often feel incompetent or lack self-esteem, but participating and volunteering in such activities can improve their mental health, confidence, and social skills.

Points taken into consideration while putting these activities together 

These activities were curated carefully, keeping in mind the benefits of good citizenship on society and how young minds can be molded so that they are aware, engaged, and responsible with regard to the country’s happenings. 

Moreover, they will also help shape the ideals and morals of high schoolers and help them explore the lives and livelihoods of the people around them. However, while it is undeniable that high schoolers should be taught to become better citizens at the right age, educators also need to remember not to overburden them with too much information, which can become overwhelming at times. These activities are carefully curated to give them a taste of being good citizens.

Such activities that allow students to know and mock their rights so that they can duly and righteously exercise them as adults are crucial. Hence, we have chosen a bunch of such activities that not only teach students to be responsible citizens but also make them well-aware natives who know of their rights and honors. 

Increasing participation and engaging in citizenship activities

The students with whom you may interact might be from various socio-economic backgrounds, races, and ethnicities. They may be citizens by birth, children of immigrant parents, or may not be citizens of your country at all. What can you do to introduce the topic of citizenship to such a diverse audience? Or rather, How can you bring these people together to participate in their society actively and support their community and thereby their nation?

You can do so by introducing projects and ideas that aid the students in understanding their impact on their society. This will be of use to them in the following ways:

• Helping them integrate their own ideas to do good will be a major boost to their confidence. 
• They will find themselves gaining interest in service to people and leading more fulfilling lives.
• Leadership skills and responsibility are also something that they will learn through the process.
• Citizenship helps instill a strong moral code and respect our system of justice and democracy.

List of citizenship activities for high school students

1. Watch and Talk About Videos on Citizenship Topics

Students can engage in digital citizenship to explore the different ways they can contribute through the internet. Students can learn about government models and legal bodies, the court of law, the history of the country, and leaders who model good citizenship. 

Watching and making videos with friends is crucial to understanding and contributing to Citizenship. Moreover, teachers can also introduce some videos during citizenship lessons as a visual aid to the students so that they are inspired and motivated to become good citizens. 

2. Hold Discussions on the Importance of Rules and Laws

Discuss among yourselves why we need to set laws and what can happen if we do not have them. Also, find out how you can encourage more people to be law-abiding citizens and talk about the repercussions of not following them, whether it is in school or outside its boundaries.

Laws are the necessary foundation of an ideal and effective society and their importance on a day-to-day basis may be talked about during these sessions. These discussions can lead to the exchange of ideas that can broaden the outlook and modify the students’ ideology. 

3. Join Hands to be Respectful of School Property

Create awareness amongst your peers on the importance of protecting and preserving public property. Paying attention to your surroundings and keeping it clean can also be useful in this regard. Students must also learn how they can be considerate of other people and their personal space.

While some students may enjoy sharing their belongings, others may not. It is important that each student is mindful of how they interact and mingle with those around them, whether students or teachers, to show that you respect their privacy and personal space.

4. Host Games and Activities

Students can participate in games, public speaking, collage, poster making, and create presentations to spread awareness about social issues. They can also conduct art competitions and more to attract attention to national and global interest issues. The following are some activities that the students can engage in:

• Organize a day where each student can study and explain the occupations of professionals (Such as a lawyer, a baker, a politician, an artist, a taxi driver, and so on), interview them, and create a study of how they lead a day in their life highlighting their struggles and joys.
• Create posters as groups on different social and political issues that are of importance as of late in your country or address global issues such as climate change, class-based divisions, and so on.
  

5. Write Poems and Stories on Citizenship and its Implementation 

You can contribute to different causes if you are skilled in writing. Poems, short stories, essays, articles, and blogs about your opinions and ideas concerning global issues. Address issues that concern you through the means of creative writing and opt to publish them in your school magazine or a local newspaper.

Delve into topics of public interest such as deforestation and pollution, fuel crisis, hunger and poverty issues, healthcare and disease prevention, and so on. In a world that is now more connected than ever, Putting information out there and expressing yourself creatively can be a significant input to issues that concern all of us.

6. Analyze and Debate Newspaper Articles

Students should be prompted to find and read newspaper articles and blogs to discuss matters that promote citizenship. They can read current affairs, historical figures, international matters, and the lives of people in our country and the rest of the globe as they engage in this activity.

With many online and offline resources available at their disposal, these young learners will have no difficulty finding interesting topics and events to debate about.  High schoolers can put forth their opinions about funding for basic education, reservations for minorities and women in the parliament, the importance of democracies over other forms of government, voting rights, and much more.

7. Organise Cleaning Drives & Create Environmental Awareness

Host cleaning drives with people in your community to clean up local parks, rivers, footpaths, beaches, and so on. Encourage water conservation, smart-buying practices, plastic reduction, recycling, and lowering of fuel consumption in addition to keeping your locality clean. Here is a list of 15 community service ideas you might want to check out.

Constitution Day is also a time of the year for you to discuss Nature and wildlife conservation practices. You can also opt to contribute to various charities, NGOs, shelter homes, and orphanages. Students can also collect and distribute clothing, electronics, and other commodities to the needy. You can also create cards and letters for people in old-age homes and hospitals.

8. Spread Awareness about Voting Rights and Practices

Make and give away voters’ pamphlets and flyers to encourage people to vote. Put up signs and banners to grab people’s attention to your cause. You can also put out public service announcements and organize gatherings to convey further information. Ensure that you elaborate upon the importance of voting and how it can benefit us as citizens.

You can also offer to provide transport and other services, like carpooling to the elderly, differently-abled persons, and anyone else who may find it challenging to go to voting centers. Learn about the process of voting and include this as information to ease people’s worries about how easy it could prove to be. Put up articles and blogs on the internet if that is your forte to engage potential voters.

9. Visit Places of Historical and Social Importance

Organise excursions to places of public interest such as monuments, national museums, heritage sites, natural conservatories, wildlife parks, and more. Museums are rich treasure troves of history and culture, whether it is through artifacts and monuments or art and sculptures.

Students will have fun visiting such places in their city and gain a vast amount of information in a relatively short span of time. This can help you learn more about the history of the country and aid you in becoming a better citizen. Students can also learn about the American flag and its meaning and importance, how and when to use and display it.

Conclusion

Activities that inculcate students about being good citizens will encourage them to aim to become better in their personal lives and social lives. Students can become better communicators, gain more confidence, and contribute in important ways to build a good country. Such activities will also provide students with the opportunity to get out into the real world and learn different skill sets and the virtues of being a good citizen while also having the time of their lives.

Whichever one of these activities you or your students wish to engage in, they can be guaranteed to enable your students to become overall good citizens and encourage them to put the effort in to help make a better country and thereby a better world.