Learning to Give, Philanthropy education resources that teach giving and civic engagement

Students will recognize that even important people in the world do not have unlimited power. Constitutionally, the President of the United States is limited by the “advise and consent” rule, among others. The learners will look at the importance of limiting government and analyze the importance of citizen participation in their communities. How the common good benefits when citizens and students participate in their communities and schools will be identified. The role of nonprofits and foundations will be analyzed. Students will research the local community foundation, raise funds, learn parliamentary procedure, and form a Youth Advisory Committee which will complete grant applications and make recommendations to a Board of Directors for dispensing of the funds.

Learners will research events in American history that led to the development of philanthropy in the United States, analyze the importance of allowing all citizens the opportunity to contribute to the common good, identify needs and resources to set up and maintain a service learning project.

This unit shows learners how electricity is created, used, measured, and conserved. Learners explore energy conservation and energy efficiency using a lab activity about lightbulbs and a research assignment about alternative energy resources. Students plan and carry out a project to advocate for conserving energy and using green technology. They demonstrate to members of the school or local community their learning about renewable resources that promote conservation. The purpose of this unit is to empower learners to advocate for responsible use of energy resources. While this unit is written specifically to address the "greening of New Jersey," it is adaptable to any community.  

Focus Question: What is an individual's responsibility for the environment?

The learners will assess the role of animals in sports and entertainment. The learners will differentiate between animal cruelty and the humane treatment of animals. They explore attitudes/beliefs about the role of animals specifically in sports and entertainment. The learners will then identify advocacy as a way to promote the humane treatment of all animals.

Focus Question: 
How should animals be treated and who speaks for their welfare?

Using the themes and content of geography, learners examine and demonstrate knowledge of cultural elements and traditions of selected nations of the world and how they affect philanthropy and stewardship in world regions. Learners will use the five themes of geography to explore the political, geographic, economic and social aspects of continents and identified specific nations. Our learners will also discover newly emerging democracies' struggle with developing non-governmental institutions and organizations. They will gain an appreciation for the worldwide relief efforts as well as grassroots movements. As a service learning project they will develop a visual aid for younger learners for celebrating African-American History Month.

Students are asked to evaluate the use of their time, talent and treasure by choosing activities to fill a typical non-school day. They will be expected to take a look at the benefits and opportunity costs involved in sacrificing personal time for the common good of their community.

In this lesson, students analyze and define the concept of community. The students identify benefits and sacrifices involved in actions for the common good in their role as citizens.

Students will understand philanthropy. They will analyze acts of kindness to determine how they contribute to the common good. Learners will investigate their own resources of time, talent and treasure they have and brainstorm how these can be used to address community needs/issues or problems in their school, neighborhood and larger community. They will investigate nonprofit organizations that contribute to the common good by addressing these needs.

Learners recognize that famous philanthropists started with small acts of kindness before they performed the influential acts that we remember them for. Learners define caring through discussion of examples and create an acrostic using the word CARING. Learners get inspiration from the work and words of Mother Teresa about performing small acts of kindness. The unit is culminated with the learners selecting a project and making a plan for carrying out a small act of kindness with a group or individually. After reflecting on their experience with performing an act of kindness, they will compare their experience to the message in a folktale, and write about the impact of a single small act of caring.

Focus Questions:

What role does caring play in relationships and life success?  How can developing caring equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Learners discover how celebrities demonstrate their caring by giving their time, talent and treasure and taking action for specific causes. It gives the learners an opportunity to begin to think of what they care about. Learners will discuss a quote about gratitude and consider the relationship between caring and gratitude. Learners read about the work of Oprah Winfrey and define enlightened self-interest and pro-social behavior. After discussing causes and social issues they care about, they will write one idea for an action they can take to "make a difference to that one."

Focus Questions:

What role does caring play in relationships and life success?  How can developing caring equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

This unit allows learners to investigate and expand their understanding of caring and to identify things or people they care about. They will determine different ways that they can show caring; relate enlightened self-interest to caring by discussing a quote from Alexis de Tocqueville about the American tradition of democracy; and they will reflect on how philanthropy, enlightened self-interest and caring are related.

Focus Questions:

What role does caring play in relationships and life success?  How can developing caring equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

In this unit the learners will define courage and relate courage to the the concept of a "hero."  They will learn about a hero, Nelson Mandela, whose actions changed the course of history. Using their knowledge of courage, the learners determine a person of courage who is a hero and share that by creating a commemorative "postage stamp."  

Focus Questions:

What role does courage play in relationships and life success?  How can developing courage equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

By identifying examples of courage from the actions of Jackie Robinson, learners discover that it takes courage to do the right thing in the face of peer pressure. They are asked to brainstorm issues that require courage to address. They define what a hero is and reflect on what causes they feel passionate enough about to face with courage.

Focus Questions:

What role does courage play in relationships and life success?  How can developing courage equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

This unit asks learners to choose their favorite heroes from the "Star Wars" or other movies and identify acts of courage. Using charts created in lesson one, learners find hero traits related to courage and facing daunting challenges. After highlighting the key words explaining the classic hero myth, learners look for  these traits in themselves, the Founding Fathers, and our current leaders. The learners will then reflect on the relationship between courage and fear, and identify the different character attributes that guide us when facing a challenge.

Focus Questions:

What role does courage play in relationships and life success?  How can developing courage equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

In this unit, students construct a definition for fairness and compare and contrast definitions with others. They discuss how there are two sides to most fairness issues. Students compare and contrast both sides of two fairness issues--one global and one personal. They reflect on when fairness is a matter of perspective and when fairness is a matter to advocate for through citizen action. Students participate in a role-play of fair and unfair decision-making. They identify behaviors that promote and put up barriers to making decisions. After a read-aloud, students compare the lesson in the text to real-life situations. Students use a Frayer model graphic organizer to analyze the term impartial. In the final reflection, students identify a personal bias and make a written plan for overcoming the bias now that they are aware of it.

Focus Question: What role does fairness play in relationships and life success? How can developing fairness equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

In this unit, the teacher poses several questions to spark conversation and critical thinking about the meaning of fairness. Students work together to create a definition of fairness. In the story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, students identify the barriers and challenges to addressing an unfair situation. Given a list of ways to respond to unfair situations, students match ways to respond to possible unfair situations. Students work in small groups to analyze personal responses to a specific unfair situation. Students play a simulation game that raises awareness of their power to take action for the good of others. In the final reflection, students connect the concepts of fairness and philanthropy through written response to a quote or personal experience.

In this unit, students define the meaning of fairness and compare and contrast it with the meaning of justice and equitable treatment. Learners discuss the fair use of copyrighted music. They explore how downloading music and movies affects the artists and producers who created the pieces. Students meet in a "round" to discuss issues of fairness related to the common good. Learners read about and discuss Fair Trade and how it relates to justice, fairness, and equity. Students reflect on their attitude about and responsibility for making fair choices about spending. They use the literary device of metaphor for expressing their thoughts.

Students define honesty as fairness and straightforward conduct. They look for examples in a story and expand on the definition. They brainstorm examples of honesty and communicate its value and benefits to the community, family, friends, and self. Students use journaling or role-play to reflect on the benefits to the community of truthfulness and straightforward actions. They analyze traits and actions of someone who has built a "good reputation."

Focus Questions:

What role does honesty play in relationships and life success?  How can developing honesty equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Students explore the meaning of honesty related to playing by the rules and making choices that support the common good. They discuss and illustrate how people could respond honestly or dishonestly to the same situation. They learn vocabulary related to honesty. Students role-play using  familiar scenarios in ways that follow the rules and support straightforward communication, and also ways that do not support the rules. They will discuss the value of rules for supporting the common good and reflect in writing on the role of common good and honesty when rules are not clearly stated.

Focus Questions:

What role does honesty play in relationships and life success?  How can developing honesty equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Discussing different types of lies and rating them in their severity and damage to others helps the students understand about communicating honestly. They explore different ways communication can be changed through interpretation and by intentionally misleading. The students explore how people can be dishonest with themselves, and they reflect on how they can be honest with themselves about community and world issues and take personal responsibility.

Focus Questions:

What role does honesty play in relationships and life success?  How can developing honesty equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Students define the character trait integrity and examine where they learn what is "right." Lesson Two examines the other part of the defintion, "doing what's right."  Lesson Three features Frederik de Klerk as an example of integrity. Lesson Four features scenarios in which students discuss integrity and provide rationale for their thinking. In Lesson Five, students demonstrate their understanding of integrity through reflecting and writing on quotes or personal experience.

Focus Question: What role does integrity play in relationships and life success? How can developing integrity equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Lesson one examines the meaning of "Be true to yourself" and questions what changes when the words "and others" are added to the definition of integrity. Lesson two compares two definitions of integrity.  Lesson three provides an example of integrity in Patrick Henry. Lesson four features scenarios that bring integrity to life. Lesson five provides the opportunity to make meaning of integrity through writing and or drawing.

Focus Question: What role does integrity play in relationships and life success? How can developing integrity equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

In this unit, students construct the meaning of integrity and explore the concept of "being true to yourself and others." They read about Elizabeth Cady Stanton as a model of integrity through actions and personal words toward the common good.  Learners examine scenarios and ask the question, "Is this person acting with integrity?" And as a reflection, students write responses to quotes about integrity as they relate to the student's life experiences.

Focus Question: What role does integrity play in relationships and life success? How can developing integrity equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Students analyze and define the word perseverance as it applies to Martin Luther King, Jr. They relate perseverance to setting and reaching goals. Through a discussion of impulse spending and opportunity cost, students learn about the value of perseverance as it relates to setting goals and sticking with them. They brainstorm a variety of short-term and long-term goals as an activity leading to each student developing plans for a single goal. Each student sets an individual goal using a goal-setting strategy. The class reflects on perseverance and how to persevere when the plan gets difficult to carry out.

Focus Questions:

What role does perseverance play in relationships and life success?  How can developing perseverance equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Students look for examples of personal best in a movie about perseverance and discuss the value of working toward personal best even when it is difficult. They analyze the meaning of personal best and recognize the value of persistence in doing their best. Students choose two causes or issues that they feel most concerned about. With those in mind, they explore how perseverance and doing their personal best are the most effective ways to address needs.

Focus Questions:

What role does perseverance play in relationships and life success?  How can developing perseverance equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Perseverance involves staying with a task even if it is difficult. Students identify obstacles and barriers they must overcome in order to reach a goal. They brainstorm universal obstacles to completing goals in difficult situations and then they write creative one-liners to help them face obstacles with determination and humor. As a reflection, students illustrate a conversation about perseverance between Lyndon B. Johnson and an imaginary opponent.

 Focus Questions:

What role does perseverance play in relationships and life success?  How can developing perseverance equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Learners define respect and explore the meaning of self-respect and respect for others. They explore the relationship of "respect" to definitions and examples of prejudice, bias, racism, and stereotype. Students recognize prejudice and examine how they perceive others. Learners discover how prejudices are learned and reflect on how to be more respectful of others. The learners are challenged to enhance respect in their personal relationships.  They define actions they can take to enhance respect in their school and community.

Focus Questions:

What role does respect play in relationships and life success?  How can developing respect equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

In this unit the learners define respect as "valuing yourself/being proud of who you are, valuing others; valuing the world around you; being courteous with others and tolerant of personal differences." 
They relate it to the core values and beliefs of a constitutional democracy. Using the historical biography of Cynthia Ann Parker, they cite examples of respect/disrespect. The students investigate their perceptions about bullying and its relationship to respect. They brainstorm ways to promote respect of self and others and the world around them. The learners discuss a quote from Congresswoman Barbara Jordan and reflect on the meaning of respect for themselves as individuals. They commit their support to a plan for promoting respect in their school.

Focus Questions:
What role does respect play in relationships and life success?  How can developing respect equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

In this unit, learners investigate the meaning of respect, especially as it relates to respecting members of diverse groups. Students analyze the dynamics of group formation and describe how inclusion and exclusion from groups can result in conflict and disrespect. They will discover the basic right of all people to be respected and determine ways of showing respect for others by examining and reflecting on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Focus Question:

What role does respect play in relationships and life success?  How can developing respect equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Students create a definition of responsibility from their experiences and gain insight into ways that sixth graders are responsible. Through a scenario, students examine the steps of decision-making in taking responsibility.  Through text, students examine Lorenzo De Zavala's responsibility in early and later life. Students gain insights into people's choices about responsibility through scenarios. Through a choice of prompts, students will reflect on and express their understanding of being responsible.

Focus Question:  What role does responsibility play in relationships and life success? How can developing responsibility equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Students explore the meaning of responsibility through examining choices, making decisions, and experiencing consequences. Learners explore the definition of responsibility as "following tasks to completion." They analyze a scenario for the problem, consequences, and possible solutions. Learners connect completing tasks with maintaining trust. Students examine the life of Mr. James Stephen Hogg through the lens of responsibility (dependability and completing tasks). Through role playing a scenario, students with different perspectives will make decisions about responsibility. Reflecting on a quote or a personal experience, students will share their thinking on responsibility defined as following through on a committment or task.

Focus Question: What role does responsibility play in relationships and life success? How can developing responsibility equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Students construct meaning of the concept of responsibility through personal and shared discussion. Students investigate the benefits/consequences of taking responsbility and not taking responsibility. Students examine the consequences of Abraham Lincoln's responsible decisions. The introduction of the concept of common good adds a dimension to the benefit/consequences of taking responsibility. Students gain insight into differing perspectives by examining a scenarios and engaging in a debate about the benefits/consequences of taking or avoiding responsibility. Through writing, students share their insights into taking responsibility with the resulting benefits or consequences.

Focus Question: What role does responsibility play in relationships and life success? How can developing responsibility equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Students examine the role of discipline in their lives, in the lives of others, and in a civil society. They define self-discipline and compare and contrast discipline and self-discipline. The students read and discuss profiles of people who demonstrated self-discipline to reach goals and have also contributed to the common good. They determine the characteristics of people who exercise self-discipline to achieve success. The students create a plan that includes steps and strategies for practicing self-discipline. They set a personal goal and make a plan for using self-discipline to meet the goal. As a conclusion, they reflect on their level of self-discipline and their determination to increase that level as they mature.

Learners experience an opportunity to practice self-discipline, and they compare and contrast discipline and self-discipline. They become familiar with vocabulary and concepts associated with self-discipline and examine the correlation between self-discipline and maturity. They learn about Benjamin Franklin's personal accomplishments and his contributions to the common good, and examine his wisdom about self-discipline. The learners investigate the importance of self-control and self-motivation through analyzing examples of self-discipline. They set a personal goal and describe self-discipline steps to meeting the goal. They select quotations and reflect on their relevance to achieving their goal.  

Focus Question: What role does self-discipline play in relationships and life success? How can developing self-discipline equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Learners discuss why some people are able to meet goals and some are not able to do so. They also use a survey to determine a personal self-discipline score. The students define self-discipline by determining what it does and does not look like, sound like, and feel like. Learners associate a list of vocabulary words with self-discipline. They use quotations from author Sandra Cisneros to infer concepts of self-discipline. The learners imagine life changes one, four, and five years from the present time and determine skills and behaviors of self-discipline that will help them be successful in meeting goals for the future. Focus Question: What role does self-discipline play in relationships and life success? How can developing self-discipline equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Learners play a game that helps them identify qualities in others and themselves that make them trustworthy and determine whether you can be friends with someone you don't trust. Students brainstorm ways to build capital in a trust bank account. They read and discuss a Celtic folktale and discuss the role of communication in building trust. Students examine their family trust relationships and connect their experiences with the trust bank account. They brainstorm things their family depends on them for and decide if they feel trustworthy at home. Learners write an acrostic poem using the letters of their name to communicate their trustworthy nature.

Students analyze and argue for their feelings about the importance of promises and building trust. They define trustworthy by comparing a trustworthy person to an object using the writers' devise of metaphor or simile. Students read about two very different Texas pioneers and identify how they earned the trust of others. Learners reflect on their own experience with trustworthy behavior or respond to a quote about trust.

Focus Question: What role does trustworthiness play in relationships and life success? How can developing trustworthiness equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

Learners play a game that helps them identify qualities in others that make them trustworthy. They explore what it means to develop reciprocal trust within different communities. Students learn about public trust and identify characteristics of public figures that merit trust. They also discuss how they can use their own time, talent, and treasure to support trustworthy politicians, sports figures, corporations, and celebrities. Learners brainstorm the traits of a community of trusted learners, describing what it would look like if students and teachers in a classroom felt a high level of trust with each other. And finally, they compare two communities to which they belong using a Venn diagram and descriptive words related to trustworthiness.

Focus Question: What role does trustworthiness play in relationships and life success? How can developing trustworthiness equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

To introduce learners to philanthropy and to have them apply this knowledge to assist them in the identification  of some of the various organizations in their community and the services they provide. Utilizing observation and surveys they will become more familiar with the nonprofit organizations in their community and provide volunteer service to one of these organizations intended to address a community need. Learners will use their knowledge of philanthropy and combine it with community information to learn about their community and its needs. Utilizing this knowledge, the learners will participate in a service project directly related to their findings.

Focus Question:

What would happen to your community if no one was willing to give time/talent/treasure?

In this lesson, the learners will identify and demonstrate their understanding of what is meant by the term the common good and identify how community (nonprofit) organizations help community members to promote the welfare of their community for the greater benefit of all. The learners will also identify specific needs in their community to which they can apply their time, talents, and treasure to help (nonprofit) organizations in their community meet these needs.

This unit will show students how acts of philanthropy were demonstrated in the field of medicine despite racial discrimination.  Vivien Thomas shared his time and talent to assist Dr. Alfred Blalock in pioneering a surgical clamp.  He worked in the era of segregation in the United States.  Hamilton Naki assisted Dr. Christian Barnard in heart transplantation in South Africa.  They worked within the system of apartheid.  These techniques would not have been implemented without Thomas and Naki.  Both men worked for unequal pay and without recognition, yet continued to work for the common good rather than personal gain.

Focus Questions:

1) How are people able to persevere and display courage in the face of racism, prejudice and discrimination?

2) What causes people to put the needs of society or humanity ahead of their own personal needs?

3) How does society benefit when all people are given equal opportunities to succeed academically and economically? 

The purpose of this lesson is to examine how individuals persevere in the face of discrimination and continue on to impact the course of history for the common good.

These lessons will expose students to a Newberry Award winning novel about the life and trials of an African-American, land-owning family in Mississippi in 1933. The book explores several instances of bigotry, community capital, and the importance of family. Written from the viewpoint of nine-year-old Cassie Logan, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is a powerful novel affecting all who read it. It will allow students to read, listen to, perform and respond to a quality, cross-cultural novel. Students will look at the roots of the southern “caste” system and recognize the importance of hearing all voices in the community.

To have learners examine their lives and ambitions, and explore how philanthropy is a daily activity. Through this lesson, the learners will be able to better recognize acts of “everyday philanthropy” and come to better understand their personal traits, and the impact that these might have on their personal philanthropic involvement.

Learners research problems caused by a natural disaster and cite examples of aid provided in an effort to help those devastated populations. They will investigate the role of the four economic sectors in responding to the needs. They will participate in a collection campaign and learn about organizations to which they can contribute their philanthropy.

Focus Question: Whose responsibility is it to help victims of a natural disaster?

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The purpose of this unit is to assist the learner in developing a deeper understanding of what it means to be an environmental steward and to apply this knowledge, by means of conservation and recycling, to identify environmental misuse of natural resources as found in his/her home, school, and community.

Focus Question: How can I become a steward of our Earth’s natural resources and effect positive change in my home, school, and community?”
 

This lesson raises the learners’ awareness of water quality, water treatment, and responsible management of water resources around the world. Learners explore the issue of safe water accessibility and discuss responsibilities of a global citizen to assure all people have safe drinking water.  The learners’ experiment with a natural water filtration process. They review the water cycle and come to an understanding  to sustain the quality of the world's water  for the common good. The students will write a "Safe Water" pledge and may choose to sign it indicating action they will personally take to assure sustainable, safe water. They will create persuasive products to share their knowledge of issues around safe drinking water.

The students will learn a little history of the painters Van Gogh and Gauguin. They will learn that the artists, especially Van Gogh, were driven by a need to give of themselves to others through art. They will view an example of how artwork portrays ethnicity. Students will draw their own portraits and create a display of the diverse faces of the community.

This lesson will give the students a brief overview of how nonprofit organizations contribute to the common good of the community by supporting the arts. They will role-play as members of the Board of a philanthropic foundation focused on the Arts making a funding recommendation to bring the Arts to the children of the community.

Learners explore the role games play in enhancing the common good, and they identify characteristics of one who plays the "game of life" in a way that promotes the common good. They define the concepts of contract and social contract and make an analogy between civil society and the "game of life" (includes rules, trust, and relationships). Through learning and playing the card game Bridge, students learn and practice life/social skills (problem solving, good character, interpersonal communication, collaboration, and discipline). They also learn valuable study skills of memory, concentration, and critical thinking. 
Focus Question: How do game rules and strategies apply to life? 

Students assess their personal diets and view pictures of families around the world with the food they eat in a week. Through awareness and discussion, they view cultural and regional differences. They assess community and or world needs associated with food and health and plan and carry out a service project to address these needs.

Students will become familiar with the definition of philanthropy and see examples of it in the community, especially in connection with the United Way.
NOTE:  Arrange in advance for a visit by the guest speaker.

Students discover and discuss the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and especially focus on his ethic of service. The students learn about the issue of obesity through the documentary "Super Size Me" and/or print information. They will understand the importance of eating healthfully and the benefits to individuals as well as for the common good. Students will create a cookbook of healthy recipes to be donated to community organizations. The students learn about environmental stewardship and its importance to the common good by viewing the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" and/or through print information. Students will decide on and carry out a service project that demonstrates environmental stewardship. Students will learn about the life of Gandhi. They will compare and contrast the philosophies and work of Dr. King and Gandhi. They will determine service they can provide to promote peace and nonviolence.

This unit can be taught as grade specific using two lessons (Grade 6 - Lessons 1 & 2 , Grade 7 - Lessons 1 & 3, Grade 8 - Lessons 1 & 4). To extend the learning and service experiences, additional lesson can be used, as time allows.

The purpose of this Unit is to introduce the learners to healthy living habits both for themselves as well as their community. They will demonstrate their knowledge by participating in various activities making healthy food choices, exercise and helping those of the community do the same. Learners will develop a service learning project based on a community needs assessment. They will reflect on their service project, demonstrate the impact on the community, and celebrate their hard work and success.

Learners will increase their reading fluency and awareness of philanthropy by reading to younger children. Through teaming with younger children, they will uncover the meaning of unfamiliar words in context, become more knowledgeable about structures authors use to help young children learn to read, use different strategies to verbalize their books and use encouragement to help young children learn to read. They will determine how their acts are a form of community capital and will identify themselves as philanthropists who help their community. Learners will actively help younger children write and edit their own pattern books and determine the value of their service learning project to the betterment of the community.

This lesson will require the learners to explore their thoughts about money and how it can be used in three different ways (spend, save and donate). They will be challenged to explore their beliefs about how people spend, save and donate their money. They will investigate motivations for giving as well as their own thoughts regarding their personal spending, saving and donating.

The purpose of the lesson is to create an awareness of local organizations that provide services for people in need in the community. Students will also learn how help is provided to the community through the four sectors of the economy. This lesson will provide additional background information for students in preparation for the The League Event The Drive.

In this unit, the learners will explore some common approaches taken to problem-solve.  They will explore how individuals, groups and/or organizations use problem-solving approaches to resolve community issues or needs and promote the common good.  The unit will offer learners opportunities to explore  ways of addressing issues of animal welfare and humane treatment.

Focus Questions:
What do I believe about the welfare and humane treatment of animals, and how can I act on those beliefs in a rational problem solving manner that promotes the common good?

In this lesson the learners will explore the reality of food scarcity and abundance as they relate to issues of wealth and health. They will identity a need in their community and explore ways that they might be able to help reduce poverty, hunger, and ill-health there.

This unit is about learners becoming familiar with the rainforest, the problems that are resulting from deforestation of rainforests, as well as other world environments, and how they can become a part of the solution to this problem. Learners will identify concerns pertaining to the world’s rainforests and be able to locate them throughout the world. They will become  knowledgeable regarding the attributes of a tropical rainforest and working with current statistics, they will understand the repercussions of rainforest destruction and how this destruction may personally affect them if deforestation continues at its present pace.The learners will also identify possibilities for, and commit to, taking action against continued deforestation.

Focus Question: How can I be a steward of the rainforests?
 

Students will examine violation of children’s rights through the use of compelling literature. In addition, students will also reflect on examples of human kindness and collective action for the common good (philanthropy).

Students will develop an intellectual framework of understanding of fairness, justice, tolerance and equality as critical key concepts/components necessary for a civil society. Students will discuss the importance of acting philanthropically to promote the common good. A deep understanding of concepts will be enhanced as students strive to develop relationships between the concepts.

Learners will examine and demonstrate knowledge of philanthropy and its impact on society.  They will evaluate the significance of a philanthropic contributions to the common good and discover how they can engage in philanthropic service.  Learners will also collaboratively determine, design, and implement a service project to meet and authentic community need.

Focus question for the unit: Can one person truly make a difference in the world?

The learner will trace the history of giving in America and connect examples to Core Democratic Values. The learner will also examine ways in which current organizations exemplify traditions of Core Democratic Values through the study of the mission statements of selected organizations. In addition, the learner will focus on ways in which they and their families take part in philanthropy and in upholding the fundamental beliefs of American Democracy. The final activity in the unit will involve students taking part in a project they select that will reinforce the connection between giving and the Core Democratic Values.

The students will discover the importance of and diverse roles of the four U.S. economic sectors (For Profit, Nonprofit, Government and Household) and how they meet the needs of the population. They will explore how these sectors work together to form a civil society.

The purpose of this lesson is to enhance the learner's awareness and understanding of "homelessness" and the problems and difficulties that often arise out of this circumstance. This lesson will help the learners grow in their understanding that people need each other and what might appear to be an insignificant action on the part of one person can help determine a quality of life for another. The learner will be made aware of the importance of giving and that even things that one might discard can actually be given to and used by other individuals to make their life more comfortable. By doing so one experiences the joy that can be found in giving.

Students will recognize the value of giving to the community by looking at examples of the sacrifices and traditions of people of Native American culture.

In this unit, the students examine closely what it means to spend, save, invest, and donate.  Students will gain an understanding of the importance of budgeting, create a personal spending plan, and investigate the uses and misuses of credit, including installment loans and credit cards.  Throughout the unit, students are reinforced in “the economic way of thinking” with emphasis on improving their understanding of scarcity, the role of opportunity costs in decision making and the responsible use of credit.  Students will use an economic decision making model to choose a service learning project to promote financial literacy and responsible use of credit amongst peers and/or in the community.  Students will be guided through proposing, planning, problem solving, implementing, and reflecting on service projects that meet a real community need.  Finally, students will create and present a demonstration of their service project.

The students examine what it means to spend, save, invest, and donate with emphasis on the concept of philanthropy and fundamental vocabulary related to economics.  Students create personal spending plans (budgets) and use an economic decision-making model to make an important decision. They also investigate the workings (including budgets) of nonprofit/civil society organizations and participate in an act of philanthropy as a class by presenting funds they have raised to a student-chosen nonprofit. Throughout the unit, students are reinforced in “the economic way of thinking” with emphasis on improving their understanding of scarcity, the role of opportunity cost in decision-making, and the power of incentives in behavior. 

This unit is designed for use with Money Smart Choices: Financial Literacy and Philanthropy, www.learningtogive.org/moneysmartchoices, an interactive web site created through a partnership between the National Endowment for Financial Education® or NEFE® and Learning to Give. The unit can be used effectively even if Internet access is not available to students.  All of the content of the web site is provided in the lesson’s Instructional Procedures or Attachments.

 

Students identify the mission of Save the Children and write about the need for saving children around the world. They read and discuss children's right to access to health as required by the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child. They view resources about the health workers who are saving children's lives across the world, and students work in small groups to research and report on five featured countries. They learn that they can support these health workers by choosing a service project to take action for children's health.

Follow this Link to the Elementary Level Unit: Save the Children's Newborn and Child Survival Campaign  

Learners will distinguish between the nonprofit sector and the for-profit sector and identify some of the more common characteristics of each. Using the Action Without Borders/Idealist.org Web site, www.idealist.org, learners will investigate local and national nonprofit organizations by researching their histories, services, and target populations, as well as job opportunities.

This unit explores the effects of oil on the environment, people, and wildlife. The learners share their knowledge of the ocean’s environment and how to protect the ocean animals. It includes lessons about the importance and careful management of these resources and the impact humans have on these environments around the world. To be responsible citizens, people must become advocates for the protection of the environment including the world’s oceans. 

Focus Question: Is it the responsibility of every human being to be an advocate for our natural resources and the habitats of the animals on our planet?
 

The purpose of this unit is to help the learners understand the extent of the problems associated with trash and its disposal, and provide them with ideas for recycling and reusing. 
Focus Question: What we can do to help alleviate trash problems in our community, state/nation?

Air pollution is an international concern, with our learners serving as the next generation of stewards for our precious resource.  At the heart of this unit is inquiry as learners see the connection to their personal health, develop a knowledge base about air quality issues, and role play an authentic scenario to develop solutions for improving air quality in our local and world community. This unit will also serve to encourage an affective response and motivate learners to act upon this new understanding for the common good.

 
Focus Question: What can we do to preserve air quality for present and future generations?

What factors motivate a community to value giving and volunteering? This unit, modeling the story of one community, inspires students to tell the story of their own people and places. In 2004, West Michigan was recognized by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as the nation's second most generous region per capita. This unit explores the stories, events, personalities, and motivations that create a culture of philanthropy. Using the video documentary about West Michigan as a model, students investigate the profound impact that individual philanthropists (including themselves) can have on their community. Students will create stories and use the stories as a gift to others. Although it was written about West Michigan, this unit is easily adapted to any community, urban or rural.

Focus Question: How do communities impact individuals, and how can individuals impact a community?

Students will find and discuss examples of philanthropy in poems and quotations. They will define and design statements on the theme of philanthropy using the poetic conventions of metaphor, simile and personification. These statements could be used as the text for greeting cards produced for The LEAGUE Valentine’s Day event.

Learners will realize the importance of American celebrations through philanthropic actions. They will be able to explain how cultures and experiences shape the lives of their community. Learners will be able to define and identify ethics and philanthropy and relate it to family experiences and others in their community. They will collect, organize and interpret data as to the frequency of philanthropic actions performed by their families and friends. Additionally, the learners will develop greater participation with the community to work toward the common good through philanthropic acts. (Although Lesson One of this unit uses the Fourth of July as the example of a national celebration, the lesson concepts are also applicable to other holidays such as Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, President's Day and Memorial Day.)

To stimulate the learners thinking concerning the reasons why they might give of their treasure and to have them consider these reasons in light of the impact of their giving upon the recipients of their giving.

Students will gain a basic understanding of philanthropy and associated vocabulary. They will recognize it in the lives of others in the school, community and beyond as well as recognize their own ability to be philanthropic. Students will gain a basic understanding of philanthropic character traits and apply them to their lives.

Students explore the legacy of George H. W. Bush and how he contributed to the common good as part of his lifelong commitment to service and through his Points of Light initiative. They compare and contrast the four economic sectors and how they meet needs differently. They write a persuasive piece about government philanthropy. They trace the impact of Bush's points of light speech through one organization and advocate for an issue that contributes to the common good.

Enduring Understanding: Students identify George H. W. Bush as the father of the modern service movement and identify philanthropy and the civil society sector as part of the fabric of the U.S. and democracy.

Learners will describe water as a scarce natural resource that is often polluted and made unusable. They will research local water sources, describing impairments that pollute water and brainstorm solutions.

Driving Question: How can students create positive change in our community?

This is a Project Based Learning (PBL) unit. The students individually identify a need in their community and research how a service-learning project could be beneficial. Students form small groups and create a layout of a service-learning project (including a budget and timeline). At the end of the unit they hold a "Service-Learning Expo," where the students present their projects. The participants vote on the best project, and the winning projects will be implemented by the class or school during the rest of the school year.

Students will identify “senior citizens” in history who are considered heroes. They will compare/contrast these heroes with heroes in their own community and lives. Students will describe the work of foundations and report on the work of local foundations. The learners will explore the idea that every individual can be a hero and contribute to the common good of the community.

This unit guides learners to gain awareness of the rich history of philanthropy in the United States, develop a working knowledge of the vocabulary associated with philanthropy, and demonstrate active citizen participation through service related to core democratic values.

 Learners will develop a working knowledge of the vocabulary associated with philanthropy and awareness of the rich history of philanthropy in the United States.

The learners will recognize and identify many of the causes of hunger and poverty in the world as well as in their community. They will demonstrate an understanding of ones responsibility to provide for the common good by appropriately responding to the needs of others, particularly those who are experiencing hunger and/or poverty in their community. 

Students will identify the differences between refugees and other migrants. They will determine the myriad of challenges refugees face in their daily lives. The learners will define and discuss examples of terms related to refugees and the common good. They will explore the refugee experience and recognize some of the causes and effects of being a refugee. Analyzing The Universal Declaration of Human Rights will offer them the opportunity to relate refugees and themselves to basic human rights and the concepts of enlighened self-interest and the common good.  They will define the words philanthropy and empathy and brainstorm ideas for acting philanthropically to addess the issues faced by refugees or others in need.  Students will also analyze the geographic changes and issues that may cause forced displacement. By using the Model United Nations format, they will create plans that could potentially help refugees.

Focus Questions: What are the present world events that are producing refugees? What sector(s) of society is responsible to address issues experienced by refugees?

During this unit, students will learn about refugees around the world. Using various forms of texts including video media, posters, advertisements, and essays, students will explore and reflect upon the experiences of refugees across the world. Students will learn who is a refugee, why and how people become refugees and what their lives are like before and after becoming refugees. They investigate needs of refugees and design a service project to address a need.
 

This unit is based on the philanthropic beliefs of three cultures (Europe, Africa, and North America) and their impact on the development of the tradition of philanthropy in the United States. The purpose of this unit is to help students gain an understanding and appreciation for the philanthropic contributions of three cultures of America.

Learners will become familiar with business, governmental, nonprofit and/or individual efforts to keep our water supply clean and promote the common good. Learners will describe water as a scarce natural resource that is often polluted and made unusable for consumers. They will describe philanthropic acts related to water which contribute to the common good and will research their local water sources, describing impairments that pollute water. Through art they will illustrate techniques for water conservation that everyone can use. They will analyze the characteristics necessary for those who participate in clean water volunteer efforts and will describe local clean water efforts.

The intent of this unit is to provide students the critical opportunity to become aware of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. The literature component, music, and other activities in this unit provide students opportunities to develop an educated and accurate outlook regarding people of different populations (impoverished, elderly, and mentally and/or physically challenged). In addition, students are affectively engaged to create an emotional framework upon which to build positive and meaningful direct service relationships.

Learners will understand how past contributions of American scientists have contributed to improving society. Learners will develop an understanding of the importance of participating in active citizenship and making contributions to society. The role of for profit and non-profit organizations, especially non-governmental organizations, in improving the common good will be researched.

How can youth make a difference in their country today?

This unit will help learners become more knowledgeable about the effects of pollution on air quality, while encouraging them to be responsible citizens by becoming stewards of the Earth and clean air. This unit will stimulate awareness of how air quality affects our life.  Learners will develop their advocacy skills while presenting information about air quality and creating Public Service Announcements encouraging others to be good stewards of the Earth by helping clean up the pollutants in the air.

Focus Question: How can each person become involved in action and advocacy to address the issue of air quality?
 

In this unit, students define bullying behavior and identify its effects on the individuals involved and the larger community. The students create a survey to collect and report on the perceived status of bullying at their school. Students learn about the different roles people take in the cycle of bullying. Rights and responsibilities of victims and bystanders form incentives for students to take action to build social capital and take action against bullying. The whole group carries out a plan and evaluates and presents the results of their action.

Students learn about and complete prewriting activities for three styles of writing: news stories, personal narratives, and persuasive essays. As they write and reflect, students increase their understanding of the impact of their philanthropy. They each write and publish one piece of writing as an act of advocacy to raise awareness of community needs and encourage active involvement in solutions. Stories may be published in print, weblog, podcast, or another form of media.

The purpose of this unit is to provide integrated learning using social studies and science concepts within the context of decision making regarding land use. Learners will understand that the well being of plants can be compared to the well being of our democracy since both depend on critical factors to determine whether they will flourish or perish. Subsequently, learners will have the opportunity to apply these concepts as they engage in decision making regarding private and public land use.

What are the critical factors to the well being of flowering plants and the well being of our democracy?

What are the consequences when we do not nurture plant life or do not nurture our democracy?

What are the considerations that influence our decisions regarding private and public land use?

Learners will examine the rights and responsibilities inherent in our democratic system of government by studying historical documents and the words of some famous American leaders. They will discuss the meaning of civic virtue and decide on their own role as responsible citizens. Through the use of literature, video and music, learners will reflect on what they themselves can do to make a difference in the world and to be responsible citizens. They will carry out a philanthropic service-learning project, cleaning up a local park. Their learning, readings and experiences will result in a reflective, five-paragraph essay. Finally, the learners will create a concrete, visual reflection of their learning and experience in the form of a mixed-media collage and a poem.

Focus questions:

• How do people in a democratic state use their rights to be responsible citizens by practicing the idea of civic virtue?
• Can a young person truly make a difference in our world?
• What words and images can express the learner’s emotional response to the service-learning project?
• How do these words and images reflect the learner’s role and value as a responsible citizen?

Learners will understand that others feel excluded by actual and implied barriers from groups to which others belong. They will describe why fears and prejudices develop between groups and learn ways to overcome the barriers between groups. Learners will discover that those who contribute to the common good are philanthropists and find out about persons in history who gave of their time, talent and treasure for the sake of others.

They will ask and discuss questions such as:

• Does belonging to a group ever become unhealthy?

• Do the labels we put on other people cause us to isolate ourselves?
• How do I feel if I break the barriers between myself and people in other groups?

Using historical persons, this lesson will emphasize the importance of working for the principles of justice, tolerance and equality to promote civil society. Students will explore the impact of historical figures who have influenced society through their philanthropic actions for the common good.

Water is an essential element for life on earth. We are constantly using and reusing the water we have and have a responsibility to preserve its quality. This unit directs students to study water conservation issues and to understand the role government(s), business and industry, the independent and family sectors play in preserving our water resources. The purpose of this unit is to enable students to distinguish between the roles of government, business, and the private sector in preserving our water resources.

This unit includes lessons about the water cycle, how the watershed works, pollutants of the watershed, uses of water and water as a nonrenewable resource. The unit is interdisciplinary with science, English, social studies and philanthropic components.  Scientific experiments and demonstrations are included in the lessons. Students take action through the political process by contacting local governmental agencies (DNR, contact state or U.S. Representatives) or by writing letters to the editor of a local newspaper concerning protecting their watershed.  

We are told to fill the earth and master it. (Genesis 1:28) How we understand and internalize the concept of ‘mastery’ determines the course of our lives, our impact on the people we influence and, ultimately, the fate of the planet.

Focus Questions:
How does G-d define success?
What does G-d expect of us?
What does G-d expect of me? And, how can I do it?

This unit provides learners with a traditional Jewish textual framework as well as a look at some contemporary work in the performance of tikun olam- the repair of the world. It also provides learners with an opportunity to plan a personal mitzvah project/”service plan”.

Focus Questions:
What is the relationship between G-d and humanity?
What does G-d expect of us?
For what are individuals responsible?
How can I demonstrate my responsibility through action?

Learners look at primary documents of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence to gain a sense of the purpose, motivations, and people of the founding documents. Through viewing, reading, quotations, and discussion, students explore the meaning of democracy and responsible citizenship. Students explore the impact of service and volunteerism in our democratic history. They write a personal statement of responsible citizenship and create a group presentation about the importance of taking action for the common good as democratic citizens. The demonstration will include writing and technology to communicate personal statements of advocacy as it relates to their roles as citizens.

Focus Question: What is our democratic responsibility for volunteering and serving for the common good?

A positive school climate is made up of people making choices about how to act and treat one another. Students survey the school population to identify what is going well and what needs improvement. Based on the results of the survey, the students design a service plan and make mascots using the engineering design method. The students carry out their service plan to promote a positive school climate, then reflect on its impact and demonstrate their service-learning process.

This lesson will develop the students' awareness of the issue of homelessness in the community.  With a better understanding of their community's issues/problems, in this case "homelessness", students will be able to more effectively and efficiently determine their role in addressing community needs.

Students develop understanding of the meaning of philanthropy and how it relates to them and the needs in their community. They create a photo journal presentation/poster showing the needs in their community. The students gain a background understanding of Habitat for Humanity as both a global and local organization. As advocates, they raise awareness of the issue of poverty and affordable housing in their community. Students compare costs of housing materials and learn about nonprofits. They plan a service project that addresses a need in their community.
 

Preserving local history through writing; giving students the opportunity to interact with older citizens, to share and record their stories, to discover the wealth of history in the town, and to develop in students pride and a sense of connection to the community.

In response to an activity involving unfair distribution of food, students explore what can be done to address the issue of child hunger in the United States. They conduct an investigation of hunger in the local community. Students join with a nonprofit organization and take action to address the issue of child hunger using the theme of "What Will You Bring to the Table?"

Focus Question: What is our responsibility to take action for the sake of children who are hungry?

The purpose of this unit is to introduce learners to the regions of the Earth that are considered deserts. They will explore why it is important to be good stewards of the land both world wide and locally. Learners will “adopt” an area around the school or community and take care of that area. The learners will practice stewardship of the land by adopting a public/common area in their community to care for.

Focus question: How are civic responsibility and the care of public lands related?
 

The purpose of this lesson is to explore the meaning of, and responsibility for, stewardship of natural resources. Students will investigate the effects, expected and unexpected, of human intervention on ecosystems involving water resources.

These lessons will increase the students' knowledge of the era of the Industrial Revolution and its impact on women. Four women were selected to represent the contributions of 19th century women toward social services: Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Clara Barton. At the conclusion of the unit, the students will organize a blood drive in the school in conjunction with the American Red Cross.

In this unit students explore the message of the South Asian Indian folktale "The Drum." In the folktale, a child shows repeated compassion when he recognizes the needs of others and shares his meager "capital." In this cross-curricular unit, the students rewrite the story as a ten-minute play; explore the economic concepts of capital, bartering, and goods and services; create a Public Service Announcement; explore how items can have little value to one person and great value to another; graph data; and design and carry out a service-learning project in which they share their capital with someone who will value it. As a final demonstration, students present their unit work with their peers, families, and the community. This unit covers several weeks. Many of the lessons can stand alone as a unit.

Focus Question: What different types of capital do we have that can be used to serve the common good?

The purpose of this unit is to expose learners to different types of energy sources that produce electricity. They will show how electricity is used, measured, recorded and calculated while exploring how basic energy conservation and energy efficiency choices can impact their family energy costs and reduce the amount of energy consumption.This unit will allow the learners to explore local governments and how to develop an action plan for a city to use alternative energy resources. Learners create a presentation as a form of advocacy.

Focus Question: Who in a community is responsibility for protecting the resources of the community?  Is it the elected officials, the individual, or both?