- Definition
Citizenship means understanding your rights and responsibilities as a member of your community, country, and the world, and acting on them. It's about knowing what you're allowed to do and what's expected of you.
Picking up litter at the park is an act of citizenship because it shows responsibility for a shared community space.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Citizenship is like being on a team where everyone has a part to play and rules to follow to help the whole group succeed.
Ask your child: What are some of the 'rules' we follow in our family to be good family members?
Common mix-up: Kids may think citizenship is just about having a passport. It's also about our roles and responsibilities in our school, town, and even online communities.
Examples
- Following school rules, like being respectful in the hallway, is part of being a good citizen of your school.
- Having the right to share your opinion in a class debate is an example of a citizen's right in that community.
citizenship is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
