Citizenship: Passing the Test

The reflection I have of my own classes and my observation of others' has convinced me that sometimes our classes, for whatever reason, become occasions exhibiting what we know about a subject rather than an opportunity for students to learn what they need about a subject. This book, simple as it may look to civic scholars, not only reminds me of what my students need, but also helps me show what some abstract concepts are such as religion, freedom, government, etc. Less well-educated new immigrants are no Political Science majors. This book, along with its cassettes and self-study materials, offers what they need to pass the citizenship test. In fact, I sometimes wonder whether the author is a recent immigrant herself. How else could she have known so precisely what new immigrants would need in their civic education?!

To the ESL teachers interested in using civic education materials in their classes, I would say, Give this book a try. To recent immigrants struggling with English language and basic knowlege of the U.S. government, I would also say, Give this book a try. It may not help you chitchat with a sales clerk in the mall, but will certainly help you impress the INS interviewing officials.

See you at your swear-in ceremony!


Excellet Book for Teaching Citizenship   January 31, 2005
Minneapolis Volunteer (MN, United States)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

As a volunteer who teaches citizenship, I can say that this book, and its accompanying teacher's guide, is a good teaching tool for Citizenship for the group of students at which it is aimed - the low-beginning learner, who does not have great English skills.

Yes, anyone can go to the USCIS (formerly INS) website and get the 100 history and civics questions to study, as another reviewer noted. That person can even download from the USCIS the sample dication sentences, and the PDF documents (of 100 plus pages) that contain the USCIS's study guides on both American History and Civics. And I agree that's all that the average, college educated (perhaps high school educated) immigrant needs.

But that is NOT an option for my students, who are smart but who have little or no educational backgroun in American history, and whose English skills are not the best. Those students don't know what World War II was (and look at those words and say "World War Eleven" because they are not familiar with Roman numerals). Those students don't know what the word "emancipation" means, or what the word "preamble" means. I have had students who don't know what the word "slave" or "king" means.

Even the more motivated students I have had who have obtained the lists and memorized the questions by rote and given the correct answers to the questions have asked me over and over "what does that mean?"

This book does an excellent job of boiling the information behind the 100 questions down to the basics. Its pictures may seem juvenile, but that's not the point - the point is that the book brings out the basic information, and explains it so that the student can make sense of the question, and thus the answer. And understanding the question and answer is far better, in my opinion, than just learning things by rote.

These students are not political science majors, as another reviewer has noted. So just explaining the words "Electoral College", is a challenge. Nor is this the place to engage in an anthropological debate about where the Native Americans came from and quibble about whether they were actually the first "Settlers" or "Inhabitants" (although I understand there is scholarship to support the notion thattheir ancestors likely migrated over the Siberian land bridge and therefore could be called "settlers", it doesn't explain all the Viking lore we have here in Minnesota;-).

The point is to give these students a fair shot at becoming citizens. The point is to help them try to understand as much as possible the knowledge they are being asked to demonstrate during their face to face, potentially nerve wracking interview with "The Government Of The United States." Like all students forced to learn an unknown subject to achieve a goal, some will become interested enough in the subject to pursue its deeper meanings, and contradictions, later. Others will not (how many born Americans know who wrote the Declaration of Independence, much less what it really SAID?

This is an excellent book that gives people who have little or no background in American history and government, and not so great English skills a good chance at learning, and understanding, at least the basics of the topic. That's all it claims to do, so any other objection to it beyond that listing is really unfair.


great book   September 14, 1999
5 out of 7 found this review helpful

Obviously written by a real professional in the field. This one cuts to the quick, no bones about it. Get this for your students.


Fantastic book   September 14, 1999
2 out of 6 found this review helpful

This is easy to read, and to the point. It has nothing superfluous, and does a great job of preparing you for the test.


great book   September 14, 1999
0 out of 6 found this review helpful

Obviously written by a real professional in the field. This one cuts to the quick, no bones about it. Get this for your students.