Indiana Social Studies USG.5.2
The Standard
Analyze the roles and responsibilities of citizens in Indiana and the United States.
2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies · Students understand the nature of citizenship, politics, and governments, understanding the rights and responsibilities of citizens and how these are part of local, state, and national government. Students examine how the United States Constitution protects rights and provides the structure and functions of various levels of government. Students examine how the United States interacts with other nations as well as the government's role in world affairs will be examined.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students separate legal duties from voluntary actions, using examples such as responding to a jury summons and voting. They compare ways people can influence decisions in Indiana and the United States.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given an Indiana jury summons and a federal election, a student explains why they must respond to the summons but can choose whether to vote. They name the level of government involved in each and explain how citizens can influence it.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think voting is required by law or that a jury summons can be ignored. Some assume contacting Congress can change an Indiana state law, or that only elected officials can raise concerns.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: An Indiana resident gets a jury summons and wants to change a federal law. What must they do about the summons, and whom could they contact about the law?
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs cards labeled voting, responding to a jury summons, paying taxes, and contacting a legislator; have them sort legal duties from voluntary actions.
Ask, 'Should voting be required in Indiana?' Have students write one reason for and one reason against.
Read 'city park hours,' 'Indiana school funding,' and 'federal taxes'; teams match each issue to a city council member, state legislator, or U.S. senator.
Use the Indiana General Assembly legislator lookup with the school address, then draft a three-sentence message to that legislator about a state issue.
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Printable USG.5.2 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to USG.5.2, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- IS.5.2
Examine the actions and policies of U.S. presidents, representatives, and senators from Indiana.
- 8.C.3
Compare and contrast the different functions of federal and state government within the federal system by analyzing the United States Constitution and the India...
- USG.3.13
Explain the organization of state and local governments in Indiana and analyze how they affect the lives of citizens.
- IS.2.6
Analyze the service of people from Indiana to national offices such as the presidency, vice-presidency, judiciary, and legislature including their ideas about t...
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