These Learning Links provide ten quick-and-easy, five-minute mini-lessons to promote student thought and dialogue about service and civic engagement. You may use as many of them as you wish, and in whatever order best meets your needs and the interest of your students. The purpose of these mini-lessons is to provide a deeper understanding of philanthropy (the giving of time, talent, and treasure for the common good) and to reinforce the lesson focus. These Learning Links also promote the development of character traits, civic engagement, and student leadership. As appropriate to your grade level, it is recommended that students play an active leadership role in presenting these mini-lessons to their classmates. 

1. READ: Shara was walking home after school. She noticed a dog limping on one of its back legs. She thought that had been injured. It was. When she got home she told her mother about the dog. “What should we do?” she asked her mother. Shara already had a pet. It was Clara the cat. She knew that she would not be able to take the dog home and nurse it back to health. Shara’s mom told her that there were people who help injured animals. She suggested that Shara call the Humane Society. They take care of animals. While her mother held the phone book, Shara dialed the number. When someone answered, Shara told her about the dog. The Humane Society thanked her. They told her that they would take care of it.
   A couple of days later mother was reading the newspaper. In it was a letter written by a Mrs. Foster. In the letter Mrs. Foster told how she wanted to thank whomever it was that took the time to call about her dog. “It may seem like a little thing to a lot of people,” she wrote, “but my dog is my eyes.” She went on to explain that “Bowser” was a Seeing Eye dog. He helped her move about her house and around town. “Apparently when I let him outside he injured himself. I think he knew that I wouldn’t be able to see what was wrong so he went looking for a kind soul to help him. I’m so glad he found someone who cared.” 
   DISCUSS: Animals share our Earth. They are important. In what way was “Bowser” especially important? For ourEarth Dayevent we are looking for ways to help make our Earth better and safer for all. Why do you think Shara took the time to help “Bowser”? Why do think Mrs. Foster was so appreciative of the little thing that Shara did? Sometimes we do nice things that people don’t know we do. How do you think Shara felt after her mother read her the letter in the newspaper?
2. READ: He was so excited! Four weeks ago Alex had taken his training wheels off his bike. His dad and brother were taking turns helping him ride his bike without training wheels. Just last week, he started to get the hang of it. Today was the first day that he actually rode all the way around the block all by himself!
   “Now I can help save gas!’ he exclaimed running into the house to tell his mother.
   “Save gas?” his mother asked looking confused. “What do you mean, save gas?”
   “Well, I hear you and dad talk about the high price of gas. In class this week we are talking about ways we can help save our natural resources. Riding a bike to where you want to go rather than have your family take you places in the car is one way to save natural resources like gas,” Alex explained.
   “I see.” said his mother smiling at Alex.
   DISCUSS: Did you know that every time you are able to safely ride your bike somewhere rather than have your family take you in a car you are taking good care of the Earth? What are some safe places you can ride your bike to rather than be driven there? During our Earth Day event we might be asked for other ideas how we can take good care of the Earth. What ideas do you have to take good care of the Earth? Why do you think Alex’s mother smiled at him after he explained how he could save gas?
3. READ: On some school days, in some places boys and girls are not allowed to play out-of-doors at recess time. It’s not because it is raining or snowing. It’s not because it’s too cold or too hot. It’s because of pollution. City officials in that area have declared the day to be an Ozone Day. An Ozone Day is a day when the air is considered too polluted to breathe for long periods of time. Fumes from trucks and cars, factories and fires, and even from our own homes are trapped closer to the ground on warmer days making the air unsafe to breathe for long periods of time. The boys and girls in Ms. Gibbs class don’t like loosing their recess on ozone days. They asked Ms. Gibbs what they could do about it. Ms. Gibbs suggested that they write a letter to the newspaper. The letter could tell the people who read the letter how they felt about having to lose their recess because of the pollution. “What good will that do?” Josh asked. “Maybe more good than you can even imagine,” Ms Gibbs told him.
   DISCUSS: How would you feel about not being able to go out-of-doors because the air was not safe to breathe? How do you think a letter written by the class might help? As a part of our Earth Day event are there people we could write a letter to asking them to help us make our Earth a better place to work and play?
4. READ: The students in Mr. Andrew’s first grade class were asked to help him list all the ways adults could help the environment to be better, cleaner, safer, and healthier for everyone. The students were eager to respond. They can stop throwing trash out the window of their cars. They can pick up junk in their yards. They can recycle their cans and bottles. They can ride their bikes instead of drive cars everywhere. They can turn out the lights in a room that they are not in. They can use less water when they shower. They can not put bad stuff down the drains. They can be careful not to step on plants and insects. They can be kind to animals. Mr. Andrew had to stop the class. He was afraid that they would go on forever with this list. The students were sure that the problems in the environment where all the fault of adults.
   Then Mr. Andrew changed the question. “Help me list all the ways that we as first graders can help our environment to be better, cleaner, safer, and healthier for everyone,” he said. There was silence for just a minute. Then one by one the students started to repeat what they had told Mr. Andrew to write down about what adults could do.
   DISCUSS: Why do you think these students said that they could do the same things that adults could do to help our environment be better, cleaner, safer, and healthier for everyone? What things are we doing for our Earth Day event that adults could also do? Do you think that if some adults saw us doing things to help our environment be better, cleaner, safer, and healthier for everyone that they would want to help us?
5. READ: Stephanie wanted to help her class during their Earth Day event. The class had chosen as their project to pick up the litter along the stream that ran through town. They also hoped to have enough time left to plant some spring flowers in the school courtyard. The class was very excited. They wanted to begin work right away. But they had to wait until Saturday. It was decided that they would all meet together in the school parking lot. They would all go down to the stream together. Everyone was excited but Stephanie. She knew that she would not be able to pick up litter along the stream. She also knew that she would not be able to plant flowers. Her wheelchair would not allow her to go along the stream. And planting flowers would be hard because she couldn’t dig in the ground. The students all wanted her to join them, anyway. “After all, we are a team,” they said. “It’s important to have as many kids helping out as possible.” They decided to have Stephanie record the types of litter they collected. She could stay on the sidewalk with a clip board and check off the litter items that the workers would call up to her. If they had time to plant flowers, she could help them decide where to plant them.
   DISCUSS: Can you think of others ways that Stephanie could be of help during her class’s Earth Day event project? Why is it important to have as many kids helping out as possible? How might the litter information that Stephanie records be of help to anyone? What can we do to make everyone feel they are needed?
6. READ: When some of your parents were younger than you are now the very first Earth Day was celebrated. Before that time many people were not taking care of the Earth. Some people decided to do something about it. They decided to get together and try to convince the people who make laws to understand that our Earth needed help. Laws were needed to make people and companies keep our environment clean. The lawmakers listened. Laws were soon passed. These laws required factories and businesses to control their air pollution. Laws were passes to help keep our water sources clean. Today, Earth Day is celebrated all across the world.
   DISCUSS: Why do you think we need laws to help make people take care of the Earth? Should Earth Day be celebrated just once a year?How are we hopingthat ourEarth Day event will help make our environment cleaner?
   http://holidays.kaboose.com/earthday-history.html
7. READ: One day the animals in the forest were talking.
   “I hear that Mr. Raccoon is not feeling well. I guess he ate some people food someone left by his tree,” said Mr. Owl.
   “Yes, and I heard that Mrs. Fox got sick after swallowing a piece of a burger wrapping.” Mrs. Weasel added.
   “I heard that an entire school of fish had to be sent home after drinking some bad water,” said Mrs. Squirrel.
   “What’s happening to our world?” they all said.
   DISCUSS: What is happening to their world? Is the same thing happening to our world? What can we do about it? How is our Earth Day event helping make their world and our world a safer and cleaner place to live?
8. READ: Frog loved to hop from lily pad to lily pad in the blue-green pond. Turtle loved to sit on a log. Swimmy loved to splash in the water. Their pond was a happy place. One day some people came to the pond. They threw stones into the pond. Frog, Turtle, and Swimmy looked for places to hide. Then the people threw in sticks. When they couldn’t find any more sticks, they threw in bottles and cans. They even threw in an old tire. The gray pond was not a happy place to live anymore.
   DISCUSS: If we’re not careful with our trash, our community may become an unhappy place to live. What can we do during our Earth Day event to help our school stay a happy place? What are some things we can do every day to help keep our playground clean and safe?
9. READ: Terra left school at the end of the day. She saw that someone had stepped on the flowers by the front door. She felt sad. The flowers were beautiful. Terra tried her best to replant the flowers. She hoped that they would grow again.
   DISCUSS: Why do you think someone would step on pretty flowers? Why do you think Terra tried to replant the flowers? Was this a good thing to do? What good things are we planning for our Earth Day event to make our world prettier?
10. READ: One chair has four good legs. Another chair has four legs but two of them are broken. Which one would be better to sit on? One park is neat and clean. Flowers and trees grow everywhere. Another park has lots of trash on the ground. The flowers and trees need water and care. Which park would be a better place to picnic and play
    DISCUSS: What makes our school a good place to study and play? What can we do during our Earth Day event to make our school or neighborhood even better places to study and play? Why is this important?