Citizenship in the Nation

Sunday, December 17, 2023 | National Museum of the United States Army
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

What are the rights, duties, and obligations of United States Citizens?

How are those sentiments reflected in the country’s founding documents? 

Explore these themes and fulfill requirements for the Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge.

Analyze primary sources including the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution to understand how the nation’s founding documents impact society today. Learn how these documents affect your family and community as well as the U.S. Army. 
Successful completion of the program will fulfill six of the eight requirements of the Citizenship in the Nation merit badge.

The additional two requirements should be completed prior to the workshop. The program will be led by a BSA-certified merit badge counselor.

Merit Badge Prerequisites

1) Participants must complete the following pre-visit assignment. 

• View the Museum’s Virtual Field Trip – The Road to Revolution: The French and Indian War. In this 30 minute video, learn how the French and Indian War informs our understanding of the Revolutionary War and the founding of the country.

What events led to the American Revolution and what was their impact on the new nation? 

• Read the Declaration of Independence. A transcript can be found on the National Archives' website. 

How was the Declaration of Independence connect to the French and Indian War?

• Read the U.S. Constitution. A transcript can be found on the National Archives' website. 

  After reflecting on the document, what is its purpose?

2) Two merit badge requirements (#5 & #8) must be completed outside of the merit badge workshop in order to earn the merit badge. 

• Requirement #5: Watch the national evening news five days in a row OR read the front page of a major daily newspaper five days in a row. Think about and be prepared to discuss the following:
  • What is a national issue that you learned about while watching the news?
  • How does that issue affect you and your family?
     
• Requirement #8: Who is your representative to Congress? Name your two senators and a member of Congress from your congressional district. Select a national issue. Write a letter to your representative explaining your views on this issue.

You may upload any document that you’ve completed for these requirements this Google Drive folder:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Uqzrq-a4hAvtSp1Hifw7TKwTJoJW5mUx?usp=sharing

Please make sure to label the materials with your first name and the first initial of your last name. 

Workshop Requirements 
• Participants must register in advance. Participants must register for themselves AND a chaperone. Chaperones are required to stay onsite in the Museum during the workshop. 
• Participants must complete the pre-visit assignment prior to the workshop. 
• Participants must attend the entire workshop to successfully complete the Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge requirements. 

Workshop Logistics
The workshop will take place in the Museum’s Conference Rooms from 1 – 4 p.m.  The Museum is located at 1775 Liberty Drive, Fort Belvoir, VA.

Chaperones are required to stay onsite in the Museum during the workshop but do not have to attend the workshop. 

Museum staff leading this workshop have completed BSA Youth Protection training. 

No outside food or drink is allowed in the Museum. Sealed water bottles or empty bottles are permitted. There are water bottle filling stations located in the Museum.