Civic Competence – JSS3 Social & Citizenship Studies Lesson Note (Third Term)

Civic competence is the set of skills and knowledge that helps a citizen take a useful part in the life of their community and country.

Behavioural objectives

1. Define civic competence.
2. Name the three main skills of civic competence.
3. List the steps of good decision-making and apply them to a school problem.
4. State the qualities of a good team player.
5. Use critical thinking to test a piece of news or information.

What is civic competence?

Civic competence is the ability to know, act and work with others for the good of the community.

• Knowledge: knowing the laws, rights and duties of a citizen.
• Action: knowing how to behave and what to do when a problem appears.
• Cooperation: knowing how to work with other people peacefully.
• Right choices: choosing what is good for everyone, not only for yourself.

A civically competent person helps to solve problems in the neighbourhood instead of only complaining about them.

What are the three skills of civic competence?

The three main skills of civic competence are decision-making, teamwork and critical thinking.

• Decision-making: choosing the best path when there are many options.
• Teamwork: working peacefully with others to reach a goal.
• Critical thinking: asking “Why?” and “How?” instead of believing everything you hear.

What is decision-making?

Decision-making is the process of choosing the best action from several options.

• In life and in the community, we meet “forks in the road” where we must decide what to do.
• A good citizen follows a process and does not leave the choice to chance, such as flipping a coin.

What are the steps of good decision-making?

1. Identify the problem: state exactly what issue needs to be solved.
2. Gather information: talk to people and get the facts.
3. Look at the options: list the different things that could be done.
4. Think of the consequences: ask who will be hurt and who will be helped by each option.
5. Make the choice: pick the option that does the most good for the most people.

What is an example of good decision-making?

• Problem: your class has money for an end-of-term party.
• Option A: spend all the money on food.
• Option B: spend part on food and save part to buy a gift for the school.
• Good decision: a good decision-maker looks at what benefits the whole school community.

What is teamwork?

Teamwork is the act of working peacefully with other people to reach a common goal.

• A Nigerian saying goes: “One tree does not make a forest.”
• No matter how clever you are, you cannot build a nation alone.

What makes a good team player?

1. Communication: speaking clearly and, more importantly, listening to what others say.
2. Reliability: doing your part of the work on time so others do not get stuck.
3. Respect: valuing the ideas of teammates, even when they come from a different tribe or religion.
4. Compromise: giving up a little of what you want so the group can move forward.

Why is teamwork a civic skill?

• A country is the biggest team there is.
• School projects and community clean-ups give practice in how to run a successful nation.
• Listening matters because a team cannot use ideas it has not heard.

What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is the ability to examine information objectively before deciding what to believe.

• On the internet and social media we meet a lot of information, including fake news.
• Critical thinking acts as a filter that separates facts from rumours.

How do we think critically?

1. Check the source: ask who is telling you this and whether they have a reason to lie.
2. Look for evidence: find out if there is proof or if it is only someone’s opinion.
3. Ask questions: ask “What is the other side of the story?” or “How will this affect the poor people in my street?”
4. Avoid emotions: do not judge because you are angry or excited. Stay calm and look at the facts.

Why does critical thinking matter?

• Protection: it stops us from being tricked by bad leaders or people who want to cause trouble.
• Strong country: a country with critical thinkers is very hard to mislead.
• Example: a shocking message on WhatsApp should be checked against a trusted source before you share it.

How can a student show civic competence?

A student shows civic competence by using the three skills in daily life at home, in school and in the community.

• At home: share household chores fairly with brothers and sisters (teamwork).
• In school: think about the effects of a choice on the whole class before voting (decision-making).
• In the community: join a clean-up exercise on your street (teamwork).
• Online: check a story before forwarding it to others (critical thinking).

Evaluation

1. Define civic competence and name its three main skills.
2. What is the first step you should take when you have a difficult decision to make?
3. Explain why listening is a key part of teamwork.
4. How can critical thinking help you when you read a shocking news story on WhatsApp?

Assignment

Give one example of how you can practise civic competence in your house today. Name the skill you will use and write the steps you will follow.