Naturalization ceremonies are living civics lessons. The oath ceremony is the final step in the process of achieving American citizenship. At the ceremony, a federal judge will administer the Oath of Citizenship to the petitioners. You and your students can experience it live during a special naturalization ceremony being held in recognition of Veteran’s Week 2024.
The ceremony will not be recorded. Recording of the ceremony is prohibited. Please register below to experience the event live!
Hosted by the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri.
- Date: Friday, November 15, 2024
- Time: 10:00 a.m. Central
- Duration: Approximately 45 minutes. Feel free to join and exit at any time between 9:45-10:45 a.m.
- Open to: Public, private, and parochial school classrooms
- Platform: Zoom, register below to receive the link
Register for the Virtual Field Trip
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. Registration is required and the waiting room function will be utilized. Only registered classrooms will be admitted.
Activity Suggestions
Please see the links and materials below to guide you and your students before, during, and after the event. (Some of the links are external and are provided for informational purposes only. The Judicial Learning Center is not responsible for the accuracy of the content from external links and encourages users to preview and evaluate all resources prior to use with students.)
Teacher Background Information
- About Naturalization Ceremonies – The United States Courts
- 10 Steps to Naturalization – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
- Pathways to Citizenship – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
- About the Naturalization Oath – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Before and After the Virtual Field Trip
- Lower Elementary: Color a United States flag and discuss it as a national symbol using this information from USA.gov.
- Upper Elementary/Middle/High School Government: Take the citizenship exam required for naturalization and discuss. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History has developed an online, multiple-choice version of the citizenship exam for different grade levels.
- Upper Elementary/Middle/High School History: Learn about the history of Ellis Island with these resources created by The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation.
During the Virtual Field Trip – Graphic Organizers
See-Think-Wonder
Strategy Chart
Create the Headline (history focus)
Create the Headline (government focus)