Learning to Give, Philanthropy education resources that teach giving and civic engagement
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Purpose:
Duration:
One to Two Fifty-Minute Class Periods
Objectives:
The learner will:
- describe how former President Jimmy Carter's actions constitute an example of philanthropy by creating solutions for local and international problems.
- distinguish between various existing volunteer groups and trace the history of volunteering in American democracy.
- formulate ways to address local and world problems.
Materials:
- Background Notes to the Teacher Attachment One
- Interview with Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States (1977-81) Attachment Two
- Who Influenced Jimmy Carter? Attachment Three
- What is the Carter Center? Attachment Four
- On the local level Attachment Five
- Talking Peace: A Vision for the Next Generation Attachment Six
- Large sheets of paper for presentations
- Alternative Assessment See Assessment Section and Attachment Seven
Instructional Procedure(s):
Anticipatory Set:
Ask the students if they have ever heard of the word "philanthropy"? What is philanthropy? (Philanthropy can be defined as the giving of one's time, talents or resources to help others.) Our history is rich in the philanthropic tradition. Remind students that in the last lesson they chose philanthropic activities that they would be interested in. Ask if they remember what some of those were. Refer to the list that a student copied of those results. Tell the students that:
- Former President Jimmy Carter has been active in public life for over three decades and continues to act in the philanthropic tradition. Many action groups of volunteers have developed over this time. Use the Background Notes to go over some of these with the class. Ask how have these voluntary efforts strengthened democratic institutions? Remind students that half of the class read about this as a homework assignment. Possible answers might include taking action to solve a problem or meet a need.
- Ask students who read the other reading to answer the question, how is civic involvement seen as important to a successful and fulfilling life? A possible answer might include people should help those less fortunate. Citizens also describe the strong personal satisfactions they gain from voluntary effort, see voluntary involvements as a central way to express their religious beliefs and values, appreciate the opportunity afforded by civic effort to give back to society some of the benefits they have received, and see voluntary efforts as a way to serve as examples and role models. Civic and community activities serve many purposes. Volunteers' main goals include interest in increasing opportunities for others; protecting the environment; and improving the cultural life of communities. Ask students on a continuum from no understanding to great understanding about voluntary efforts strengthening democratic institutions over the course of American history and how civic involvement is important to a successful and fulfilling life. Explain that understanding will become clearer as they learn more about Jimmy Carter.
- Divide the class into five groups, one group for each of Attachments Two through Six. Have each student in a group read their material, pull out the essential points and in their own words write them down. Ask for at least five summary statements. Next they should meet as groups and prepare a presentation for the class about at least five of the essential points of what they read. They should use large sheets of paper with key words, phrases or illustrations that would also enhance their presentations.
- Post these papers.
- Ask students the following:
- How does Jimmy Carter show that he is a citizen who creates solutions for local and international problems?
- Name some existing volunteer groups that are examples of philanthropy in America.
- What are some ways to address local and world problems?
Assessment:
Ask each student to write a one-paragraph summary of the unit or see optional assessment at the end of the lesson. The summary paragraph should include the following:
- How did Jimmy Carter act as a volunteer?
- What role have volunteer groups played in our history?
- What are some ways to address current local and world problems?
| Evaluation Rubric | |
| 4 | the paragraph includes all three topics and shows deep understanding |
| 3 | the paragraph includes all three topics |
| 2 | the paragraph includes two of the topics |
| 1 | the paragraph includes one of the topics |
| 0 | no attempt |
Alternative Assessment: Divide students into groups of three or five. Give students Attachment Seven: Alternative Assessment, one to a group. Have students interpret how Jimmy Carter's career relates to each of the quotations. Or students may choose one from the three and write responses individually.
Each group should have a recorder to record their thoughts and reactions. After 5-7 minutes each group should have a reporter report their thoughts and reactions to the class. Tell the class that you will be evaluating them by the following guidelines:
| Evaluation Rubric for the Group Work: | |
| 4 | evidence that all participated in the group discussion, response includes examples from the lessons on Carter and philanthropy, response shows deep understanding of the issue |
| 3 | evidence that all participated in the group discussion, response includes at least one example from the lessons on Carter and philanthropy, response shows understanding of the issue |
| 2 | evidence that most participated in the group discussion, response shows understanding of the issue |
| 1 | little participation in the group discussion, response shows little understanding of the issue. |
| 0 | no attempt |
| Evaluation Rubric for Individual Written Responses: | |
| 4 | the essay includes examples from the lessons on Carter and philanthropy, shows deep understanding of the issue |
| 3 | the essay includes at least one example from the lessons on Carter and philanthropy, shows understanding of the issue |
| 2 | the essay shows understanding of the issue |
| 1 | the essay shows little understanding of the issue. |
| 0 | no attempt |
Cross-Curriculum Extensions:
The Carter Center's Web site provides extensive connections to scores of other organizations in this country with ties to human rights and other global issues. As an extension activity, have students visit the site of the Carter Center http://www.cartercenter.org/default.asp?bFlash=True and use it to visit another site concerned with a specific global (or other) issue. Have students selecting similar topics report on information they have gained in joint presentations.
Bibliographical References:
- Carter, Jimmy. Talking Peace A Vision for the Next Generation
- Bahmueller, Charles F., ed. Civitas: A Framework for Civic Education. Center for Civic Education, Calabasas, CA, 1991
- Carter, Jimmy. Talking Peace: A Vision for the Next Generation.
- Carter, Jimmy. Scholastic Update (Dec.3, 1993), p. 14.
- Ellis, Susan J., and Katherine H. Noyes. By The People: A History of Americans as Volunteers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1990.
- http://www.civnet.org/
http://www.cartercenter.org/default.asp?bFlash=True
Lesson Developed By:
Cythia MilesMt. Pleasant Public Schools
Mt. Pleasant High School
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
Handouts:
Handout 1Print Handout 1
Background Notes To the Teacher:
Carter has been active in public life for over three decades. Many action groups have developed over this time.For example:
1970s
1980-1990
1990-today
Handout 2Print Handout 2
Interview with Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States (1977-81)
Scholastic Update, Dec. 3, 1993, p. 14.
Q. Do young people have a role to play in the struggle for human rights?
A. I think so. I remember the leaders of our country didn't want to get out of Vietnam, but the young people said we've got to get out and they changed the policy of our country. In the South where I lived, we had official racial segregation. It was the young people who said the law needs to be changed, and it was changed. Young people saw our environment being destroyed. So young people got together and organized Earth Day. And out of that came laws that have made our nation a much cleaner and better place to live. That was all young people. It wasn't adults, it wasn't the President in the White House or members of Congress; it was young people.
Q. What can young people do to effect change?
A. They should look around their own neighborhoods and see what rights of people are being violated. Human rights abuse isn't just something that happens in foreign countries. Are there any hungry people they know? Are there any homeless people?
The more that young people can apply the idea of human rights in their own life, in their own home, in their own classroom, the more they can grow into an understanding of human rights on a global scale.
Handout 3Print Handout 3
Who Influenced Jimmy Carter?
"More than anyone else, my mother made me see the inequalities around us. She was a registered nurse living out on a farm near Plains, Georgia, during the Great Depression, and was often called upon to help poverty-stricken neighbors, both black and white, when there was no medical doctor. She worked as a nurse for as many as twenty hours a day, often for little or no pay, without regard to her patients' race or social status. My mother's quiet service to others, regardless of their race or social position, was a good lesson for me. Later as a submarine officer, I was influenced by the policies of President Harry Truman, who sought to abolish racial discrimination in the United States armed forces." (Carter, Talking Peace, p. 24.)
Handout 4Print Handout 4
What is the Carter Center?
The Carter Center was built instead of the usual Presidential Library. It was started two years after Jimmy Carter retired from the presidency. The site is ironically built on a hill from which Union General Sherman once surveyed Atlanta's destruction by his troops.Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter founded the Carter Center in 1982. They envisioned it as a place where people could come together to resolve their differences and solve problems. The Center has also initiated programs in democracy and development, human rights, global health, and urban revitalization to address the issues that cause discord. The Center has touched the lives of people in at least 65 countries for forming partnerships and fostering collaboration among individuals, other non-governmental organizations, official agencies, and corporations. By coordinating resources and avoiding duplication of efforts, the Center is helping nations and individuals remove the obstacles that negatively affect their quality of life.
The Carter Center identifies creative ways to address problems that impact the most vulnerable people--those who have access to the fewest resources. Then they seek partners to implement solutions that achieve lasting improvements. The Center is nonpartisan, so it can step in where governments and other agencies cannot go and mobilize world leaders and other eminent people to effect change. For example, areas that the Carter Center has worked in include:
- Monitoring world conflicts
- Observing elections in about a dozen countries
- Organizing a joint initiative in the region including Tanzania, Uganda and Zaire to end the violence in the area
- Undertook peace missions in North Korea, Haiti, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Sudan
- Initiated a new development aid strategy with Guyana
- Helped more than 200,000 farm families in Ethiopia and other African nations to increase grain production
- Provided strategies to advance freedom of the press in newly emerging democracies.
- In addition, to improve health in the developing world, the Carter Center is leading an international campaign that has reduced cases of Guinea worm disease by 97 percent and is helping facilitate distribution of a drug to treat and prevent river blindness in Africa and Latin America.
- It is a partner with the Task Force for Child Survival and Development, which works to protect children worldwide against preventable diseases such as measles and polio.
Handout 5Print Handout 5
On the Local Level
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter have launched grass-roots initiatives in needy neighborhoods through The Atlanta Project.For example:
- A national pilot program that makes applying for social services faster and more cost effective
- A computerized registry to ensure that children stay healthy through timely, proper immunizations, and a "passport" for parents to record vital health and safety information about their children.
- Educating the public about mental illnesses and reducing the stigma associated with these diseases.
Recent projects in the United States also include
- Launching the Atlanta Project (TAP), a grass-roots effort to address the social problems associated with urban poverty by focusing on children and families.
- The program, The America Project, shares TAP's experience with cities and towns nationwide.
- Establishing a network of faith groups in major U.S. cities to promote preventive health care in their communities.
- Developing a national strategy to eliminate the epidemic of children killed by guns-the leading cause of death among children and youth under age 24.
Handout 6Print Handout 6
Talking Peace: A Vision for the Next Generation
Each of us has unique interests, skills, and talents, and it is when we act from our hearts, with our minds, through our hands that we are most satisfied and effective. Choose one issue that interests you, figure out how much time you want to devote, and get involved. If you like talking, maybe you can work on a teen hot line. If you like to write, perhaps you can create a community news column for your school paper. If you like to be physically active, perhaps you can get involved in a building project for the homeless. If no organized activities in your neighborhood appeal to you, recruit some friends and start a committee of your own!Here are a few ideas that are more specific.
Conflict
Food, Shelter, and Health
Environment
Human Rights
Mediation
Elections
Cities
Handout 7Print Handout 7
Alternative Assessment
“Where everyman is…participator in the government of affairs, not merely at an election one day in the year but every day…he will let the heart be torn out of his body sooner than his power be wrested from him by a Caesar or a Bonaparte.”
Thomas Jefferson (1816)
Americans of all ages, all stations in life, and all types of disposition are forever forming associations…at the head of any new undertaking, where in France you would find the government or in England some territorial magnate, in the United Sates you are sure to find an association.
Alexis De Tocqueville (1831)
A poll in the young adult philanthropy magazine, Who Cares, reveals the X'ers (generation) are well aware that older generations view them as "lazy" and "unfocused." But in stark contrast, many see themselves as the "clean-up crew of previous generations,: here to guide their younger siblings, recreate communities, repair the environment, and focus national agendas on the issues that really matter--education, health care, crime and pollution. …X'ers are realizing that nothing will change until people start working at the grassroots level.
Tracey C., Rembert, E. The Environmental Magazine , Sept/Oct 1997, p. 4)
Additional Assessments :
- Include a question about this lesson in a unit test, such as: “Name two projects that the Carter Peace Center has worked on,” or “What role does philanthropy play in American life?”
- Using a mental map of the Carter Peace Center, create a map on paper that includes at least five activities that have occurred as a result of the Peace Center. Use the following performance task list:
- The map has a title that conveys the purpose or theme that is clear.
- The Carter Peace Center should occupy the middle of the map.
- The selected activities are clear and include specific information. They circle or connect to the Carter Peace Center.
- The map is clear and neat with few mechanical mistakes.
Unit Contents:
Overview:Using the Carter Center as an Example of Philanthropy Today—Local and Global Volunteerism Summary
Lessons:
- 1.
- Think Locally, Act Globally or Think Globally, Act Locally?
- 2.
- Jimmy Carter—Responsible Citizen
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