Citizenship Discussion Prompts and Pause Points
Before the Movie:
What are some of your rights as a US citizen? (Tap prior knowledge)
Why do you think America is called a “melting pot”? (Predict)
During the Movie (Pause Points):
Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:
Timecode 1:50: How is equal protection important for keeping the country united? What might happen if citizens of one state had different rights from citizens of another state? (Identify cause/effect)
Timecode 2:44: What are some responsibilities of every citizen and how do they connect to a strong democracy? (Identify main idea and detail)
Timecode 4:10: How does naturalization connect to the “melting pot” vision of America, and to a national identity? (Make connections)
After the Movie:
Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Citizenship topic. (Make connections)
What do you consider the most important responsibility of citizenship? (Reflect)
BrainPOP recommends reading the movie description that appears on the Citizenship Topic Page to your class or have students read independently. Then have them watch the movie once through without pausing. Then, watch it again as class, this time using the discussion prompts.
*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.