Greet the class and introduce yourself. Have each student state his name and explain why he wants to be a citizen of the United States. As the students give reasons, write them on the board. After all students have spoken, discuss the reasons on the board and add to them as needed so that all of these reasons are listed: U.S. citizens can vote, hold a U.S. passport, and petition to bring in relatives from other countries. In addition, a citizen can't be deported unless citizenship was obtained through fraud.
Explain the basic requirements for U.S. citizenship. Students should know that they must be 18 years old, and have entered the country legally. They must have been a resident here for five years (three if married to a U.S. citizen) and must have spent at least half of the required time present in the United States. They must have been a resident for at least three months in the state from which they file for citizenship.
Other requirements are that they must be able to speak, read, and write English in everyday situations. They must pass a test covering U.S. government and history and be able to demonstrate "good moral character," which includes obeying the law, paying taxes, and paying other court-mandated costs such as child support.
The final requirement is to take an oath of loyalty to the U.S.
Choose a specific number of key ideas from "Civics (History and Government) Questions for the Naturalization Test," a document produced by the U.S. government. This document contains 100 key ideas and you need to cover all of them with your class.
Review previously covered items at the beginning and end of each class session. Present new material in a clear, simple manner. Announce the key idea first, explain it, and then answer any questions students may have before you move on to the next key idea. Frequently pose questions for the class to answer using the sample questions produced by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.