Paula Carter's lesson in civic participation came at an early age.
Growing up in Northern California, Carter saw the example of her father being elected to a four-year term on her county's board of supervisors as motivation to get involved in her community.
Now a teacher at Rita Cannan Elementary School in Reno, she aims to get that message of civic responsibility across to her students.
In an article she wrote for the November/December issue of "Social Studies and the Young Learner," a publication of the National Council for the Social Studies, Carter advocates teaching more social studies lessons at the elementary school level.
"Especially for those students who come into our country and are in immigrant families, we have a responsibility to teach them about our country," she said. "We need to discuss why we celebrate the Fourth of July, Martin Luther King Day and other holidays."
Carter said her father, Ralph Couso, whose first language was Spanish but also spoke English, taught her that overcoming language barriers is key to understanding other people's thinking.
At Rita Cannan Elementary School, Carter works with team teaching partner Theresa Crowley and students in a first-, second- and third-grade classrooms.
More than 70 percent of the children live in homes in where Spanish is the dominant language, and all students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
In her classroom, Carter interwines social studies lessons throughout her curriculum. Lessons on citizenship education are part of the social studies program.
"It's a democratic classroom where the kids have a say," said Carter, who has been at Cannan for five years after seven years at Bernice Mathews Elementary School.
Carter's efforts have been noticed by education leaders throughout Nevada. "She's helping students learn how to become good citizens," said Jesus Garcia, a professor of social studies education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "As a result, the students at her school are doing some great things."
Carter said she enjoys working with students and their parents. "I enjoy every part of teaching," she said. "I want the students to understand that with rights comes responsibility."
Additional Facts
10 ways to practice good citizenship
- Do your share to make your school, community and the world a better place.
- Take responsibility for what goes on around you.
- Participate in community service.
- Treat other people with respect and dignity.
- Follow the rules of your family, your school and society.
- When you agree to do something, do it. If you let people down, they'll stop believing you.
- Answer for your own actions. Don't make excuses or blame others for what you do.
- Take care of your own matters. Don't rely on adults to remind you when you're supposed to be somewhere or what you're supposed to bring.
- Be trustworthy. If somebody trusts you to borrow or take care of something, take care of it.
- Don't put things off. When you have a job to do, do it.
