Learning to Give, Curriculum Division of The LEAGUE
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Unit Overview:
In a world of individuality, how can our children develop a sense of community? This unit uses multiple activities to help children gain an understanding of the various communities they belong to where people work, live and play together. Students learn that activities such as playing games can build "unity in the community."
Unit Purpose:
So many of our students see themselves as individuals and have not made connections to "community." Is there strength in uniting? How do children develop a sense of community? In this unit, students will begin to view their family, friends and school as a community where people live, work and play together for the common good. Students will explore game-playing as an activity to build community. As a culminating activity, host a family "Make-It, Take-It Night" where families make games and then are able to take their games home for continued "community building."
Unit Objectives:
The learner will:
- brainstorm ideas of things that he/she can accomplish better by working with others than by working alone.
- create a model of him/herself by identifying unique characteristics.
- write a complete sentence about what he/she does better with a family than alone.
- work with the rest of the class to solve a problem.
- cooperate with others to build trust and work for the common good.
- define a community through a vocabulary-building, concept-mapping exercise.
- evaluate writing for conventions, style and content.
- illustrate and list the members of his/her family community.
- state how a family or neighborhood is a community.
- identify people who are in his/her neighborhood community.
- identify characteristics of a friend.
- display good friendship skills through play.
- identify games played today.
- plot on a timeline the origin of some popular games.
- compare the cooperation involved in games of the past versus today’s games.
- teach games to another group of students in the school.
- discuss how games promote unity in the community.
- create three games with family members to take home.
- cooperate with family members in a community setting.
- communicate with family members and take turns with classmates.
Service Experience:
- Lesson Five: Playing Group Games from the Past – Students teach other students how to play some cooperative games, thus building a sense of community in the school.
- Lesson Six: Make-It, Take-It Family Night – The service learning component is a "Make-It, Take-It Family Night" which fosters community involvement as they work in a positive community setting, and promotes family togetherness as they make games to take home and play.
Unit Assessment:
- Lesson One: United We Are – Observe student participation in brainstorming and working together to solve a problem. Students’ sentences should articulate an activity that can be done better with a group than alone.
- Lesson Two: United We Stand – Student definition should include four key words and reflect an understanding of the meaning of community.
- Lesson Three: The Family as a Community – Assess students’ understanding of the concept through their drawings and participation in the discussions and development of the sentence.
- Lesson Four: Friends – Assess student comprehension of friendship skills in their responses to Attachment Two: A Friend Is . . . . . as well as how they behave toward each other in the game.
- Lesson Five: Playing Group Games from the Past – Observe the children to assess their use of cooperation when playing. Evaluate the students’ reflection drawings and writings for the child’s awareness and understanding of unity.
- Lesson Six: Make-It, Take-It Family Night – Families complete an evaluation form.
School/Home Connection:
"Copy-and-Paste" Class/School Newsletter Information Insert:
In a world of "us" versus "them," how can our children develop a sense of community? This unit uses multiple activities to help children gain an understanding of community as a place where people work, live and play together, and how these interactions can form "unity in the community." Watch for an invitation to a "Make-it, Take-it family night."Interactive Parent / Student Homework:
- Lesson One: United We Are – Complete the sentence starter and the model of their face with the help of families.
- Lesson Six: Make-It, Take-It Family Night –
Families come to school one evening to create games for future family game nights at home.
State Curriculum and Philanthropy Theme Frameworks:
See individual lessons for benchmark detail.
Lessons Developed and Piloted By:
Beth Glascock
Kalamazoo Public Schools
Spring Valley Elementary School
3530 Mount Olivet
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
Bob Fidler
Comstock Park Public Schools
Stoney Creek Elementary
Lantern Ave.
Comstock Park, MI 49321
Karen Wyatt
Jackson Public Schools
Cascades Elementary
1200 S. Wisner
Jackson, MI 49203
Melissa Nichols-Meyer
Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids
Saints Peter & Paul School
1433 Hamilton Ave., NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504-3226
Nicole Bays
Shelby Public Schools
New Era Elementary
2752 Hillcrest
New Era, MI 49446
Wendy Abbey
Pre-service Teacher
Grand Valley State University
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