Learners will understand that for profit and non-profit organizations help bring about breakthroughs in modern science/medicine. These contributions to the common good require the support of philanthropists, large and small.

The learner will:

• identify and use key philanthropic terms.
• describe recent medical or scientific/technological breakthroughs and identify funding that made them possible.
• distinguish between the sectors of the economy and analyze how they contributed to medical breakthroughs.
• construct and interpret timelines of medical and scientific breakthroughs.

Anticipatory Set:

Put the word candy striper on the board. Ask the learners if anyone can identify this term. Explain that, in years past, candy stripers were volunteers who worked in hospitals. They got that name because they wore uniforms that were pink and white to distinguish them from the regular hospital staff. Ask if the learners can identify any others who volunteer in hospitals today.

• Place the following words on the board/overhead:
  
  
  • philanthropy: The giving of one’s time, talent or treasure for the sake of another, or for the common good; voluntary action for the public good.
  • common good: Involves individual citizens having the commitment and motivation to promote the welfare of the community (even if they must sacrifice their own time, personal preferences or money) to work together with other members for the greater benefit of all.
  • for profit organization: An organization that is in business to make money for its owners.
  • non-profit organization: An organization whose income is not used for the benefit or private gain of stockholders, directors or any other persons with an interest in the company.
  • foundation: An organization created from special funds from which the income is distributed as grants to not-for-profit organizations or, in some cases, to people.
  • scientific breakthrough: A long-awaited medical discovery which will contribute to humanity.

Go over the terms and ask for examples to make sure learners are familiar with the words. Explain that scientific breakthroughs are funded by the government, foundations, for profit organizations and non-profit organizations. Scientific breakthroughs benefit the common good. Those who contribute time, talent or funds to support scientific and medical breakthroughs are philanthropists, whether their contribution is large or small.

• Conduct a survey by asking the learners the following questions:

1. How many of you have heard of medical or scientific/technological breakthroughs?
2. Where have you heard about the breakthroughs? (television, radio, others, Internet, etc.)
3. What are some of the breakthroughs that you’ve heard about? Have your lives been affected by these breakthroughs?
4. What makes a scientific discovery or advancement a breakthrough in science?
5. How do scientific breakthroughs come about? (solving societal problems for the common good, etc.)
6. What are some of the components necessary for a breakthrough?

• Who creates "breakthroughs"? (scientists, professionals, everyday citizens with new ideas, etc.)
• What is necessary to create a breakthrough? (societal issue, medical problem, improvement in quality of life, equipment, new ideas, etc.)
• Where do breakthroughs happen? (research facilities, minds of people as new ideas, etc.)
• How do breakthroughs happen? Where does the money come from?
• Why do we as a society work so hard to make breakthroughs in science?
  
  
• Divide the learners into small groups of two or three. Distribute Recent Medical or Scientific Breakthroughs (Attachment One). Using the Internet, have the teams research three recent medical or scientific breakthroughs, recording their names, uses and how they were discovered and developed. When teams have completed their research, conduct a whole group sharing of the breakthroughs learners discovered in their research or have the teams post the information on the wall and have the class do a "walk about."
  
  
• Distribute Medical Breakthroughs Do Not Depend on the Federal Government (Attachment Two). Read the article together and list the sources of funding for those breakthroughs. Discuss all means of funding: for profit organizations (drug companies, for example), non-profit organizations (universities, hospitals, foundations, for example) or private donations from citizens (philanthropy). In what ways can citizens contribute to scientific or medical research? (time, talent, treasure)
  
  
• Distribute the homework assignment Show Me the Money! (Attachment Three). Go over the directions for spending the inheritance from Aunt Gertrude.
  
  
• We know that people are philanthropic to help society, make things better and other reasons. Ask the learners, "How did we come up with the idea of forming organizations to help or volunteer?" Explain that "giving" is a part of our country’s history. Using the Internet, tell the learners to access the Learning to Give Web site <http://learningtogive.org>. On the site, go to Resource Room, Timelines (Historic and Philanthropic). Review the Learning to Give timeline, noting organizations or groups that were created to help the common good. Ask learners to evaluate which organizations were most important in their eyes starting with 1775 and ending in 1900. On the chalkboard or overhead, invite the learners to create a new timeline featuring some of the recent medical/scientific breakthroughs they researched.
  
  
• Have the learners reflect on the lesson by writing in their journals. They should tie together the terms philanthropy, common good, for profit organization, non-profit organization, foundation and scientific breakthrough. They should add their point of view on the importance of philanthropy in medical and scientific breakthroughs.

Bring in a speaker from Community Foundation YAC (Youth Advisory Council) or SLYC (Service Learning Youth Council) to speak about how they come to decisions on allocating funds for philanthropic endeavors.