Unit 9: Global Citizenship

Global citizenship is a BIG idea for all of us! What does it mean to be part of a family, a community, and a WHOLE world? How can we be good citizens of of our planet? 

Thinking about the ideas of global citizenship with children will help them learn be inclusive friends, flexible thinkers, and better stewards of our planet for a lifetime.

Global citizens recognize that we are all living here together on the Earth, and that we are all truly more alike than we are different. Global citizens understand that the world is an enormous community, filled with people of all different cultures, religions, and ways of living, whose decisions impact one another and the Earth as a whole. As global citizens, it is our responsibility to take care of the planet we call home, and all of the people who live here.

To think of themselves as citizens of the world, children will need to access all of the Big Heart World skills that we learned starting in Unit 1: Children will have to know themselves and feel a sense of belonging; they will need to empathize with others; they will need to be good friends, solve problems, and use their voices to stand up for what is right — for themselves and for others.

As children explore the activities, books, music, and other content related to “global citizenship,” they will start to understand that they are an important part of a global community that is large and diverse, and extends far beyond their immediate environment. They will see similarities and celebrate differences among the world’s people, use their empathy skills to identify with others, and use their problem solving skills to work to achieve solutions to big challenges like climate change and human rights. They will see that we are all interconnected, and that their actions can affect others across the globe.

As global citizens, you and your children will be working to make the world a better place for themselves, their communities, and for people around the world.