Learning to Give, Philanthropy education resources that teach giving and civic engagement
generationOn
Unit Overview:
Students explore a variety of community connections and find ways to contribute their time, talent, and/or treasure in related ways. They make connections with community nonprofits, elderly people, and Nobel Peace Prize winners in the global community.
Unit Purpose:
Students research and respond in a variety of interactive situations to uncover the actions that produce and encourage participation in the greater society.
Focus Question: What past philanthropic actions by individuals and organizations influence youth to be part of the community?
Unit Objectives:
The learner will:
- define philanthropy from an inexperienced initial perspective.
- recognize that all people can be philanthropic heroes
- list three examples of simple acts of philanthropy.
- list three community resources that work to improve the community’s common good.
- research the purpose and history of a community organization.
- redefine philanthropy from their more experienced perspective, evaluating how the definition has changed.
- reflect on the meaning of a hometown (philanthropic) hero.
- use a decision-making model to choose a local organization to work with.
- make a plan to carry out a service project with the local organization.
- keep a journal with reflections on the progress of the service project.
- make contact with and interview an elderly person who has contributed to and/or volunteered in the community.
- compare interview notes with other students concerning the different types of philanthropy represented.
- invite the elderly friend to an event at school.
- identify the reason one person received the Nobel Peace Prize.
- reflect on how this act affected our global community.
- express an opinion on whether the act was an act of philanthropy.
Service Experience:
Lesson Two: Pathway to Philanthropy: The class plans and carries out a service project to support a local nonprofit organization of their choosing.
Lesson Three: Something Beautiful This Way Comes: Students make a connection about the common purpose between youth and the elderly in the community. By using the interview process, students learn about the contributions of people from a different generation. At a celebratory gathering, the students and their guests may work together to create something beautiful.
Lesson Four: Philanthropic Peacemakers: Students will display their presentations at a family night, sharing their knowledge with our school family.
Students will display their presentations at a family night, sharing their knowledge with our school family.
Unit Assessment:
Assess student writing in the journals. They should have completed all the assignments thoroughly and demonstrated thoughtfulness in the process. See rubric in Lesson One: The Puzzle of Philanthropy.
Assess student participation in the service project of Lesson Two: Pathway to Philanthropy. Are they showing enthusiasm and adding their creative energy? Are they supporting each other? Does their journal writing reflect understanding of the project and its outcomes in the community?
Lesson Three, Something Beautiful This Way Comes: Assess students’ Venn diagrams and reflective writing for their understanding of the connections between themselves and other people in the community.
Lesson Four: Philanthropic Peacemakers: Assess student display projects using the guidelines in Attachment One. Assess students’ reflective writing on the focus question.
School/Home Connection:
"Cut-and-Paste" Class/School Newsletter Information Insert:
Our classroom is exploring community connections this month. Students discover their connections to a variety of communities to which they belong. Our local community has many nonprofit organizations which work to bring programs and resources to the people of the local community. Our neighborhood and family communities include elderly people who have made contributions to their community. And the global community includes Nobel Peace Prize winners who have made significant contributions. Students will recognize that they can and should make contributions to the many communities that sustain and support them.
Interactive Parent / Student Homework:
- Lesson One: The Puzzle of Philanthropy: Students will interview parents, grandparents, or other significant adult regarding the support of local organizations that are philanthropic and/or local people who serve as heroes of the community through their service to others for which they do not receive payment.
- Lesson Two: Pathway to Philanthropy: Students invite their families to participate in the final demonstration of their service project.
- Lesson Three: See Attachment Two, Lesson Three: Philanthropy Interview. Students make contact from home with an elderly person in the community. They will need parent help to make the contact.
- Lesson Four: Philanthropic Peacemakers: After Day One, have the students survey their parents to see how many Nobel Peace Prize winners they can name. Have the students write the names given by their parents on a sheet of paper and bring to class to share. Families may look up previous winners so students may come to school prepared to choose a favorite.
Notes for Teaching:
Books may be obtained through inter-library loan instead of purchasing them for classroom usage.
State Curriculum and Philanthropy Theme Frameworks:
See individual lessons for benchmark detail.
Lessons Developed By:
JoAnn Lloyd
Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo
St. Charles Borromeo Elementary School
79 Harrison St.
Coldwater, MI 49036
Karen Detweiler
Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo
St. Charles Borromeo Elementary School
79 Harrison St.
Coldwater, MI 49036
Lisa Dirkse
Fruitport Community Schools
Edgewood Elementary
3255 Pontaluna
Fruitport, MI 49415
Lynda Richter
Palo Community Schools
Palo Elementary/Middle School
PO Box 338
Palo, MI 48870
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely use this information for nonprofit (noncommercial), educational purposes only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.
