UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE: The writer of the lesson joined our group to respond in post #7 below. I'm loathe to remove any discussion here so I'm going to leave the updated thread so the correction is documented for future researchers.

Heard a lady mention this school resource on Glenn this AM. I looked it up and my head nearly exploded. I don't know where it's being used but let's make sure it isn't around here. I'll post the text the kids read below and you can download the handout and Teacher Helps HERE. (UPDATE: That link went down 24 hours after posting it. I have the document for anyone who would like to see it.)

United States Citizenship By Phyllis Naegeli

1 What does it mean to be a citizen of the United States? A citizen is a person who is a member of our country. As a citizen, you give your loyalty to the U.S. government. In return, the government protects you and gives you all the rights granted in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

2 If you were born in the United States, you are already a citizen. If you were born in a U.S. territory, or another country and one of your parents is a citizen, then you are a citizen. Not everyone who lives here is a citizen. Some people have to become citizens through naturalization.

3 Naturalization is a long process. First, a person must be at least eighteen years old. Before they can apply, they need to be a legal resident for at least five years, and they need to display good moral character and loyalty to our country. They must also be able to read, write, and speak English, have knowledge and understanding of United States history and government, and believe in the Constitution. In addition, they must be willing to take an oath of loyalty to the U.S. If they meet these requirements, they can submit an application for citizenship. The next step is to take an exam to prove they meet the conditions of becoming a citizen. The final phase is to appear in court and take an oath of allegiance.

4 As a citizen, you have many rights and privileges. You also have many duties. As you grow, you will have more rights, privileges, and responsibilities.

5 At age eighteen, you will have the right to vote. This is an honor given to citizens of our country. A vote is the power to take part in our government. By voting, you choose a man or woman to represent you in the government. Before using this right, carefully study the views of a candidate. This will help you to make wise choices. If you choose not to vote, you give up the right to take part in our government.

6 Even now, you can participate in the election process. Candidates need help in their campaigns. Maybe you can distribute flyers with your mom or dad. You can find out about different candidates and their beliefs. You can also research the different political parties so you know which one to follow. The internet, newspapers, magazines, teachers, and your parents can provide information to help you make these decisions.

7 One day, you will be responsible for paying taxes. The largest portion of funds the government receives comes from the income tax. When you get a job, your employer will hold back money to give to the government. The government uses this money to provide many services that improve our lives and keep us safe. It helps to pay for our armed forces, roads, education, health, police, fire departments, and our court system. Other services provided include bank regulation and insurance, conservation of natural resources, and relief and aid in emergencies.

8 If you are a male, you will be required to register at age eighteen to serve in the military. Branches of the military include the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard, and Coast Guard. These armed forces protect us in times of war and peace. Women can also serve in the armed services. However, if you are female, you are not required to register at this time.

9 As a citizen, you need to obey the laws in our country. Federal, state, and local governments make laws for our safety. Police, firefighters, and many other government agencies help to administer these laws. By obeying the laws of our country, you not only protect yourself, you also protect the people around you. When these laws are broken, the courts decide the proper penalty.

10 When you become an adult, you may serve on a jury. Our court system judges those accused of breaking the law. Our Bill of Rights gives everyone in the United States the right to a fair trial. In a trial, a jury listens to both sides of the story. Then they make a decision about whether the accused person is guilty or innocent.

11 In your community, there are many ways you can be a good citizen. You can attend town meetings to find out about important things happening in your town. Many cities televise their meetings. Town and city officials talk about projects and concerns in your city or town. You can use this information to get involved in projects or volunteer service. Projects may include cleaning parks, painting recreation centers, or visiting an elderly shut-in.

12 A good citizen also respects the rights and property of others. Showing kindness to the people around you is being a good citizen. Is there a new student in your school? You can make friends with them and help them to feel welcome. Did you find something that belongs to someone else? Turn it in to lost and found or the police. Even small things matter. Picking up
trash, holding the door for someone, and recycling are all ways we can show good citizenship.

13 Men and women fought hard for us to enjoy the rights we have. Now it is up to you to know your responsibilities as a citizen in America.

Oh man, my head almost exploded just reading item #1. No wonder this country is in the mess it is in.

If I were a Civics teacher and received this as a paper, I would grade it an F-

Did you read any of the other .PDF's? The one about the president is quite interesting also. Did you know that the president is our leader (does Dear leader ring a bell?) ? Did you know he is elected by the people (no mention at all about the electoral college)?

This Phyllis person is just a fount of bogus information! I found it interesting that there in no method to contact them on their website so they can be notified of the multitude of errors in these pages. If this is what is being taught to HOME SCHOOLED children, we are doomed!

Edited to say that the President PDF is written by a different person, Brenda Covert. Also to clarify that I believe that home schooled children are our best hope for the future. If this is the kind of stuff being taught to them, we will lose one of our best chances of changing the direction we are headed.

1. Ask me why we home school...
2. The link to the helps did not work.
Good post, Wendy!

Very interesting because I used that link later to go back and save the document to my hard drive, just in case. I'll email it to you, Betz.

From what I have discovered an article I wrote for edhelper.com because quite a point of controversy on your forum the other day. I am being accused of spreading left-wing propaganda, being a Pelosi relative, and other such incorrect titles. I am a Christian and I own up to mistakes that I make. I made a mistake in these articles by saying the government gives us rights. The government is to protect the rights we are given by God. For that I apologize and ask for forgiveness. I am far from being left wing. I chose the incorrect words to try to simply describe what being a citizen is. I never intended for anyone to be offended by this or to spread some incorrect information to children. I home educated all of my children and have been very careful about what they were taught. I have taught them to be loyal citizens of our wonderful country. I have asked edhelper to change the wording as follows:

FROM:
Rights are special privileges the government gives you.

TO:
As a citizen you have special privileges called rights. The government protects those rights.

FROM:
Because the government gives us rights, we have the duty to be good citizens.

TO:
Because the government protects our rights, we have the duty to be good citizens.


Hopefully, this will clear up any controversy.

I applaud you for tracking down this post about your lesson to correct it and let us know. I can only imagine how many other message boards and forums must be talking about it after the mention on Glenn Beck's radio show! (That, and we didn't say anything about a Pelosi relationship here so I'm guessing you're trying to kill all the rumors attached to it.)

I hope you understand that we're discovering many examples of misrepresentations and lies being presented to our children as fact with the intention of obscuring the true nature of our remarkable country. We strive to rout out and expose each one. Our founding documents tell us that 'we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights' and we need to be teaching that fact, as fact, until such time as it may be removed from those documents. In today's climate and as an intermediate step toward returning our schools to teaching the whole truth of history, I can accept the wording you offered.

Again, thank you for the correction.

Wow, I am impressed that you were willing to find this forum and actually admit the errors. Not only that, but you are already working to get the pages corrected. That is a rare thing and as has already been said, you are to be applauded for being a stand-up person.

Glad to see you joined the group Phyllis you are most welcome here. I was going to put your email to me on the boards in its entireity but you have beat me to this.

I am adding the corrections you asked edhelper.com to make below for the groups edification. Do let us know if you have any problem getting the changes made.

Thanks,

Paul

------- From Phyllis email ---------

I have asked edhelper.com to change the wording as follows:

FROM: Rights are special privileges the government gives you.

TO: As a citizen you have special privileges called rights. The government protects those rights.

FROM: Because the government gives us rights, we have the duty to be good citizens.

TO: Because the government protects our rights, we have the duty to be good citizens.

Thanks,

Paul