Materials For profiles:
| 60-120 minutes Ideally the activity will be done over two or more days or group meetings - one day to introduce and begin work on the project, and the next to finish and present with possible independent work time in between. Age Adaptations For younger youth (ages 5-11), stick to drawings or other artwork. Leaders can help non-writers or pre-writers transcribe their thoughts onto their “engaged citizen” portrait. For older youth (ages 12-18), allow them to create their portraits from scratch, using their chosen medium. |
TIP:
May make sense to do as group work, especially if creating podcasts or videos
Learning Goals: | Youth will transfer previous knowledge about “engaged citizenship” by applying it to a real individual, either themselves, a community member, or a notable citizen. Youth will gain hands-on experience in civic storytelling. Youth will continue connecting dots for how they are - or can become - an engaged citizen. |
Profiles in Citizenship
Group Leader Guide
Most teenagers can easily reel off names of their favorite musical artist or athlete, and often know the most intimate details of these celebrities’ lives. In this lesson, youth will research or interview “engaged citizens” - or make a self-portrait about themselves - and create a product - drawing, collage, podcast, video, slideshow - that defines that person. The goal is to learn about and celebrate the everyday citizens who help our democracy thrive!
I AM AN ENGAGED CITIZEN | Profiles in Citizenship | Group Leader Guide
Preparation If time, it would be helpful for the leader to create an example for youth to examine before they begin their own projects, just to give you an idea of the process and what a finished product might look like. This will also allow you to create an example that is most appropriate for the skill level, age group, and region where you’re located. You will also see there are three different options for the product participants can make. Depending on time, age, and expertise, you could plan for just one of these and have everyone create the same type of product. |
Activity Flow Icebreaker: If you have time, start with an icebreaker. You can project one of the quotes from the citizenship section of the Civic Quote Walk Activity and do one of those reflection activities. Or choose another icebreaker from the Kids Voting Civic Icebreaker resource document. Warmup Discussion: Ask the youth a couple of questions to get them thinking about engaged citizenship. → Younger Youth (ages 5-11): What ways do you help your classmates, friends, or family? Why is sharing important? Is it important to know things about the world? Does it feel good to help others? → Older Youth (ages 12-18): What are some ways you can be an active member of your community? Who do you see helping your community? How can youth under the age of 18 do some of the things you just mentioned? Is “citizenship” only your civic duties, like voting, paying taxes, or attending jury duty? How can less political actions, like staying informed on the issues, being a good neighbor, or helping others, still be considered aspects of engaged citizenship? . |
Profiles in Citizenship | Group Leader Guide, p. 2
TIP:
Make an event of it! Set up a Story-Corps style booth and invited community members to record their stories of civic engagement with a youth interviewer.
Creating “Engaged Citizen” Profiles: You can have youth create their presentations in a variety of possible ways – choose one or more that are most conducive to the age group you are working with, your skills and materials, and your setting. Or let youth decide collectively or individually what medium they want to create their profile in. Possible mediums include drawn or other visual art representations, infographic or other graphic design, video or sound recording, word art, slide or spoken presentation.
Youth can approach selecting their subject for the profile in a number of ways. (Leaders should feel free to limit youth to only one or two of these options, depending on timing, age and ability level of youth, or available resources.)
#1. Youth can find someone from the local community to profile. This may be someone the leader knows or that they know personally and admire - a parent, mentor, coach, neighbor, teacher, etc. They should interview this person and create their profile based on that interview. See suggested interview questions in the “Resources” section for questions the youth can use or adapt.
#2. Empower youth to create “self-portrait” profiles that show how they already engage in their community in helpful, productive ways. They may not be able to vote, but how are they already making a positive impact? See below for a helpful handout “guide” to creating a self-portrait of an engaged citizen.
#3. Research someone from the current day or the past who would be considered an engaged citizen, and create the profile based on their research. See the annotated list in the “Resources” section of suggested names to provide structure to their research. All of the historical figures have direct connections to the state of North Carolina
Show Their Work!: If time permits, have students present or display their work, to their fellow youth in the room or to the wider community! Allowing them a platform to present what they’ve created is a great way to culminate the activity. If students make portraits, you could line them up as a gallery walk, inviting members of the community to come, view, and ask questions of the artists. If the space does not permit it, the leader could look at partnering with a local agency or business to display the artwork. The more youth see their work as publicly important, the more empowered they will feel!
Profiles in Citizenship | Group Leader Guide, p. 3
Additional Resources
Pass the Mic passthemicyouth.ces.ncsu.edu/ Oral storytelling curriculum, tools, and assistance from NCSU Extension
Storycorps /storycorps.org/
Americans Who Tell The Truth americanswhotellthetruth.org/portrait-gallery/ One artist’s visual representations of citizens he admires
Share your participants work with us or tell us what you thought of this activity!
kidsvotingdurham..org
info@kidsvotingdurham.org
Interview Question Guide
Learning more about why someone is the active citizen they are is a great way to become one yourself! Plus, through this exercise, you can share what makes that person so great with others!
Here are some sample interview questions you could use or adapt:
What do you think makes a “good civic participant,” in your own words?
How do you try to live up to that definition in your own community?
What’s your favorite aspect of your citizenship?
What made you want to be a leader in your community?
What people or events inspired you in civic engagement?
What advice would you have for someone who wants to become a more engaged citizen?
Do you think children and/or teenagers can be active, engaged citizens? How?
If you want to come up with questions on your own, think about what you want to know about that person that you’ve never thought to ask them before. Consider what makes you want to talk to them, as opposed to anyone else you could speak with? What motivates and inspires them? Thinking through answers to those questions should set you up well to come with interview questions yourself.
I AM AN ENGAGED CITIZEN | Profiles in Citizenship | Resource/Handout
I AM AN ENGAGED CITIZEN | Profiles in Citizenship | Resource/Handout
What are your citizenship qualities? What are your most important character traits that you think make you a good citizen? Are there images represent those qualities for you? | Who are your citizenship heroes? Name and describe a couple of people you look up to when it comes to being a “good citizen.” |
How do you serve your community? What are a couple of ways you “act” like a great, engaged citizen on a regular basis? | What’s your motto? Great citizens tend to be known for great life philosophies. What’s a phrase or saying that you live by? This can be something you create, or something someone else said. |
How will your citizenship grow? What plans do you have to become an even more engaged citizen as you get older? | What are your most important community issues? What matters most to you - a clean community, helping your neighbors, political issues that matter to you, and so on. Put those here: |
Self-Portrait Guide
So you want to show off your *own* engaged citizenship? Great! Here’s a helpful graphic organizer to get you thinking about how you can show that off in your final product:
I AM AN ENGAGED CITIZEN | Profiles in Citizenship | Resource/Handout
Some Engaged North Carolina Citizens
So you’ve chosen to profile a notable North Carolina citizen. Great idea! See the two lists below for a group of engaged, active citizens from the state’s history and current day. You can pick your own famous figure as well, but all of these are more than worthy of your engaged citizen profile! As you’re making your profile, consider including images, portraits, famous quotes, personality traits, and/or notable accomplishments.
Disclaimer: There have been thousands of engaged citizens, throughout history and today, that don’t make the history books but were vital to our democracy all the same. This list just contains a few that we know about, because they did.
Historical Figures
Ella Baker: Ella Baker grew up in Littleton, N.C. and attended Shaw University in Raleigh. She was one of many unsung heroes of the Civil Rights Movement. Famous for her quote, “Strong people don’t need strong leaders,” she worked behind-the-scenes for more than 50 years to build collective power, especially among young people, and win legal equality for African Americans.
Learn more: https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/baker-ella-josephine-K-8
John Chavis: Way back in the Antebellum period - before the Civil War, when slavery still existed - John Chavis was a free African-American who became one of the most notable North Carolinians of his time. He moved here in 1808 and was an educator of both free Black and white people, and his schools were among the best in the state.
Learn more: https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/nina-simone-k-8
Harriet Ann Jacobs: Edenton, N.C. native Harriet Jacobs was born in 1813 into slavery, and later escaped to the north at age 29. She was one of thousands who took such a perilous journey, including many from North Carolina, but what sets her apart was her autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861), the first female slave narrative and a key tool in the abolitionist movement.
Learn more: https://www.ncpedia.org/jacobs-harriet-ann-k-8
Pauli Murray: Durham, N.C. native Pauli Murray was way ahead of her time. As a young female of color, she tried to desegregate public transportation years before Rosa Parks became famous for it. She was also a lawyer, activist for both racial and gender equality, poet, and even an Episcopal priest.
Learn more: https://www.ncpedia.org/pauli-murray-k-8
Nina Simone: Born in Tryon, N.C., singer and pianist Nina Simone was an accomplished and popular musician. She did not settle for just a successful career in music, however: Many of her songs were openly political, such as “I Wish I Knew How It Felt to Be Free,” and she used her platform to push a message for equal rights.
Learn more: https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/nina-simone-k-8
I AM AN ENGAGED CITIZEN | Profiles in Citizenship | Resource/Handout
List of Engaged North Carolina Citizens, continued
Current-Day Figures
Rev. Dr. William Barber II: Though not a North Carolina native, Dr. William Barber’s homebase is in Goldsboro and he is nationally known for his “Moral Monday” movement, that rallied support in North Carolina and elsewhere for greater economic and racial equality. Dr. Barber has dedicated his professional and personal life to helping those most in need.
Learn more: https://www.breachrepairers.org/bishop-william-j-barber-ii
Malinda Maynor Lowery: Professor Lowery is a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and one of the country’s best-known historians on the Lumbee and the indigenous people of America in general. In addition to her role as a professor, she has written multiple books, produced films, and created documentaries dedicated to preserving and spreading the history of indigenous people.
Learn more: http://history.emory.edu/home/people/faculty/lowery-malinda-maynor.html
Jesse McCoy: Duke professor and eviction defense attorney Jesse McCoy grew up in Henderson and Durham, and learned from personal experience how people of certain skin colors and economic backgrounds were treated differently. Now he helps lead the Durham Eviction Diversion Program, which helps people facing eviction hold onto one of the most important things in any of our lives: a safe, comfortable place to live.
Learn more: https://law.duke.edu/fac/mccoy/