JSS2 First Term Civic Education  Lesson Note 

 Scheme of Work

WEEK 1&2 INTEGRITY

WEEK 3 CONTENTMENT

WEEK 4 EFFECTS OF LACK OF CONTENTMENT

WEEK 5 DISCIPLINE

WEEK 6 RESPECT OF RULES AND REGULATIONS

WEEK 7 COURAGE

WEEK 8 ATTRIBUTES OF COURAGEOUS PERSONS IN THE SOCIETY

WEEK 9 GOVERNANCE: NIGERIA AS A FEDERATION

WEEK 10 CHARACTERISTICS OF A FEDERATION

Week 1 & 2

Topic: Integrity

Content

• Meaning of Integrity
• Attributes of Integrity
• Need  for People of Integrity in the Society

One of the qualities that a person should aspire to have is Integrity. Integrity is the quality of being honest and always having high moral principles in all you do. Principles are moral rules or sets of ideas which make you behave in a particular way. Integrity has a lot of attributes and features, especially those that are considered good or useful. Some of these attributes are:

Attributes  of Integrity

1. Honesty:It is the ability to be truthful and straightforward at all times. Honesty is an intrinsic value that has the quality of being straightforward, reliable, truthful, sincere and godly in human activities. To be honest, means to be responsible, respectable and fearlessly truthful.
   An honest person is usually committed to his words and disapproves of corrupt tendencies. He is well regarded, respected and looked up to as a societal model and source of godly inspiration. To learn more, click here.

Week 3

Topic: Contentment

Contents –

• Meaning
• Attributes of contentment
• Importance of contentment
• Effects of lack of contentment

Contentment

Contentment simply means a state of being happy and satisfied with what one has. A contented person is not always going above the law to possess riches but satisfied with the one he/she is able to get. Contentment is a mental or emotional state of satisfaction drawn from being at ease in one’s situation, body and mind. Colloquially speaking, contentment is a state of having accepted one’s situation and is a form of happiness. Contentment means being satisfied with one’s possessions, status or situation, though they might be insignificant.

 A contented person is a one who realizes that contentment starts from the inside with a satisfied mind and a cheerful heart. A contented person is one who is satisfied with who they are, what they are and are not looking or demanding for more. In moral sciences, the word ‘contentment’ is used to mean the opposite of greed or excessive and rapacious desire. The trait of contentment causes man to suffice to the amount he needs and to avoid craving for more. In fact, contentment is a feeling of calm and active happiness. Somebody who is content does not feel the need to put forth any effort into achieving something because he or she is satisfied with his portion. To learn more, click here

Week 4

Topic: Effects of Lack of Contentment

Introduction

Due to the quest for wealth, power, popularity etc many people in the society do things in the wrong ways and this has a negative impact on the society. Some of such negative ways include:

A. Corruption: This is a dishonest, illegal or immoral behaviour especially from someone with power. Corruption is a form of dishonest or unethical conduct by a person entrusted with a position of authority, often to acquire personal benefit. Corruption may include many activities including bribery and embezzlement, though it may also involve practices that are legal in many countries. Many people who are in position of authority misbehave by being dishonest.
They enrich themselves through illegal ways. Money given to such people to do some projects for the public are converted to their personal use. They take advantage of the position to be involved in immoral relationship with the opposite sex. 
Corruption destroys honesty among citizens. People reap where they have not sown. Immoral relationship becomes the order of the day. Corruption is a disease that ruins if not taken care of. To learn more, click here

Week 5

Topic: Discipline

Meaning of Discipline

Discipline is the training of the mind to obey simple rules and regulations. The practice of making people obey rules and orders is called Discipline. Discipline is defined as a field of study or is training to fix incorrect behavior or create better skills. Discipline is a method of training the mind, body, or behavior, and it makes people do what is expected of them. We are disciplined when we have self-control. A disciplined individual does things according to laid down rules and regulations.

It is the attitude of doing the right thing at the right time and at times without being forced or persuaded to do so. To learn more, click here

Attributes of Discipline

1. Self control – Every student should have a good spirit that will help them have self control. Self control is the ability to regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses. A disciplined student controls himself to obey all the rules and regulations of the school. This enables him or her to excel in academic endeavours. Be respected in the school and society. Discipline makes a good leader.
2. Moderation – The control of your behaviour so that you keep your actions, feelings, habits within reasonable or sensible limit. It  is the process of eliminating or lessening extremes. It is used to ensure normality throughout the medium on which it is being conducted. A moderate person doesn’t overdo things. Many people are excessive in their ways of doing things and are not disciplined. Disciplines helps you to be moderate in the way you do things and also in your behavioural pattern towards people around you. People who are disciplined are not greedy, in any way because moderation is the principle that they can adopt in anything they doTo learn more, click here

Week 6

Topic: Respect for Rules and Regulations

Respect for Legitimate Authority – Legitimate is the correct measure or ways that things are to be done. It could also be operating according to the law. Legitimate authority is the body established to ensure that laid down rules are followed. Some of such bodies are those in government, immigration, custom, road safety, health inspectors etc A disciplined person must respect legitimate authority.

Respect for Rules and Regulations

Rules are official instructions that say how things must be done or what are allowed. Rules are also the ways of behaving that are accepted as right by most of the people in a given society. Some people do things the way they like and they have no respect for rules and regulations. They do things contrary to the acceptable way. They have no respect for the rules because they feel that they are occupying high positions and this gives them the opportunity to misbehave. Some others do so because they are rich and they believe that money ca take care of everything. Some other people feel that the Government and society at large have cheated them and they haven’t gained anything from the society hence the reason they flout the rules and regulations of society. Whatever the situation is, everyone must have respect for the rules and regulations of society. To learn more, click here

Week 7

Topic: Courage

Introduction

Courage is the ability to be brave when you are in danger, pain, or in difficult situation. It could also be the ability to be brave enough to say or do what you think is right even though other people may not agree or approve. This exercise of boldness in carrying out positive activities in the community where you are is called courage.

Types of Courage

1. Physical courage – The willingness to exercise physical energy to get things done. Fear in most cases may hinder physical things from being accomplished.
2. Moral courage – The ability to choose to do what is right irrespective of pressure to do otherwise. Many people today are not morally okay so they pile pressure on people to go along with them in the wrong way. Some youths today make jest of other youths who dress up well to cover their nakedness. They want everyone to dress in miniskirts, ‘show me your breast’ etc, smoke and drink as they consider them as the order of the day. It takes moral courage for a disciplined person to resist the pressure from these wayward majority. 
3. Spiritual courage – Courage to exhibit ones spiritual faith and live according to religious tenets. Fundamental human rights have given everyone the freedom to choose any religion. Religion is the way people worship God. This is what gives people spiritual courage in whatever they do.There is no religion that points people to the negatives. All the different religions teach are the good moral upbringing which are positives. To learn more, click here

Week 8

Topic: Attributes of Courageous Persons in the Society

Attributes of a Courageous Person

1. Commitment – When they make promises, they are committed to fulfilling or carrying out their promises. The commitment is a driving force that gives them courage to continue. For example, a person who committed himself to the clearing of the classroom. This commitment gives him or her the courage to clean the classroom whether it is convenient or not.
2. Endurance – It is the ability to suffer difficulties or pain with strength and patience.
3. Determination – The ability to continue trying to achieve what you have decided to do even when this is difficult is called determination. Many people fail to achieve the desired result because of lack of determination.
4. Steadfastness – It is the faithful and loyal way of following a thing, a discipline or religion. When a person is steadfast, he/she follows that discipline or religion without looking back. To learn more, click here
5. Diligence – A person who works hard.

Week 9

Topic: Nigeria as a Federation

A Federation is a group of organizations, clubs or people that have joined together to form a single group. Nigeria as a federation is a group of race that came together to form it. Up to 1914, Northern Nigeria was separated from Southern Nigeria. Lord Lugard amalgamated the northern and southern protectorates in 1914.

Need for Federation

1. National Integration – Integration is the combination of two or more things so that they work together. The coming together of a group of people to form Nigeria as a nation has made Nigeria a powerful, strong and reliable nation.
2. Unity in Diversity – A group of people, their culture and tradition may vary from one place to another and yet having the same mind to be together and work together. This one mind to work together will remove whatever is the racial difference and there by create unity in diversity within the nation. 
3. Controlling activities of states – Since federation is the combination of smaller race and people to form a larger one, there is need for controlling body of such small groups. To learn more, click here

Week 10

Topic: Characteristics of a Federation

Characteristics of Federation

For easy administration, the entire nation has been divided into states

1. Sharing of Powers between central and state government. The overall power to control the federation is vested on the president who has to work with the central government. They are members of national assembly, ministers, advisers etc
2. The head of state government is the governors, followed by members of the state house of assembly
3. The federal government have programmes and projects they execute in each state. When the directives are issued, the state government complies with this directive. To learn more, click here