The learners will participate in a Service Learning Activity that features learning and playing of the game of Bridge in an effort to promote the common good through bridging cultural, ethnic, racial, age and/or gender gaps.

Anticipatory Set:
As the learners enter the classroom, shuffle a deck of playing cards. While continuing to shuffle the cards remind the learners that in the previous lesson they talked about how different games featured different rules. Have the learners recall with you as many facts as they can about this type of playing card deck (Note i.e. four suits, two red, two black, 52 cards representing aces through tens, along with Jacks, Queens and Kings), and have them identify games that they know that can be played using a deck of playing cards like the one you are shuffling.

• While continuing to shuffle the deck, begin the group discussion by having the learners recall their earlier discussion around social contracts, common good and the “game of life”.
  
  
• Announce that the game called Bridge is also a game played with a deck of playing cards such as the one being shuffled, and as with other games this game too, has its unique set of rules.
  
  
• Share with the learners that this is not a new game but rather one that had its beginnings back in the 16th Century. Many people play this game today and in fact many play with people all around the world through the Internet.
  
  
• Have the learners recall Suggestions from Somewhere Else Middle School worksheet (Lesson One, Attachment One) that they discussed during the last class period and inform them that the Somewhere Else Middle School students decided to focus on # 8 as their Service Project but to expand on it.
  
  
• Have someone recall/read # 8 from Suggestions from Somewhere Else Middle School worksheet  (Lesson One, Attachment One  # 8 Playing a card game with my grandmother) and ask the question, “Based on what we just learned about the game of Bridge why might the Somewhere Else Middle School student who suggested this as an activity select a grandmother as the playing partner and Bridge as the game to play?"
  
  
• Encourage the learners to share briefly what function a structural bridge serves (if there is a bridge in the local community, ask the question, “What function does the (name of a local  bridge) serve in our community?)" Ask the learners if they are familiar with the term “bridging the gap,” and if so what that term might that mean.  Lead the learner to talk about how bridges offer connections, bring things together that might not otherwise connect, shorten distance between two locations, make things easier to reach, etc.
  
  
• Discuss with the learners how learning to play the game of Bridge, might help bridge distances/differences between two people i.e. generational, cultural, ethnic, racial, gender, etc..
  
  
• Brainstorm projects/social contracts that the learners might be willing to engage in using the game of Bridge to bridge the gap and thus help to promote the common good.  Share with the learners some of the ideas for using Bridge as a service project. Distribute copies of Putting Play to Work for the Common Good (Attachment Two). Share too that the final decision for the Service Project will be made at future time, but that ideas will be welcomed until that time.
  
  
• Express appreciation for the learners willingness to participate in learning to play Bridge and lead the learners in a discussion highlighting some of the life skills (i.e. concentration, memory, critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, math skills (mental arithmetic, logical thinking, numeracy, etc.), and character traits/ attitudes ( i.e. trust, desire to learn, a sense of fair play, willingness to practice, perseverance, being OK with not being good at it yet, etc.) needed in learning a new game.
  
  
• Inform the learners that they will begin learning the game of Bridge soon!

Teacher Note: The discussion, decision and planning for a service project using the game of Bridge should be an on-going part of each Bridge lesson from this point on.

Have the learners share with their families that they will be learning how to play Bridge and also how they will use this game as a way to promote the common good. Ask the students to discuss the ideas for service projects on Putting Play to Work for the Common Good (Attachment One, Lesson Two) with their families and share suggestions from them during the next Bridge lesson.