Civic Action Without a Purchase

Supplied materials

• Paper and pencil; drawing or spoken answers are welcome.
• Topic notes: Information request: asking for facts needed to understand a public issue. Volunteering: offering time or effort without required payment. Petition: a request presented by one or more people. Public discussion: an organized exchange about a community issue.
• Original exercise cards: A fictional learner asks when the park opens. / A fictional group offers to help plant a garden. / A fictional group signs a request for a new crossing. / A fictional meeting lets speakers discuss a park proposal. / A resident offers to assist a community cleanup. / Residents submit a written request for longer library hours. / A community forum considers several service plans. / A resident asks how a proposed schedule would work.

Learn the idea

People can help civic life by asking questions, volunteering, petitioning or attending a public discussion. These actions have different purposes. An invitation to a discussion is not proof that everyone’s views were heard. Our fictional tasks can be completed on paper; real participation is optional.

Information request: asking for facts needed to understand a public issue. Volunteering: offering time or effort without required payment. Petition: a request presented by one or more people. Public discussion: an organized exchange about a community issue.

Look for asking for facts, offering help, presenting a request or discussing a community issue. Ask an adult to read the notes and cards aloud. Point, draw or say your answer.

1. Ask an adult to read the four notes. Find the words Information request, Volunteering, Petition, Public discussion.
2. Look for asking for facts, offering help, presenting a request or discussing a community issue.
3. Read the worked answer. Then try the other cards and explain which words helped you choose.
4. Point to, draw or say two different examples: one for Information request and one for Volunteering. Explain how their clues differ.

Check your reasoning

Your answer is temporary and is not saved to an account. Download your current answer before leaving or reloading. Written work on paper or in another app stays in your own file.

Take it further

New card: “A resident asks how a proposed schedule would work.” Match it with a note, then point to or say the words that helped. Check: The card says: “A resident asks how a proposed schedule would work.” That matches Information request. Information request is asking for facts needed to understand a public issue.

Nothing here is saved to an account or sent to a teacher. The answer download includes your current choice and any checked feedback. It does not include choices from the separate More practice section. Download that section separately.