Civic Participation – SS1 Citizenship & Heritage Studies Lesson Note (Third Term)

Civic participation is the way citizens take part in the life of their community and country to make things better.

• Political participation: actions linked to government and leadership, such as voting.
• Social participation: actions that help people and the community, such as helping a neighbour.
• Main forms in this note: voting, community service and volunteering.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. define civic participation and give examples of political and social participation;
2. state who can vote in Nigeria;
3. give examples of community service and volunteering;
4. distinguish between community service and volunteering;
5. explain why civic participation is important.

What is civic participation?

Civic participation is when citizens get involved in the life of their community and country to make things better.

• Active citizen: a person who takes part and helps solve problems.
• Spectator: a person who only watches and waits for others to act.
• Everyday example: a pile of rubbish on your street. A spectator complains, while an active citizen helps to clear it.
• Football example: fans who help the team train, clean the stadium and help choose the coach are taking part, not just watching.

What are the types of civic participation?

There are two types of civic participation: political and social.

Political participation

• Voting: choosing leaders in an election.
• Joining a political party: supporting the ideas and plans of a party.
• Contesting for office: offering yourself to serve as a leader.
• Attending public meetings: asking leaders questions about community needs.

Social participation

• Community service: unpaid work that improves your local area.
• Volunteering: giving time and skills to help others, often through a group.
• Helping a neighbour: small acts of kindness, such as helping an elderly person carry goods.
• Reporting wrongdoing: telling the proper authorities about crime or danger.

What is voting?

Voting is the process by which citizens choose the people who will lead them, such as the President, Governors and Lawmakers.

• The ballot box: your vote is your voice. It shows whom you trust to use public money and make laws for the good of all.
• Why it matters: if good people do not vote, bad leaders might win.
• Government of the people: voting helps to keep government “of the people, by the people, and for the people”.

Who can vote in Nigeria?

• Age: you must be 18 years or older.
• Citizenship: you must be a Nigerian citizen.
• Registration: you must register with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
• Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC): you must hold this card to vote.

What are the steps in voting?

1. Register with INEC and collect your PVC.
2. Go to your polling unit on election day.
3. Wait for election officials to check that you are a registered voter.
4. Receive your ballot paper.
5. Mark your choice in secret.
6. Drop the ballot paper in the ballot box.

What is community service?

Community service is work you do to help your local area without being paid for it.

Examples of community service in Nigeria

1. Environmental sanitation: joining your neighbours to clear gutters or sweep streets on a Saturday morning.
2. Neighbourhood watch: helping to keep the area safe by reporting suspicious activities to the authorities.
3. Building projects: communities contributing money or labour to fix a local borehole or a bridge.

Why does community service matter?

• Belonging: it builds a sense of belonging.
• Pride: when you help fix a road, you feel proud to walk on it.
• Better surroundings: the area becomes cleaner, safer and more useful to everyone.

What is volunteering?

Volunteering is giving your time and skills freely to help others, often by joining a group or an organisation.

Ways to volunteer as a student

1. Tutoring: helping a junior student who is struggling with Maths or English.
2. Visiting orphanages or old people’s homes: spending time with people who feel lonely and bringing them small gifts.
3. Health campaigns: sharing flyers or information about vaccines or how to prevent malaria.
4. Tree planting: joining a group to plant trees to protect the environment.

Why does volunteering matter?

• Empathy: it teaches you to feel for others.
• New skills: it helps you learn skills that can help in your future career.

What is the difference between community service and volunteering?

Community service improves your own local area, while volunteering is giving time and skills to help others, usually through a group.

Why is civic participation important?

Civic participation is important because it improves communities, checks leaders and keeps democracy strong.

1. It brings progress: a community where everyone takes part develops faster than one waiting for the government.
2. It discourages corruption: when citizens are active and ask questions, leaders find it harder to steal or do a bad job.
3. It strengthens democracy: democracy is only strong when citizens are active.
4. It promotes personal growth: it makes you a more confident and responsible person.

Class activity

1. The “If I Were 18” challenge: if there were an election today, what one thing would you want your leader to change in your school or neighbourhood?
2. Service idea: list three things our class could do this Friday afternoon to make our school cleaner or happier.

Discussion: Is it fair that people must be 18 to vote? Should the age be lower or higher? Give reasons.

Evaluation

1. What is civic participation?
2. Give one example of political participation and one example of social participation.
3. State two requirements for voting in Nigeria.
4. List three examples of community service in Nigeria.
5. Explain two reasons why civic participation is important.

Assignment

Explain the difference between community service and volunteering. Give two examples of each.