1. Citizenship: How Do You Make A Wise Decision?
Preparing for Santa Clara County Superior Courtroom Visit

2. You Have a Decision to Make
For American democracy to work, citizens must carry out important personal and civic responsibilities.

3. These are your responsibilities as a U.S. citizen.
Receive an education
Obey rules and laws
Pay taxes
Vote
Serve on a jury
Serve in the military
Stay informed about issues

4. How Do You Make Wise Decisions?
Being a U.S. citizen involves making important decisions.
As a voter, whom should you vote for?
As a juror, should you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?
As an informed citizen, should you support or oppose a proposed government action?

5. How Do You Make Wise Decisions?
It’s important to make responsible decisions that affect fellow citizens (as they do in a courthouse). Can you think of examples of how decisions affect fellow citizens?

6. How Do You Make Wise Decisions?
Unlike decisions about which video to rent, civic decisions cannot be made by a process as easy as tossing a coin. Instead, you should use a problem-solving approach like the one you’re about to see.

7. Good Citizenship Skills
Good citizenship skills include staying informed, solving problems or making decisions and taking action.

8. Good Citizenship Skills
Identify the problem
Gather Information
Analyze the Information
Consider Options
Choose a Solution
Implement the Solution
Evaluate the Solution

9. Good Citizenship Skills
Identify the problem
Decide what the main issues are and what your goal is

10. Good Citizenship Skills
Gather information
Get to know the basics of the problem. Find out as much as possible about the issues.

11. Good Citizenship Skills
Analyze the information
Look at the information and determine what it reveals about solving the problem

12. Good Citizenship Skills
Consider options
Think of as many ways as possible to solve the problem. Don’t be afraid to include ideas that others might think are unacceptable.

13. Good Citizenship Skills
Choose a solution
Choose the solution you believe will best solve the problem and help you reach your goal.

14. Good Citizenship Skills
Implement the solution
Take action or plan to take
action on a chosen solution
Write Letters to Leaders
Raise Awareness
Raise Money

15. Good Citizenship Skills
Evaluate the solution
Review the results of putting
your solution into action.
Did the solution work?
Do you need to adjust the
solution in some way.?

16. Your Decisions Affect Others
When living up to your civic responsibilities, the decisions you make will affect you and your fellow citizens, so:
Know your rights
Be responsible
Stay informed
Make good decisions
Participate in your community