Learners will identify the ways citizens can become active participants in the community through political parties, interest groups, voting and providing public service. They will use the terminology of philanthropy and determine situations of need in the community to plan future service projects.

The learner will:

• compare and contrast the work of political parties and interest groups.
• describe how citizens can become active participants in their community, working to improve the common good.
• define and use the vocabulary of philanthropy when giving examples of experienced philanthropic acts.
• identify needs and service opportunities in the community through a survey.

Anticipatory Set:

Ask the learners to brainstorm a list of issues that they are concerned about in the country and community. Aside from voting, which most of them are not old enough to do, is there any way they can influence decision-makers about these issues?

• Explain that political parties usually take a stance on issues and pursue policies that fit their point of view. Yet, there is a way that non-politicians can influence public policy. That is through the formation of interest groups, also known as pressure groups.

Political parties:

• nominate candidates for office and try to win elections to gain control of government.
• are broad-based and seek to gain members with many points of view. They must be concerned with the problems of all Americans, not just certain groups.

Interest groups:

• influence government officials to support certain policies. They may support candidates who favor their ideas, but they do not nominate candidates for office.
• usually are concerned with only a few issues or specific problems. They do not try to gain members with different points of view.
• are organized on the basis of common values, rather than from geographic location.

• Ask the learners for examples of interest groups (labor unions, business groups, senior citizens’ organizations, religious groups, environmental interest groups, public interest groups, etc.). Ask why an interest group has more influence than one individual who wishes to get an idea across. Is it possible for one person to support more than one interest group at a time?
  
  
• Explain that interest groups get their point across in the following ways:
• lobbying: making direct contact with lawmakers or other government leaders to try to influence government policy. Persons who represent special interest groups are called lobbyists.
• media campaigns: using the mass media, including television, newspapers, magazines, radio to inform the public and create support for their views.
• letter writing: interest groups urge their members to write letters to government officials to show support for or against a public policy.
  
  
• In what other ways can citizens support their communities? (vote, assist with campaigns, remain informed on what is going on in the community, volunteer with other citizens to help improve the community)
  
  
• Put the term philanthropy on the chalkboard. Ask for definitions from the learners. When they have given their responses, define it as "the giving of one’s time, talent or treasure for the sake of another, or for the common good." Other definitions include: voluntary action for the public good, voluntary giving, voluntary service and voluntary association, primarily for the benefit of others. Define and ask for examples of the following terms to make sure they are clear in the learners’ minds: service, time, talent, treasure, common good, volunteer. See Definitions (Attachment One).
  
  
• Give the learners colored drawing utensils and an 11" x 8.5" sheet of heavy paper that they will fold vertically. On one inside half have the learners draw a scene representing an occasion when they gave to someone else. On the other inside half draw a scene representing a time when they received the benefits of another’s giving. Let the learners then share and explain their drawings with others.
  
  
• Explain that the class will perform a service project to improve the common good of the community. Before doing the project, it will be important to complete a survey to determine the need. Obtain a current map of your school community. Locate your school on the map and draw a circle of one mile radius around it. Divide the learners into small groups. Divide the map circle into "pie" pieces to match the number of areas you will search or the number of groups of students to be sent out.
  
  
• Brainstorm a list of key neighborhood individuals (mayor, religious leaders, service club officers, fire chief, etc.) who can help determine potential service opportunities. The above individuals can be invited to meet with the class or learner groups about potential service opportunities.
  
  
• Approximately one week before the survey, give each group one piece of the pie and enough Survey Announcement Flyers (Attachment Two) for their sector. Have the learners distribute flyers to extended family and other adults of their acquaintance in their sector. The date of the survey may also be announced in the media.
  
  
• On the announced day, each group should be given enough Service Opportunity Profile Worksheets (Attachment Three) so that each member of the group has some. Give each group a set amount of time (an hour, a class period, etc.) to search their portion of the community looking for opportunities for cleanup, recycling, repair, visitation, child care, beautification, etc. Learners should be encouraged to be considerate of personal privacy desires of those contacted. Some people may not wish to be included. Learners should not make promises about what might be done. They should record information for those who wish to be served. For public property, record the address and later determine appropriate contact persons. Mark the maps with the locations of clients.
  
  
• After the allotted time has passed, learners should return to the classroom and share the information. Locations should be marked on a master map. Generate a list of project ideas from group surveys.
  
  
• As a wrap-up, pair up the learners. Let learner "A" explain to learner "B" how citizens can be active in their communities. Let learner "B" explain to learner "A" what kinds of opportunities are available in the community for youth participation in the betterment of their communities.

Interactive Parent / Student Homework:
Learners are encouraged to ask their parents when they have given and received time, talents or treasure. Learners may use their parents and extended families as resources to assist them in reaching out to find community needs.