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.

Read: When someone does not play a game by the rules, we often complain, “It’s not fair!” But did you know that there are others ways besides playing games by the rules that someone can be fair. Here are some of the other ways to be fair: Treat people the way you want to be treated. Take turns. Tell the truth. Think about how what you do affects others. Listen to people with an open mind. Don't blame others for your mistakes. Don't take advantage of other people. Don't play favorites.

Discuss: Is it easy to always be fair? Why or why not? What are some of the things we can do to remind others and ourselves to be fair? In what ways can we show fairness during our King Day project?

1. Read: No one likes to be sad. Being sad usually means that something didn’t go as planned or as we hoped it would. We can be sad when we lose a soccer game. We can be sad when our ice cream cone melts and falls on the ground. We can be sad when our goldfish dies. We can even be sad when our best friend is sad. There are many things that can happen to make us sad. But one thing that usually makes us happy is when we can help other people feel better when they feel sad. Maybe we put our arm around them and try to cheer them up. Maybe we talk to them and ask how we can help. Maybe we tell them a joke to make them laugh. Maybe we share something with them we know they would like. There are many ways we can help make someone who is sad feel a little better.
   
   Discuss: Do you remember a time when you were sad and someone tried to cheer you up by being a friend? Do you remember a time when you tried to cheer-up someone? In what ways does helping someone who is sad help to make the world a better place? How might our King Day project help cheer up our world?
2. Read: When asked to write a poem about Martin Luther King, eight year old Dustin wrote the following poem:
     He made us aware of things not right
     He was peaceful and not uptight.
     He worked so that others might be free
     He showed respect for everyone
     He brought people together
     He did what was right and good
     His memory will live forever as it should.
   
   Discuss: In what ways might our plans for King Day help to make things right and good? Do our plans include being respectful of everyone? How might what we do on this day be remembered?
3. Read: A sunflower, like most plants, loves to face the sun. If you turn a sunflower away from the sun it won’t be long and it turns itself back to face it again. We say that the sunflower is attracted to the sun. Why do plants do this? The act of plants turning toward a light source is known as phototropism. Growing toward the sun is important for the life of a plant. The sun is also very important for our lives.
   
   Discuss: A smile is often compared to the sun. We talk of people having a “sunny smile” or being “full of sunshine”. Like the sun a smile is warm. We talk of people having a “warm smile”. Like the sunflower, people love to see and be warmed by the sun. They also love to be around people who have a “sunny and warm smile”. It just feels good. Given what we know about the importance of the sun, in what ways should our smile be a part of our King Day project? In what ways could our smile improve someone’s day? How might it improve our own day?
4. Read: Carrie took an ice cube from the ice tray in the refrigerator freezer. She dropped it into the glass of lemonade she had just made. As she waited for it to cool down her drink she watched it grow smaller and smaller. “Why does an ice cube melt?” she asked turning to her mother.
   
   “Because it realizes that it doesn’t have to be frozen anymore,” her mother answered. Carrie looked confused so her mother explained. “Do you remember when your friend Grace was new to your class? You said that it was really hard to get to know her at first, right?” Carrie nodded. “Well, a few days later you told me that she was “warming up” to you. I asked you what you thought made that happen. Remember?” Again Carried nodded in agreement. “Well you told me you thought it was because you were really trying to be nice to her so she wouldn’t feel that she had to be afraid of being in a new place anymore. That’s like an ice cube that melts. I think the ice cube finally realizes that it doesn’t have to be afraid anymore because it’s in a new place.”
   
   Discuss: Do you think only those people who are in “new places” are afraid? What are some other things that make people afraid? During our King Day project how are we trying to be nice to other people? What might happen if we are nice to other people?
5. Read: Traffic Signs are important. They tell drivers how to drive safely down streets and highways. Traffic signs can also be good reminders to us even though we aren’t drivers yet. A STOP sign or a RED traffic light can remind us that we need to stop doing things that are unkind. A YIELD sign can remind us to take turns in our play. A MERGE sign can remind us to join in with others and to let others join in with us. A CAUTION sign or flashing YELLOW light can remind us to be careful and think before we act or speak. A ONE WAY sign can remind us that teamwork is important. A GREEN light can remind us that we need to get moving; to get involved.
   
   Discuss: Our King Day project is a day to show kindness and friendship. Signs we see along the highway can be good reminders about kindness and friendship. What might the sign KEEP RIGHT remind us to do? Can you think of any other signs you see along the streets and highways that could be reminders for us as well? Why is it important to be reminded?
6. Read: Ernie, the eagle lived high atop the trees. He could look out over everything in the Wakefield Forest. He was big and strong. He could soar miles in the air. He knew everybody in the forest and where they lived. If they got lost he would help them find their way home. He knew all about the trees. He would show his forest friends where to pick the best fruit. He knew all about forest fires. When they started he would quickly tell the forest ranger. He knew where the best fishing was. He would show the bears and fishermen where to go so they could catch many fish. He knew all about the weather and how it affected the forest. Everyone considered him the smartest living creature in the forest. One day he was approached by young eagle just learning to be an eagle. He came to Ernie to ask him a question. “What’s the greatest thing in the world?” he asked. Ernie looked out over the forest and said to the young eagle, “Do you really want to know?”
   
   “Yes! Yes!” came the eager reply.
   
   “OK, the greatest thing in the world is to do somebody else a favor,” Ernie said.
   
   Discuss: Do you think the young eagle expected this answer from Ernie? Why or why not? Why do you think Ernie would say that the greatest thing in the world is to do somebody else a favor? Has anyone ever done a favor for you? In what ways will we be doing great things during our King Day project? How do you think that will make us feel? 
7. Read: A little boy wanted to run away from home. He was not happy with the way things were going. As he took a bag of potato chips and a six-pack of root beer he informed his mother that he was leaving and started on his journey. He hadn’t gone far when he sat down to rest on a park bench. An old man was sitting there looking very sad. He had recently lost his son in a war far away. Now he just stared at the pigeons. The little boy was hungry so he opened up his suitcase and took out the potato chips and a can root beer. He noticed that the man beside him looked hungry, too. He motioned for the man to help himself to the potato chips. He also handed him a can of root beer. The old man nodded his acceptance and smiled at the boy. They sat there for a long time. They did not speak to each other. They just smiled at each other and munched on potato chips and sipped their drinks. As it started to grow dark, the old man got up to leave. The little boy reached out to him and gave him a hug. It was then the little boy remembered how nice a hug was .He decided to go back home. When he opened the front door to his home his mother immediately saw happiness written all over his face. She hugged him. She told him that she loved him and was so glad that he was back home. She then told him to go wash up for dinner. Meanwhile, the old man returned to his home. Immediately his wife noticed his cheery smile. “It looks like you had a good day.” she remarked.
   
   “I did!" he said. “I found a new friend.”
   
   Discuss: Sometimes we forget how important our smiles and hugs are. Sometimes we miss the smiles and hugs of others. How is our King Day project hoping to bring a cheery smile and a good day to people? Why is having and being a friend so important?
8. Read: Each day the students in Mr. Blake’s third grade class had special assignments. Today it was Angela’s turn to take the ball out at recess time. It was also her turn to organize the game. Lupita and Jerrod were worried. Yesterday they did not let Angela play in their game. They wondered if they would be allowed to play today. When the recess bell rang everybody ran to the playground. But not Lupita and Jerrod. They stayed back. As Angela passed them carrying the ball, she said, “Hey come on you slow pokes, I’ll race you to the playground.”
   
   Discuss: How do you think Lupita and Jerrod felt when Angela invited them to play four-square? Why do you think Angela would choose to include Lupita and Jerrod in the game? How might our King Day project show kindness and fairness? Why might it be important to show kindness and fairness to people even if they are not always kind and fair to us? 
9. Read: One day Jamie’s teacher gave her third grade class a homework assignment. The assignment was to interview an adult family member. The question they were to ask in the interview was, “What is one of the things that makes you feel happy?” Jamie decided he would ask his grandmother the question. He expected his grandmother to say something like driving her new car or getting a new dress; winning the Bridge game or getting a hug from her grandchildren.  Something like that, but instead grandmother said, “One of the things that makes me most happy is helping  make other people feel happy.”
   
   Discuss: How do think most kids our age would answer the question, “What is one of the things that make you most happy?” Why do you think grandma felt so happy helping to make others feel happy? In what ways might we our King Day project help others feel happy? In what ways might our King Day project help us to feel happy?

Reflection plays a very important role in promoting student learning. The following suggested activities are ways to help students reflect on their learning after they have participated in a service event.  Choose one or more of the activities most appropriate to the service event and your students.

ACTIVITY ONE:
Provide each student with a cutout of a green, orange, yellow, and blue gum ball (a circle). On each green gum ball have the students write what they did during the King Day project.  On each orange gum have them write what impact they felt they made because of what they did. On the yellow gum ball have the students write a word that represents how they felt. On the blue gum ball have the students write something that they might do in the future to be helpful. Have students share their “gum balls” with a partner.  After their sharing, have the students come to the display area and place their four gum balls inside the outline of a glass topped gum ball machine.  (NOTE: Each gum ball should be displayed so that what is written on it can be easily read.)  Should the “Gum ball Machine” not be “filled up,” encourage the students to add additional blue gum balls as they think of additional activities they could do to be of service.

ACTIVITY TWO:
Have the students share what chores they are responsible for doing around their home.  Record these responses on a display board for all to see.  Have the students look for commonalities and differences.  Lead the students in a discussion that explores why doing these chores might be helpful to everyone in the family; how they contribute to the “common good” of the family.  Now, lead the students in a discussion about the King Day project and have them explain what it is they did during the King Day project.  Record their responses next to their “chores” responses on the display board.  Lead the students in a discussion that explores the importance of doing their “chores” as a member of the community; why taking part in the King Day project might be helpful to their family, school, and/or community.

Ask the students how they feel about doing their “chores” around the house.  Record their responses on the display board. Then encourage them to share how they felt while being involved in the King Day project and have them compare their “chore” feelings with their “King Day project” feelings. Note similarities and differences and encourage them to draw some conclusions.

ACTIVITY THREE:
Draw a clock face on the display board without its numbers and Label it “What Time Is It?”  Randomly, read the statements below and instruct students to raise their hands if they know what time it is (hour)?  They are to determine the correct time by the clue found in the statements.  Once a student correctly identifies the time (hour) from the clue, they are to share something from their experience with the King Day project.  Capture one or two key words or phrases that “summarize” the student comments and record these key words/concepts, along with the correctly identified number in the appropriate hour position that the number occupies on the clock face.  (Note: Use the ‘time cues’ suggested or ones that might be more appropriate to your present classroom academic instruction.

Time Clues:

1. How many people are flying an airplane when a pilot is flying solo?    
   (1 o’clock)
2. How many people are there singing in a duet/How many people does it take to tango?    
   (2 o’clock)
3. The minimum number of legs you need on a chair in order for it to stay upright/The right side half of a figure eight/Number of blind mice who ran after the farmer’s wife.   
   (3 o’clock)
4. The number of “downs” you get to move the football 10 yards/The number that is called out when a golfer is concerned that someone might be hit by the golf ball.    
   (4 o’clock)
5. The number of digits that make up a hand or a foot/Number of players on a basketball team that can be playing on the floor at the same time   
   (5 o’clock)
6. A half-dozen/The highest number one can shake on a single die   
   (6 o’clock)
7. The number of days in a week/A half of a decade plus two         
   (7 o’clock)
8. The figure of some race tracks/The shape of a snowman           
   (8 o’clock)
9. Three triples/One year short of a decade/A baseball team         
   (9 o’clock)
10. The highest score for an Olympic diver/A decade    
    (10 o’clock)
11. The last hour of the morning before noon/The hour before midnight     
    (11 o’clock)
12. Eggs are usually sold in this quantity/How old is the oldest pre-teen in the world?    
    (12 o’clock)

Once the numbers and key words/phrases have been placed on the clock, label the clock “Time for Philanthropy.”  Ask the students to summarize what they heard in the way of key words and phrases.  Asking “Do you have time for philanthropy?” might be a good question when considering helpful acts of kindness and justice.

ACTIVITY FOUR:
Show the students a variety of pictures of various candy bars (or have a variety of candy bars on display).  Ask the students to think about their favorite candy bar.  Have them share what it is about their "pictured" candy bar that appeal to them.
For example:

1. How do they feel while they are thinking about their favorite candy bar?
2. How do they feel while they are actually eating their favorite candy bar?
3. How do they feel after they have actually eaten their favorite candy bar?
4. Do they think that they might eat another of those candy bars in the future?
5. Do they think they might try a different kind of candy bar in the future?

Have the students think about and share with the class how eating their favorite candy bar and their having been involved in this most recent King Day project might be alike.  Conclude this reflection by having the students share their favorite part about this King Day project and explain why.