Name __________________________ Date ____________

Directions: For this activity, you need to think about the following question and then brainstorm ideas

in the space provided below. Your response can include words or a combination of pictures and

words. You must come up with a minimum of four examples to answer the question:

What does it mean to be an effective citizen

in a democratic society in the 21st Century?

Examples of Citizenship in our Modern World

Voting

Doc____:

Core Assessment #1: Citizenship DBQ

Citizenship DBQ

Rules to follow

Document 1

Read Confidence Level

(1-10)

First Read

Second Read

Third Read

Vocab:

Unknown Word Possible Synonym

Document 3

Read Confidence

Level (1-10)

First Read

Second Read

Third Read

Vocab:

Unknown Word Possible Synonym

Document 2

Read Confidence Level

(1-10)

First Read

Second Read

Third Read

Vocab:

Unknown Word Possible Synonym

Be honest with yourself!

Use the possible synonyms to

expand your vocabulary.

1st read- skim for unknown words

and basic understanding

2nd read- using new words read

deeper and take your time

3rd read – after each sentence stop

and think about what you read.

Rephrase the sentence in your own

words.

Core Assessment #1: Citizenship DBQ Instructions: One purpose of studying social studies is to develop the characteristics of effective citizens. We will

analyze a series of primary source documents to examine the role of a citizen in a democracy over time.

Prompt: After reviewing the following documents, describe your role as an

effective citizen in a democratic society.

To help to understand this quote, let’s remember…

Who was Pericles? What did he do?

Who was Thucydides? What did he do?

Who has the power in a democracy?

Document 1 Pericles’ Funeral Oration, as recorded by Thucydides,

History of the Peloponnesian War,

431 B.C.E.

“Our constitution is called a democracy because power is not in the hands of a minority but of the

whole people. When it is a question of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law; when

it is a question of putting one person before another in positions of public responsibility, what counts is

not membership of a particular class, but the actual ability which the man possesses. No one…is kept

[out of the government] because of poverty. And, just as our political life is free and open, so is our

day-to-day life in our relations with each other.”

Identify three rights of Athenian citizens outlined in the quote above. 1.

2.

3.

Name: _____________________________ Date: ___________ Class Period: ______

Prompt: After reviewing the following documents, describe your role as an

effective citizen in a democratic society.

To help to understand this quote, let’s remember…

What country authored the Declaration of Independence?

Who was that country declaring its independence from?

Why did the country want to break free? Give at least two examples.

1.

2.

Document 2

The Declaration of Independence [excerpt], 1776.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their

Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of

Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just

powers from the consent of the governed… “

According to this document, what is the role of government to the people? ___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Prompt: After reviewing the following documents, describe your role as

an effective citizen in a democratic society.

. To help to understand the next quote, let’s remember…

Who was Theodore Roosevelt? What did he do?

What was a plebeian?

What things did a Roman plebeian do?

Was a plebeian considered a citizen in the Roman republic?

Document 3

Theodore Roosevelt

"The Roman Republic fell, not because of the ambition of Caesar or Augustus, but because it had

already long ceased to be in any real sense a republic at all. When the sturdy Roman plebeian, who

lived by his own labor, who voted without reward according to his own convictions, and who with his

fellows formed in war the terrible Roman legion, had been changed into an idle creature who craved

nothing in life save the gratification of a thirst for vapid excitement, who was fed by the state, and who

directly or indirectly sold his vote to the highest bidder, then the end of the republic was at hand, and

nothing could save it. The laws were the same as they had been, but the people behind the laws had

changed, and so the laws counted for nothing.”

According to Theodore Roosevelt, why did the Roman republic stop working?

What happens when citizens no longer fulfill their civic duties?

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Prompt: After reviewing the following documents, describe your

role as an effective citizen in a democratic society.

To help to understand these pictures, let’s remember…

What is a direct democracy?

What is a representative democracy?

What is the difference between the two?

Document 4

An artist’s depiction of the Roman Senate in action and a photo of the U.S. House of

Representatives

What do you see in these pictures?

What is the relationship between a citizen and their representative?

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

B

A

A

B

Prompt: After reviewing the following documents, describe your role as

an effective citizen in a democratic society.

. To help to understand the next picture, let’s remember…

What is a citizen?

Who could be a citizen in ancient times (Greece and Rome)?

Who can be a citizen today?

Document 5

Photograph taken Tuesday, November 13th, 2012 by John Sleezer of the Kansas City Star.

What do you see in this picture?

How has the definition of citizenship changed over time?

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Name: _________________________________ Date: ______________

Directions: Now that we have analyzed the four citizenship quotes, you need to figure out how to apply those quotes

for the DBQ. Find 3 quotes that support your definition of citizenship. How does the quote support each idea that you

feel defines an effective citizen in a democratic society? Before we begin, answer the following prompts to help you

arrange your thoughts.

Name: ______________________________ Date: _______ Class Pd: _____

Citizenship DBQ: The Writing Process Writing the Introduction

The introduction, or opening paragraph, prepares the audience for reading your essay. It “hooks” the reader’s

interest, gives background information on the issue or topic you plan to discuss, and presents your thesis

statement or opinion statement. The introduction is your chance to get the reader’s attention. The way you do

this depends on your purpose for writing. For a persuasive essay or editorial, consider these possibilities:

o a quotation

o a brief story

o a striking statistic

o a question

o an interesting or shocking fact

Use this checklist when writing your introduction:

Does my introduction create interest in the topic of my essay? ______

Does my introduction summarize the arguments I plan to make? _____

Does my introduction contain a clear statement of my thesis? _______

Writing a Topic Sentence The topic sentence states the main idea of a paragraph. A good topic sentence is clear and provides an

overview of the sentences that will follow in the paragraph. The topic sentence is usually, but not always, the

first sentence of a paragraph. In a paragraph that explains, the topic sentence states a main idea.

Use this checklist when writing your topic sentences:

If I am writing to explain, does my topic sentence state the main idea

of the paragraph? ________

If I am writing to persuade, does my topic sentence state a reason

that supports my thesis, or opinion? ________

Writing Body Paragraphs Use the body of your essay to support your thesis. In an essay that explains, each body paragraph

presents a main idea that supports the thesis, as well as explanation and evidence. In a persuasive essay, each

body paragraph gives a reason to support your proposition or opinion and explains and supports it.

The key elements of a body paragraph are the topic sentence and support. Support takes two main

forms. The first form is evidence, such as facts, statistics, examples, or quotations that back up your thesis or

help prove your proposition. The second form of support is explanation, statements that make your main ideas

and evidence more understandable to your audience.

Use this checklist when writing the body of your essay:

Does each body paragraph include a topic sentence and support? ________

Does each body paragraph focus on one main idea (if you are explaining) or one reason

(if you are persuading)? ________

Does each topic sentence relate clearly to the thesis statement? ________

Do you fully explain all your ideas so that the audience can follow them? ________

This first sentence creates interest by asking a question

and using a striking statistic.

What would your life be like if you had to live on less than two dollars a day? Two years ago, that’s all that Ameena Iqbal earned. On that money, she had to feed, clothe, and shelter herself and three children in a small village in Bangladesh. Luckily, Iqbal had a talent and a dream. She could sew, and she dreamed of having a sewing machine. Her dream came true when a microlending club in Lewiston, North Carolina, lent her $200. That sum covered the cost of buying a sewing machine and renting space in a small shop with electricity. With that loan, Iqbal and her children were on their way out of poverty. Would you like to help people like Ameena Iqbal in leaving poverty behind? You can! Just join the Willow Glen Middle School Microlending Club.

The thesis (or opinion statement)

states your opinion.

STOP!

If you answered “no” to any question, go

back and fix it!

STOP!

If you answered “no” to any question, go

back and fix it!

STOP!

If you answered “no” to any question, go

back and fix it!

Developing Body Paragraphs: Supporting Evidence Always support your ideas. In each body paragraph, you must present evidence to support each of your topic

sentences and, therefore, your main point. Your evidence may include facts, statistics, examples, and quotations

from various sources. In persuasive writing, you might also include stories, eyewitness accounts, or personal

accounts.

Use this checklist when presenting your supporting evidence:

o Do I provide evidence to support each topic sentence? ________

o Is my supporting evidence clear? ________

Developing Body Paragraphs: Explanation Always explain your ideas. You are writing for an audience that probably does not know everything you

know about your topic. Even if your readers do know something about the topic, they may not understand every

statement you make about it. Furthermore, no matter how good your support is, it will usually be better if you

explain it.

In the paragraph below, suppose the writer simply said, “It’s fun to be a member.” Why should the

audience believe it? Why wouldn’t the audience ask, “What kind of fun do you have?” By giving explanations, the

writer anticipates what the audience will want to know.

Another reason to join our club is that it’s fun to be a member. We work in teams or small groups to sell the rain barrels. No one has to do the work alone, and you get to know people as you earn money for the club. Also, every time we make a loan, we have a small party to celebrate. That helps you make new friends in the club at the same time that you help poor people around the globe. The best part of all is seeing pictures of the people we help. You have no idea how good it can feel to see a picture of a small bakery in India that your efforts helped to start!

Use this checklist when writing your explanation:

o Do I anticipate questions the reader might have and answer them? ________

Writing the Conclusion The last paragraph of your essay is the conclusion. Your goal in this paragraph is to leave your reader

feeling that you have pulled everything together in a convincing way. If you are writing to explain, end with a

summary of your main ideas, but do not use the exact same words you have already used. If you are writing to

persuade, end with a call to action.

To be effective, a conclusion must do more than simply summarize and restate. It should also contain

something new—a fresh idea or connection, an additional piece of information, some striking language—to keep

readers engaged to the very end.

• Here are some other ideas for crafting an effective conclusion:

o End with a question that will keep readers thinking.

o Acknowledge a final opposing viewpoint and argue against it convincingly.

o End with a fitting quotation.

o Appeal to your reader’s sense of what is right and good.

Use this checklist when writing your conclusion:

o Did I remind the reader of my central idea and purpose for writing

without using the exact same words? ________ o Did I pull everything together in a convincing way? ________

STOP!

If you answered “no” to any

question, go back and fix it!

STOP!

If you answered “no” to any

question, go back and fix it!

STOP!

If you answered “no” to any question, go

back and fix it!

DBQ Essay Organizer

Describe your role as an effective citizen in a democratic society.

Your CREATIVE Title: ______________________________________________

Good Transitions:

First One important A significant Of greatest significant

Most importantly

This opening paragraph should gain your reader’s interest and identify the thesis you plan to develop.

Grabber:

Three Sentence Summary of the background of citizenship:

Thesis Statement: Identify the three characteristics of an effective citizen in a democratic society (1 sentence) ___

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Good Transitions:

Good Transitions:

Second

Additionally

Most important

Equally important

Another significant

Of greater significance

Next

Third

Additionally

Most important

Equally important

Another significant

Of greater significance

Last

Good Transition:

In short

As you can see

Finally

In summary

In closing

The logical conclusion is

In conclusion

To conclude

All in all

Clearly

The conclusion paragraph should tie the main points of the essay together, draw a final conclusion, and leave

the reader with something to think about.

Thesis restated:

Zinger (leave them wanting more/ something to think about)

PRACTICE SPACE

Social Studies Writing Rubric- 7th DBQ

Name ___________________________________ Class ______________ Period _______

Organization Advanced 20-18 points

Proficient 17-14 points

Basic 13-12 Points

Below Basic 11-0 Points

Well-structured introduction

that provides purposeful context.

Sharply focused thesis that

addresses the prompt. Supporting paragraphs that are

clearly and consistently related

to thesis. Well-structured conclusion

that strongly reaffirms thesis.

Structured introduction that

provides relevant context. Identifiable thesis that

addresses the prompt.

Supporting paragraphs related to thesis.

Structured conclusion that

reaffirms thesis.

Poorly structured introduction

that provides vague or irrelevant context.

Unclear thesis or thesis does

not address the prompt. Supporting paragraphs not

logically related to thesis.

Poorly structured conclusion that inadequately reaffirms

thesis.

Incomplete or missing

introduction. No apparent thesis.

Body paragraphs do not relate

to the prompt. Irrelevant or missing

conclusion.

Points: ____/20

Content Advanced 70-63 points

Proficient 62-49 points

Basic 48-42 Points

Below Basic 41-0 Points

Adequacy - Provides specific

and substantial evidence to

address the prompt. Uses 3 or more documents.

Accuracy – Evidence and

document interpretation is sophisticated. Errors are

minor.

Usage – Evidence/Documents used to support well-developed

arguments.

Adequacy - Provides sufficient

evidence to address the

prompt. Uses 2-3 documents.

Accuracy - Evidence and

document interpretation is accurate. Errors do not detract

from the overall purpose.

Usage – Evidence/Documents used to support relevant

arguments.

Adequacy - Provides

insufficient evidence to

address the prompt. Uses 1-2 documents.

Accuracy – Evidence and

document interpretation has errors that detract from the

overall purpose.

Usage – Evidence/Documents improperly used or arguments

are undeveloped.

Adequacy - Provides minimal

or no evidence,.

Uses 0-1 documents. Accuracy – Evidence and

document interpretation has

substantial errors that seriously detract from the overall

purpose.

Usage – Evidence/Documents not used or arguments are

missing.

Points:____/70

Conventions Advanced 10-9 points

Proficient 8-7 points

Basic 6 Points

Below Basic 5-0 Points

Clear and understandable

writing.

Evident control of grammar, mechanics, spelling, usage,

and sentence formation.

Paragraphs flow smoothly and transitions are effective.

Mostly clear and

understandable writing.

Adequate control of grammar, mechanics, spelling, usage,

and sentence formation.

Paragraphs flow and transitions are evident.

Writing is somewhat difficult

to understand.

Limited control of grammar, mechanics, spelling, usage,

and sentence formation.

Paragraphs do not flow and transitions are

ineffective/missing.

Writing is difficult to

understand.

Minimal to no control of grammar, mechanics, spelling,

usage, and sentence formation.

Limited paragraphing and no transitions.

Points: ____/10

TOTAL: ___________/ 100