Youth Patriotism Awards Freedom Award SILVER (Youth 6-10)

Requirements: To earn the Youth Patriotism Award � Freedom SILVER Medal a youth must complete ALL of the following: What You Think Discuss with your counselor what FREEDOM means to you. Ask your counselor what FREEDOM means to them. List on a piece of paper the FREEDOMS that you think you have by living in the United States. The Declaration of Independence In the Declaration of Independence it states that �All men are created equal.� Tell your counselor what this means to you. Have your counselor discuss with you what it means to them. The Declaration further calls out the right of �Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness�. With your counselor�s help, describe how these rights are important and give an example of each as it pertains to your life and the life of your family. Draw a picture or print out a picture from the internet (with parent or guardian�s permission) of one of the three rights (Life, Liberty, or Pursuit of Happiness). The Constitution of the United States What does �Freedom of Speech� mean to you? Does this mean that you can stand up and say anything you want at any time? Discuss this with your counselor. With your counselor, look at the remaining rights granted by the Bill of Rights. With your counselor�s help, choose one. Write down a description of what this right means to you. After completing your written description, talk to at least 3 people, asking them what the chosen right means to them. After talking with the three people discuss with your counselor how (if at all) your written description would be different. Visit a person of a different race, creed, or belief. Ask them about how they see freedom in the United States. Have them tell you of a time that they might have had to struggle to exercise their freedom or when they might have struggled to allow others to exercise a freedom. Make a list of the original thirteen states of the United States of America. Attend a worship service. Discuss with your counselor how the Freedom of Religion is important to Americans. Draw a picture showing a freedom that is enjoyed in the United States. Show this picture to your counselor and describe what is happening in the scene.

Electives: In addition to the above Requirements, you must also complete some electives. These electives can come from any of the below. Electives from the following list only count once (even if you complete an elective multiple times). Once the number of electives needed for the medal is complete, your counselor can place an order for the medal. Completing additional electives enables you to earn Elective Stars that are placed on the ribbon of the medal. Award Number of Electives Needed Silver Medal 3 Silver Medal and 1 Silver star 6 Silver Medal and 2 Silver stars 10 Silver Medal and 3 Silver stars 14 Visit and Experience: Participate in or attend an event celebrating a freedom available in the United States. This event could be an ethnic festival, religious service, parade, or something similar. Visit an elderly person. With this person, discuss what changes in freedom they have witnessed in their life. Describe to your counselor how one of these changes has made life in the United States better. Visit a religious leader in your community or church. Have them discuss what Freedom of Religion means to them. Discuss with your counselor what life would be like without this freedom. Speak with a police officer or lawyer about Freedoms in the United States. Have them explain to you how there are limits to freedom and why we have laws. Visit a newspaper, periodical publisher, TV studio, or radio station. Talk to a reporter. Have them describe to you the Freedom of the Press and why it is important. Visit Ellis Island or visit a web site dedicated to Ellis Island or immigration to America (with parent�s or guardian�s permission). Learn of the freedoms that the immigrants are trying to gain. Visit the courthouse of your local community. Discuss with your counselor how people in the United States are protected by the laws. Learn More: With your counselor�s guidance, research how a person of a different racial, ethnic, or religious background made a major contribution to the United States. Using the internet (with parent or guardian�s permission), the library, or other resources, find at least 3 reasons that people came to early America. What freedoms were they trying to gain? Using the internet (with parent or guardian�s permission), the library, or other resources, research a different Amendment from the Bill of Rights than you researched in Requirement 3b. Write a short paragraph describing what this Amendment gave to the people of the United States. Using the internet (with parent or guardian�s permission), the library, or other resources, and your counselor�s help, list the Amendments to the Constitution of the United States that added Rights or Freedoms. With your counselor�s help; look up the work FREEDOM in the dictionary. Create another definition that describes what freedom means to you. Learn by Doing: Participate in an election. Go to the polls with an adult and see how they cast their vote. Ask them what the right to elect their representatives means to them. Write a short story about Freedom in America. Write a column for your school newspaper. Create a poem or song about Freedom. Read a book about freedom.