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8th grade · Social Studies · Unit 8 of 12

Citizens & Civil Society

Civic virtues, volunteering and the common good

What your child practices

Civic virtues such as honesty, respect and responsibility, how volunteers, nonprofits and community groups help the common good, and how personal interests shape the way people address problems.

Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 8.C1.2; 8.C1.3 · civic virtues that contribute to the common good, and how personal interests influence how people address issues

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Under the 14th Amendment, a person born in the United States is a citizen.
  2. You are represented in Congress by your two US senators and your US representative.
  3. Civic virtues like honesty and volunteering help the common good, and groups in civil society can organize freely and try to influence government.

Example: Who represents you in the national legislative branch? The legislative branch is Congress. Congress has a Senate and a House. Each state has two senators, and each area has a representative. Answer: your two US senators and your US representative

Citizens & Civil Society in Arizona

In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 8 of 12 in 8th grade Social Studies, after Elections & Voting and before Money Smarts.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Arizona Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Under the Fourteenth Amendment, a person born in the United States is…

    • a citizen
    • a citizen of another country only
    • never a citizen
    • a citizen only after age 21

  2. Question 2

    The officials who represent you in the legislative branch of the national government are…

    • your two US senators and your US representative
    • the president and vice president
    • your mayor and city council
    • Supreme Court justices

  3. Question 3

    The First Amendment protects religious diversity by…

    • barring an official religion and protecting free exercise
    • requiring one church
    • banning worship
    • taxing only some faiths

  4. Question 4

    Economic rights include the right to…

    • set every price in the economy
    • take others' property
    • never pay taxes
    • own, use, sell and give away property

  5. Question 5

    Why should you look up your representatives again after an election or redistricting?

    • officeholders and district lines can change
    • they never change
    • districts are random each day
    • representatives serve for life

  6. Question 6

    To be naturalized, most applicants must show they can…

    • read, write and speak basic English and pass a civics test
    • play a sport
    • speak five languages
    • run a business

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