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: Beyonce Knowles started her singing career at seven years of age. Her professional career began as a member of the group known as Destiny’s Child. She eventually when out on her own and today she is one of the many impressive artists of the new millennium. During one of her concerts in Missouri, fireworks meant for the stage spilled into the audience. It resulted in two concert goers being taken to hospital. Following her performance Beyonce secretly left the concert to visit these two injured people in the hospital. Commenting on the event, it was reported that her arrival and visit were unannounced. It was kept very low-key so that she could spend time with these two fans. Beyonce said of the entire incident, “It was very unfortunate." On her web site she wrote, "I visited the two fans that were injured right after the show and I am grateful that they will both be alright. My life and career have been blessed with the support of the best fans in the world. Their safety and well-being will always be a top priority and one of my biggest concerns."
   
   Discuss: What might motivate someone with so much talent to spend time with these two people in the hospital? Some would say that it was not Beyonce’s fault that the fireworks were faulty. Because it was not her fault there was no need for her to show concern she did. Do you agree or disagree and why? How might we use our talent during our service project to make the well-being of others one of our top priorities?
   
    
2. Read: There seems to be a lot of discussion about whether we should be “coloring inside the lines” ---which we learned to be of importance in our early education--- or should we be “coloring outside the lines” ---which we are learning to be of equal importance as we grow older. Over time these phrases have come to mean different things. To be told to color inside the lines was important for the early development of hand-eye coordination. As children you may recall coloring in coloring books and being told by an adult or older child to “color inside the lines”. Today the phrase color inside the lines means to follow the rules; to stay close to the tradition; to do things in a safe and sure way. Coloring outside the lines has come to mean to thoughtfully do your own thing; to respectfully question the norm; to fearlessly be an individual when being part of the crowd is not your style or in your best interest.
   
   Discuss: What do the words thoughtfully, respectfully, and fearlessly mean in this context?  In what ways might our service project reflect both the need to color inside the lines as well as to color outside the lines? How can we best encourage those who tend to feel more comfortable coloring inside the lines to join us in this event? How can we best encourage those who tend to feel more comfortable coloring outside the lines to join us in this event?
   
    
3. Read: Most cities and towns are very interested in the arts. Theater, music, visual arts, and dance are just a few of the art forms. City officials encourage their educational systems, non-profit organizations, community governments, civic groups, and other service organizations to promote these arts. Often, however, when budgets are tight these art opportunities are under-funded or not funded at all.
    
   In education, “Stick to the basics,” is the motto of those who feel that reading, writing and math are the most important. On the other hand, advocates for the arts, are quick to reply, “There’s more to life than just reading, writing and math!” Needless to say, the debate continues.
   
   Discuss: How do you think most students would react to the elimination of art or music, or physical education in our school? Would school be a better place without it? Why or why not? What do you interpret the phrase- There’s more to life than the reading, writing and math! -to mean? How can we use art to make our world a better place?  How can we show our heart in the art we produce during our service project?
   
    
4. Read: The story is told of an elderly native chieftain who had long ago passed the ruling of his tribe on to a much younger brave. One day the young brave came to the elder to seek from him the wisdom of the ages. It seems that while the young brave was a talented leader, he wrestled with how best to serve his people in matters that required a decision. So it was that he came to ask of the elder, “How it is that one makes the decisions of leadership?” Thinking for a moment as if the memory of how he had done this had for the moment escaped him, the elder slowly responded, “In my body exists too dogs; the one of selfishness and the other of selflessness and they are constantly at war with each other. It is especially true during those times when a very important decision needs to be made.” Anxious for more, the young brave asked, “So, which dog usually wins?” Without hesitation and in a caring empathic voice the elder responded, “The dog that I feed.”
   
   Discuss: How would you interpret the elderly chieftain’s response to the questions “ So, which dog usually wins?” We all have and will continue to have to make decisions in our lives that require us to choose between any numbers of alternatives. The decision to become involved in our service project perhaps is one of those decisions. I’m sure that we all have our own agenda of things we want to do. How is our choosing to be involved in our service project like “feeding the dog” of selflessness? How might this decision impact other decisions that we will face in our future?
   
    
5. Read: Pater and his buddy Roman were walking through the Art Fair set up in their community park. A picture caught Pater’s eye. It was a picture of a mythical unicorn rearing up in front of a beautiful waterfall. Pater liked to draw mythical characters so it was predictable that he stop to look a picture like this. Realizing that Pater had stopped, Roman walked back to look at the picture as well. Suddenly Pater declared pointing to the picture, “Wow do you see that beautiful sunset?” Roman looked but could not see any beautiful sunset anywhere. “It’s right there,” Pater pointed again at the picture.
   
   Just then the owner of the booth came up. Sensing Roman’s frustration at not being able to see the sunset, he told them that they were looking at a hologram. “Holograms are an advanced form of photography that allows an image to be recorded in three-dimension,” he explained. “One picture is often “hidden behind” another more obvious picture.” Roman tried to see the beautiful sunset but to no avail he could not. Finally in frustration he announced that he was giving up. The owner then told Roman to relax and not to strain. To see the sunset, he would need to try and look through the obvious picture and not at it. “If you’re not relaxed and trying too hard you can miss the beauty that’s right in front of you,” he said. Roman relaxed and finally the beautiful sunset appeared!
   
   Discuss: How might it be possible that during our service project we lose our ability to see the “beautiful sunset” behind what we are doing? How can we help others to “relax” and look beyond their art and the materials they are using to create it? What pictures are you hoping the recipients of projects will see?
   
    
6. Read: Some modern psychologist proclaim that the key to happiness is quite simple. It lies in getting over ourselves. She advocates for helping others rather than always looking for what’s in it for me. Making others the center of our attention rather than always admiring our image in the mirror. Her belief is: only by helping others can we find true happiness. Perhaps she was influenced by Albert Schweitzer, a Noble Peace Prize winner in 1952, when he neared the end of his life he proclaimed, “I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know,  the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” Some will think happiness is out of their reach. Others may think that being happy isn’t really all that important. Well, its alternative isn’t really a whole lot of fun either. Sociologists point out that human beings tend, initially at least, to look in all the wrong places for happiness. They look for it in popularity, personal looks, material things and physical and mental ability. Some seek it in drugs and alcohol. But as one recovering high school student puts it, “Trust me it ain’t there. So my advice to you is to quit looking for happiness in all the wrong places.”
   
   Discuss: Why do you think that people look for happiness in places that it cannot be found much less sustained? How might choosing to participate in our service project be one example of getting over ourselves? In what ways might our event be a way to serve others?  What arguments do you think someone from our class would encounter if they were to share with their friends that the key to happiness is serving others? Is there any way to win this argument? Why or why not?
   
    
7. Read:  You know Caryn Elaine Johnson as Whoopi Goldberg. She acquired the nick name Whoopi because, she admits, tends to be slightly “puffy”. She took the last name of Goldberg from her family tree. She started her acting career at the age of eight. Despite being dyslexic, dropping out of high school, and becoming addicted to heroin, Whoopi overcame these limitations through her talent. Later, while taking bit parts on Broadway, Whoopi worked in a funeral parlor where her job was to apply makeup to corpses. She also worked as a bank teller and as a bricklayer.
   
   Today she is one of the truly unique and visible talents in Hollywood. Among her credits are:
   1) she was the second African American woman to win an Oscar;
   2) she is one of only four actresses who won the quadruple crown of acting-- The Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy;
   3) She was the first woman to host the Academy Awards on her own (1994).
   
   Using her talent, Whoopi has played an integral part in almost every benefit concert Comic Relief  has ever had. Comic Relief is a non-profit organization whose motto is “Where there is laughter…there is hope”. The concert is made up of comedy acts and the proceeds from the concert are used to bring hope and help to areas and peoples in need. Whoopi lends her talent to help in these efforts.
   
   Discuss: In what ways is our service project intended to use our talents to bring hope and help to others? While applying makeup and laying bricks, do you think Whoopi knew that she would one day use her talent to help others? Whoopi had to work through many hard times in order to use her talent in positive ways. What might be some of the things we will need to work through as a class in order to add value to our service project?
   
    
8. Read: How many of these slogans have you heard: “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires" (Smokey Bear). "You Could Learn A lot from a Dummy" (The Crash Test Dummies)."Take A Bite Out of Crime" (McGruff the Crime Dog). "A Mind is a Terrible Thing To Waste" (United Negro College Fund Campaign Slogan).  And, "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk” (U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration campaign against drunk driving). These are public service slogans. Ever wonder where these slogans come from? Who thinks them up? They come from an organization known as the Ad Council. The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization. It asks for volunteer talent from the advertising and communications industries to produce messages like these. These messages are dedicated to improving the quality of life for everyone. They promote preventative health and safety, environmental preservation, and educational opportunities that enhance community and family well being.
   
   Discuss: Why do you think someone might freely give of their talent in an effort to improve the quality of life? How might our service project be similar to what the Ad Council is doing? How are we hoping to improve the quality of life by our contribution to this event? Of all the slogans you have heard, which one do you think most closely represents what we are hoping to accomplish during our service project? Why?
   
    
9. Read: Have you ever heard the phrase “The Fab Four”? Did you know that it references an English Rock Band known as The Beetles featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr? Their innovative music and cultural impact helped define the 1960s. Their influence on pop culture can still be heard and felt today.  It’s Been a Hard Day’s Night, Yellow Submarine, and Let it Be were just some of their top hits.
   
   What about the phrase “The Fab Five?” If you guessed the University of Michigan, 1993 Basketball team-made up of such players as Jalen Rose, Juwaan Howard, and Chris Webber, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson, you are correct! These five men set trends with fashion and turned heads with their brash style of play not seen before on a college basketball court. They captivated younger generations of fans and disturbed some older ones by strutting, shouting and slamming. They played as if they were on a playground and not in an arena before thousands of fans and millions more watching on TV.
   
   What about the phrase, “The Group of Seven”? In the early decades of the twentieth century, circumstances brought together seven artists who were committed to exploring the unique character of the Canadian landscape. Collectively they agreed that Canada’s rugged wilderness regions needed to be recorded in a unique painting style that also reflected a sense of national pride. Today, these men are among Canada’s most famous artists. Arthur Lismer was one of this “Group of Seven”. He was always full of energy and possessed a barbed wit. With pencil and paper always near-by, he enjoyed creating clever cartoon drawings of his artist friends and those perceived to be enemies of their art. Nothing pleased him more than targeting the establishment and all things pretentious. Like all of his fellow group members, Mr. Lismer wanted to do something for the common good beyond just his paintings With a strong commitment to teaching, he established one of the most successful children’s art programs in North America.
   
   Discuss: If we were to come up with a phrase to name our class during our service project, what group name would you suggest? Why? What might be some of the advantages of teamwork when it comes to providing for the common good? What might be some of the disadvantages? In what ways might our service project leave a legacy?
   
    
10. Read: In Volunteers of America’s Homeless Youth Resource Center’s “Drop-In Center” (the only center for homeless youth in the state of Utah), volunteers feed body and spirit. Open every weekday, the “Drop-In Center” was created to build trusting relationships between young people and the community. It was created to teach young people skills and to provide them with the resources to help them toward self-sufficiency. The youth are also given an opportunity to shower, get a hot meal, wash their clothing and socialize with their peers. Once a week, Phil Hazur, volunteers at the center. He spends his lunch hour teaching guitar to anyone who shows up. Mr. Hazur donated guitars and leaves them at the shelter. Kids can use them anytime and many of them have even formed their own bands. “Artistic expression is necessary for emotional and spiritual health,” Mr. Hazur states, “and if expression is not allowed, it can be channeled in a negative way. I’m truly in awe of how good some of the teenagers are who play here!” He goes on to say, “Volunteering is just something that I feel called to do, and I have formed some wonderful friendships.”
    
    Discuss: What might Mr. Hazur mean when he commented that “artistic expression is necessary for emotional and spiritual health”? Do you agree with him? Why or why not? Can you identify ways that “unexpressed artistic talent” might lead to negative expressions? What does this reading have to say about our involvement in our service project? How might volunteering in this event result in some wonderful relationships?
    www.voa.org/GetInvolved/Volunteer
    Profiles/Sharing+Our+Talents.htm