MOOC GLOBAL CITIZEN PROJECT
I AM A GLOBAL CITIZEN!
Topic:How Global Citizenship Fosters Learning in Primary Students
Subject Areas: English, Social Emotional, Global Citizenship
Grade: Primary
OBJECTIVES
Meaning of Global Citizen
- Identify and describe what it means to be a Global Citizen, including examples from other countries.
- Foster critical thinking skills by exploring the concepts of culture and traditions, by embracing perspectives around the world.
Identity and Belonging
- Students will recognize and describe the different communities they belong to (family, classroom, neighborhood, world).
- Students will express ways they can contribute positively to their immediate community.
Respect for Diversity
- Students will identify similarities and differences between themselves and children from other cultures.
- Students will demonstrate respect for diverse languages, traditions, and perspectives.
Taking Action
- Students will identify one action they can take to help their classroom or local community.
- Students will participate in a small service project and reflect on their contribution.
WHY IS THIS USEFUL?
Learning to be a global citizen is crucial for primary students because it enables them to develop into compassionate, informed, and responsible members of an interconnected world. Students in both first and second grade are learning vocabulary that easily fits into a global theme.
I have taught Global Citizenship in the United States and have seen the impact it has on students. I taught it in Thailand and Uganda and would like to share that with the students and teachers in Spain as well.
Learning to be a global citizen is crucial for primary students because it enables them to develop into compassionate, informed, and responsible members of an interconnected world. Here are the key reasons:
1. The world is more connected than ever.
Even young children are influenced by global events, cultures, and technologies. Understanding this interconnectedness helps them make sense of the world around them.
2. It builds empathy and respect.
Learning about different cultures, perspectives, and ways of life helps students appreciate diversity and treat others with kindness and understanding.
3. It develops critical thinking.
Students begin to ask questions about the world:
- Why do people live differently?
- How do global issues affect us?
This nurtures curiosity and problem-solving.
4. It encourages responsibility and agency.
Students learn that their actions—big or small—can make a difference. This builds confidence and a sense of purpose.
5. It prepares them for future learning.
Global competence is a foundation for subjects like geography, history, social studies, and even science. It sets them up for deeper understanding later.
6. It promotes peace and cooperation.
When students learn about others and recognize shared humanity, it reduces fear and bias. They become more open-minded and collaborative.
7. It supports social-emotional development.
Skills like empathy, communication, and perspective-taking are essential parts of SEL—and core aspects of global citizenship.
8. They’re never too young to make a difference.
Kids can take meaningful actions—such as helping the environment, including others, or being aware of global issues—starting right now.
Teaching global citizenship to primary students not only strengthens their understanding of the world—it also deepens learning and provides a flexible framework that adapts easily to different ages and subject areas.
ROLES
WHAT IS THE TEACHER'S /LANGUAGE ASSISTANT ROLE?
When teaching a global citizenship lesson, the teacher’s role is to model empathy, curiosity, and respect for diverse perspectives while creating a safe, inclusive classroom where students can explore complex global issues. The teacher acts as a guide, helping students ask meaningful questions, analyze multiple viewpoints, and connect global topics to their own communities. By providing context, challenging assumptions, and offering diverse resources, the teacher supports students in developing critical thinking and a broader worldview. Ultimately, the teacher empowers students to recognize their agency and take thoughtful action as compassionate, informed global citizens.
COLLABORATION
Teacher and Language Assistant Collaboration
Teachers work together by collaborating intentionally to support student learning, improve instruction, and strengthen the school community. Collaboration means sharing ideas, planning lessons, examining student work, and solving problems as a team rather than working in isolation. It includes communicating openly, respecting each other’s strengths, and using collective expertise to create consistent expectations and meaningful learning experiences. When teachers work together, they co-plan, co-teach, reflect on practice, and support one another in meeting students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. This shared effort creates a more unified, effective, and positive learning environment for everyone.
What activities are your students going to do?
1. “My Place in the World” FLIPBOOK
Students complete a book showing:
- My home
- My city
- My country
- My continent
- My planet
Use sentence frames like: “I belong to…” or “I care about…”
2. Engage in Slideshow: “What does it mean to be a Global citizen?” Take turns pointing at objects and saying important vocabulary in English: example: food, religion, family, (This may take more than one lesson to go through).
Use the graphic organizer shown as you teach what it means to be global. Copy and have kids color as you teach or have them draw their own pictures.
2. “Where in the World?” Map Activities
Give each student a picture—food, animal, landmark, child from another country.
Students place it on a world map with teacher support.
Language goal: naming places, using “This is from…”
3. “Hello Around the World” Greeting. Use as part of morning routine that is already established.
Each day, greet classmates using a new language.
Students repeat, gesture, and practice pronunciation.
This builds respect for cultures in a playful way.
*THROUGHOUT THE UNIT, SHARE VIDEOS SO STUDENTS CAN SEE WHAT LIFE IS LIKE IN DIFFERENT COUNTIRES.
4. Story Time From Around the World
Read multicultural picture books.
Follow-up:
- Draw the main idea
- Act out part of the story
- Use simple compare/contrast charts
5. Class Global Citizenship Pledge
Skill: Reading + shared values
Create a simple class pledge with icons:
Students read aloud chorally and sign.
Outcome: Shared expectations with visual supports.
5. Global Picture Walks
Show photos of children around the world. Students point, label, and compare.
Language supports: vocabulary cards, gestures, simple questions (“What do you see?”, “Same or different?”).
6. Worksheet: How Can I Be a Global Citizen? Infographic.
Draw and color ways to be a Global Citizen. Design an infographic together with the teacher.
7. TAKE ACTION
Discuss how they can help make our world a better place.
Flipbook?
Make a canvas I AM A GLOBAL CITIZEN REUSABLE BAG.
WHAT MATERIALS ARE YOU GOING TO USE?
Graphic Organizer
After the slideshow, have students color in the images that you are discussing.
BOOKS
World Atlas, A Voyage of Discovery for Young Learners
What Does It Mean To Be Global? Rana DiOrio
Whoever You Are, Mem Fox
Recycle, Gail Gibbons
What Does it Mean to be Kind? Rana DiOrio
One Plastic Bag, Miranda Paul
YOUTUBE VIDEOS
Unsung Hero: https://youtu.be/uaWA2GbcnJU?si=EWSWwMjuaIytrBBO
Hello Around the World
https://youtu.be/472AnCrHYVs?feature=shared
Music Around the World
https://youtu.be/-9BPVwCsLMQ?feature=shared
Schools around the World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHFjTyNFeRQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at2gAjtsgtk
Other
ART SUPPLIES
Invite in guest speakers from other countries
Invite student families in with different cultures
ART SUPPLIES
ART SUPPLIES
GLOBAL CITIZEN REUSABLE BAGS
- Canvas Bags
- Acrylic Paint
- Black Sharpies
EXTRA MATERIALS
EXTRA MATERIALS
EXTRA MATERIALS
- Globe
- We are Global citizen banner
- Objects from around the world
- GLOBAL CITIZEN Pledge
Worksheets
Global Infographic
Global Citizen Pledge
Activity 6: How Can I Be a Global Citizen Infographic. Students draw their own examples.
Global Citizen Pledge
Global Citizen Pledge
My Place in the World
My Place in the World
How will your proposal respond to different learning styles
We will provide hands-on activities, visual supports, stories, and discussions so learners can engage in ways that match their strengths. Scaffold complex concepts with pictures, sentence starters, and concrete examples to support emerging learners, while offering deeper inquiry questions or small research tasks for students ready to stretch their thinking. Pair- and group-work can allow students to learn from one another, and choice—such as creating a poster, acting out a scenario, building a model, or writing a reflection—helps each child show understanding in a way that feels natural to them. Throughout the lesson, observe, prompt with questions, and adjust the approach so every student feels included, capable, and connected to the global ideas being explored.
RESOURCES
RESOURCES