Start your students off by talking to them about the manufacturing process of certain items and what happens to the waste those items create. You can discuss the negative impact this garbage has on the environment, and then move on to talk about how simple recycling can help negate this damage. From there, ask your students to collect recyclable materials from home and around the school campus – holding a class recycling drive is an easy method for getting students involved in the environment.
Rules are what allow groups of people, both small and large, to live together in relative peace. Helping your kindergartners understand the value of rules is critical in encouraging them to become good citizens. Explain the value of rules to students – for example, rules about fire safety protect buildings and people, while rules enforced by the police help everyone live in a safer environment – and ask them to think of examples of valuable rules. Work with students to create a list of classroom rules and post the list in your classroom when finished.
There are several elements of acting as a good citizen. You can split citizenship up into several key attributes, then spend one class period each day discussing them in depth. Use compassion, self-control, honesty, responsibility, fairness, respect and trust for your daily activities. Start each lesson with a quick overview of what the word means and how it applies to good citizenship. Next, encourage students to talk about their interpretation of the attribute, or come up with examples from real life. Post attributes in your room as reminders once you are ready to move on to the next one.
Another important aspect of good citizenship is demonstrating respect for the property of others. To teach this attribute, buy a new item for your class in the form of a book or magazine. Wrap the item in gift paper to increase its perceived value. Allow students to open the gift, then sit down and talk about how people can respect the property of others. Ask your students to create a simple list of rules governing how the new item should be used in the classroom – for example, is it okay to cut pictures out or for one student to keep it at his desk? This simple activity helps students build a basic understanding of respecting someone else's property.