Citizenship Links

A large collection of resources for citizenship teachers, tutors, and students. At this site you will find:
  • 3 self-paced on-line professional development courses:
    • The Interview
    • The Civics Test
    • The Literacy Test

(The courses are easy to navigate through, and include audio and visual presentations, interactive review sections, a course summary exam, and printable certificate of completion.)

  • 2 podcasts:
    • Citizenship: Engaging Multiple Modalities in the Citizenship Classroom
    • Citizenship: Teaching Conversation Strategies in the Citizenship Classroom

(with short PDF handouts to accompany each podcast)

  • 4 short fact sheets:
    • Starting a Citizenship Class
    • Becoming a U.S. Citizen Checklist
    • Benefits of Becoming a U.S. Citizen
    • Things to Consider BeforeYou Apply
  • 2 reproducable lesson activities
(Navigation tip: look for a green "go" or "link" at the bottom of each resource description. This gets you to the resource you’ve chosen.)
Useful resources such as translations of the 100 civic questions into several languages, and free downloads of the top-notch technical assistance manuals: "Citizenship For Us," and "Strategies for Naturalizing the Most Vulnerable Applicants.
A citizenship teacher’s blog that has audio recordings of the 100 civics questions & answers (but be aware that for those questions that have multiple correct answers, the recording includes ALL of the possible responses, rather than highlighting one or two of the simplest responses-this can make for tedious listening.) The site also includes good sample interview recordings at various levels. But be aware that examples of some of the civics questions are based on the old test, not the new one, and dictation test examples you find here are not authentic-they are not based on the current USCIS vocabulary list). This site features a cute little ABC Slideshow and some other good resources.
Offers a great dictation practice test (with audio) at their LibertyBook site (click on the “student” section, then select “dictation.”) The site also offers a multiple-choice quiz of the 100 civics questions (unfortunately, the civics practice test is text only).
Seven beautifully produced short videos about the citizenship process in both English and Spanish versions:
§ US Citizenship Process
§ Benefits of Citizenship
§ Citizenship classes
§ Citizenship Interview and Ceremony
§ What You Need to Know About Voting
§ Citizenship & Immigration Scams
Lynne’s library program offers a series of ten citizenship lesson guides for volunteer tutors to use as a planning and assessment resource, and as a lesson summary to give to students. There are audio files so students can listen to each corresponding set of civics questions/answers. This site also offers a plain language step-by-step guide to becoming a citizen, and information on requesting a fee waiver.
Provides a number of educational resources such as flashcards and translations for the 100 civics questions, two short videos: “A Promise of Freedom: An Introduction to U.S. History and Civics for Immigrants,” and “Becoming a U.S. Citizen: An Overview of the Naturalization Process.” USCIS has also produced a 48-page guide, "Expanding ESL, Civics, and Citizenship Education in Your Community: A Start-Up Guide." You can also find the official "Guide to Naturalization" and audio of the 100 questions.
On-line training resources include two self-paced courses—one for citizenship tutors and another for citizenship students.
Offers a series of youtube videos that explain the naturalization process, tell how to fill out the application, demonstrate a normal interview, and also an interview involving a medical disability waiver. These videos use complex, rapidly spoken English, so they are not suitable for most ESL students, but the information is detailed and accurate (except that the demo interview has not been updated for the new test).
Offers several downloads for citizenship educators, including a “Citizenship Educator Orientation Packet,” and “Dictation Techniques for the New Test.” They also offer a series of tutorial presentations: “Understanding the USCIS Reading and Writing Tests,” &“Teaching the USCIS Reading and Writing Tests,” “Becoming a Citizenship Educator,” and “Helping Your Citizenship Students Study Outside of the Classroom.”
Offers a teacher training unit on the naturalization process, however, you must first register and complete the "prerequisite" ESL Foundation Course.
The US Government Printing Office has a site to help children learn about the three branches of government. But it can also be useful for adults studying for the citizenship test. For starters, try the easy picture matching game, or the vocabulary puzzle.
presents information for students about steps they may want to take after becoming a citizen (such as registering to vote, getting a passport, or sponsoring family members).
Interactive spelling practice for the writing (dictation) test. Spelling City reads each word for you, spells it aloud, and uses the word in a sentence. It can generate a worksheet to help you practice writing the words. SpellingCity also uses the writing test list to make spelling games to play on line, and word puzzles to print out. When you’re ready to take a test, you can listen to the words, type in the letters, and check your results. If any are spelled incorrectly, you can continue to practice and take a new test on the words you’re having trouble with--until you’ve got them all right.