Lesson Plan - Could You Pass the U.S. Citizenship Test?

About the Article

Learning Objective

Students will learn about how some immigrants become U.S. citizens and test their own knowledge of U.S. history and government.

Curriculum Connections

• Civics and Government

• Citizenship

• The U.S. Constitution

• Immigration

Key Skills

Social Studies:

• Study the ideals, principles, and practices of citizenship

• Consider the roles and responsibilities of citizens

• Expand knowledge of institutions and history

English Language Arts:

• Learn and use domain-specific vocabulary

• Identify central ideas and key details

• Evaluate ideas and think critically

Key CCSS Standards

RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.7, WHST.6-8.4, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.7, W.6-8.4, SL.6-8.1

Essential Questions

  • Why would someone want to become a citizen of another country?
  • How can people become U.S. citizens?
  • What should Americans know about U.S. history and government?

1. Preparing to Read

Engage and Build Vocabulary

Ask students to respond to this prompt: What do you think should be the requirements to be a U.S. citizen (a legal member of the country with certain rights)? What should people who weren’t born in the U.S. have to know and do before they become citizens? Discuss responses. Then use the Skill Builder Words to Know to preteach the domain-specific terms federal, birthright, immigrant, citizen, civics, and naturalized.

2. Reading and Discussing

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently. As students read, direct them to underline or take notes about the requirements for becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• What are the requirements for becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen? (Key Details)
Immigrants who apply to become U.S. citizens have to answer at least 12 of 20 questions correctly on a civics test. They also must have immigrated legally and been permanent residents for at least five years. They can’t have committed any serious crimes and must pass background checks. Additionally, they have to prove that they can read, write, and speak basic English.

• Which of the sample questions seem most challenging to you? Which questions do you think are most important for Americans to know? Why? (Evaluating Ideas)
Responses will vary.

3. Skill Building

Practice Taking the Civics Test

Challenge students to see how much they know about U.S. history and government. Have them answer the questions on pages 22-23 or take the Interactive Citizenship Test at junior.scholastic.com, which includes detailed explanations. You might have virtual teams compete in a game. Then review responses and discuss students’ reactions to the questions.

Differentiate and Customize

For Struggling Readers: Have students listen to the article as they read. From the article’s webpage, click “Text-to-Speech” in the toolbar on the left. Two reading speeds are available, and highlighted text helps students follow along.

For Distance Learning: The full list of 128 questions and answers (including large print, audio, and Spanish versions), flash cards, and materials to support English learners are available at uscis.gov/citizenship/2020test.

Printable Lesson Plan

Text-to-Speech