4th Grade Civics & Government — Rights and Responsibilities — Being a Good Citizen
Students will understand that our rights come from God, not from government, and that all people have value because they are made in God's image.
Have you ever wondered where our rights come from? Some people think the government gives us our rights. But America's Founders believed something very different — they believed our rights come from God.
The Declaration of Independence says that all people 'are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.' The word 'unalienable' means these rights cannot be taken away because God gave them to us.
Because every person is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), every person has dignity and value. This is why we treat all people with respect — not because the government says so, but because God says so.
The Founders understood that if the government gives rights, the government can also take them away. But if God gives rights, no government has the authority to remove them. This was a revolutionary idea!
As citizens, we have a responsibility to protect these God-given rights — not just for ourselves, but for everyone. This is part of what it means to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Write the three unalienable rights from the Declaration of Independence on a poster. Under each one, draw a picture showing what that right looks like in everyday life. Add Genesis 1:27 at the top.