Access Young People’s Power, Generosity, and Leadership in Response to Disaster
Learning to Give offers lessons that elementary, middle, and high school educators can use to explain the devastating impact of sudden catastrophic disaster anywhere in the world, and immediately engage students to take much needed “action for the common good.”
The Learning to Give lessons below will link young people with nationwide, grass-roots initiatives to form a thoughtful and effective response in the aftermath of disaster, as well as highlighting available information and resources.
Disaster Relief Lessons
Note to Educators: The following Disaster Relief lessons span grades K-5 and 6-12. Teachers may adapt the instructional procedures and lesson activities to the skill levels and ages of their specific students.
Disaster Relief – You Can Count on Me (K-2)
Disaster Relief – You Can Count on Me (3-5)
This lesson introduces learners to opportunities to respond to a natural disaster. The lesson explores vocabulary terms spend, saveand donate. The students learn the definition of philanthropy (giving time, talent and treasure, and taking action for the common good) as well as explore reasons why people choose to donate. As a class, they will discuss and sing the song "What is a Philanthropist?"
Focus Question: How can we be most helpful to the victims of a major disaster, such as a hurricane or earthquake?
Disaster Relief – Power, Generosity, and Leadership (6-8)Disaster Relief – Power, Generosity, and Leadership (9-12)
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?
Additional Resources
As you connect your children’s natural idealism and activism with a disaster relief effort, please access other helpful Learning to Give resources and materials that empower young people to make a difference in their schools, their communities and their world:
- Learning to Give Lesson Search Engine
(search on Key Words such as Disaster: Natural; Needs; Needs Assessment; Wants/Needs; Global Community; Global Issues) - Briefing Papers on Concepts, People and Organizations connected with philanthropy
Papers specifically related to Disaster Relief:
• Philanthropy in Response to a Major Disaster: Case Study of the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks
• Emergency Preparedness
• American Red Cross - Quotation Search Engine (search on Subjects such as Contribution, Giving, Helping, Service, Community and Interdependence or the Major Category of Philanthropy)