Learning to Give, Philanthropy education resources that teach giving and civic engagement
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Purpose:
Students learn the meaning of the word philanthropy and identify examples of philanthropy in their home, school and community.
Duration:
Two Forty-Five Minute Class Periods
Objectives:
The learner will:
define philanthropy as the giving of time, talent or treasure for the common good.
distinguish between examples of time, talent and treasure in learner’s own experience.
name at least one philanthropic activity that is currently occurring in home, school or community.
design a poster to communicate the meaning and impact of philanthropy.
Service Experience:
Students create posters defining and giving examples of philanthropy in order to raise awareness in the school community of philanthropy and its benefits.
Materials:
-
Chicken Soup for Little Souls: The Best Night Out with Dad (see Bibliographical References)
-
What Is Philanthropy (Attachment One)
Instructional Procedure(s):
Anticipatory Set:
Show the cover of the book Chicken Soup for Little Souls: The Best Night Out with Dad. Before reading, tell the students that one person in this story is a philanthropist. Tell them that when you have finished reading, you will ask the students to decide who is a philanthropist and what that means. (If the students don’t have any prior knowledge of philanthropy, you may wish to hint that a philanthropist does something positive.) Read the story aloud. Ask the students to predict which character is a philanthropist and explain their answers.
- Discuss the selfless act of the boy who gave his circus tickets to the other boy. Do any of the children believe they could have given the tickets? Did the boy who played basketball really mean it when he said it was the best night out with Dad? What made it so special? What did he have to give up (opportunity cost)? What did he get out of it (reasons for giving)? Was it worth it?
- Define philanthropy as the giving or sharing of time, talent or treasure for the common good. Discuss whether the boy gave his time, talent or treasure to the other boy. Encourage the students to share stories of acts of philanthropy they have observed or participated in. (Challenge them to think of examples at home, in the neighborhood, at school and in the community.)
- Brainstorm a list of things the class feels they have to share with others. Write the students’ ideas in lists under the headings: Time, Treasure and Talent. With the class’ help, put stars by the items that seem most appropriate to carry out. Discuss with the students the effect of sharing some of these things with others in the home, neighborhood, school or community.
- Assign students the task of creating a poster that communicates to others the meaning of philanthropy and gives an example of something that students can do for the common good. (Students may work alone or in pairs to complete the assignment.) See Assessment for poster details. Hang the posters around the school to promote the idea of philanthropy within the school community.
Assessment:
A poster with the highest point value should include the following elements:
Clear and concise title
Definition of philanthropy
Example of philanthropy that is accessible to students
Illustration
Neat handwriting
Communicates benefits of philanthropy to community (through text or picture)
School/Home Connection:
-
Interactive Parent / Student Homework:
Students bring home the homework assignment to work on with families. See Attachment One: What Is Philanthropy? They communicate with their families what they learned about philanthropy in today’s lesson.
Cross-Curriculum Extensions:
Writing: Have students write about favorite things to do with a special grown-up.
Math: Search on the Internet to find out how much tickets to a circus would cost.
Bibliographical References:
- McCourt, Lisa. Chicken Soup for Little Souls: The Best Night Out with Dad. Health Communications, Inc., 1997. ISBN: 155745084
Lesson Developed By:
Jennifer O'TooleBuchanan Community Schools
Moccasin Elementary School
Buchanan, MI 49107
Handouts:
Handout 1Print Handout 1
What Is Philanthropy?
Dear Families,
We are learning about philanthropists. Please ask your student to explain what that means.
Then work with the student to complete this homework.
Today we read a story about a boy who was a philanthropist. What selfless thing did he do for
someone else? _____________________________________________________________
What three things does a philanthropist give or share for the common good?
______________________ ______________________
_____________________
Write about a time that your family (or someone in your family) did something selfless
for someone else.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
How did it make the family feel?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Make a plan to do kind things for the people in your family. How do you think the
people in your family will react to the act of kindness?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Describe your plan:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Unit Contents:
Overview:Why Do People Give? Summary
Lessons:
- 1.
- Philanthropy — What Is It?
- 2.
- Artists Giving Back
- 3.
- Celebrity Philanthropists
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely use this information for nonprofit (noncommercial), educational purposes only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.
