Learning to Give, Philanthropy education resources that teach giving and civic engagement
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Purpose:
Duration:
One fifty minute class period
Objectives:
The learner will:
- summarize the life and work of a previously researched philanthropist in the form of a letter s/he writes in the role of that philanthropist.
- compare and contrast the work of the philanthropist with the philanthropic work in which s/he is (or plans to be) involved.
Service Experience:
Students prepare visual presentations on their chosen philanthropist for public and school display. These presentations can be set up for “Make A Difference Day” celebrations, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, or various school sponsored events and posted on the school-class web page. The displays are suitable for use in local libraries, city hall, or other public buildings.
Materials:
- Clear contact paper and scissors for “laminating” previously created displays and letters
- Student Reading Packets – see Homework
Instructional Procedure(s):
Anticipatory Set:
Write the class’ definitions of “philanthropy” and “philanthropist” on the board and ask the class to consider how they, as individuals, have acted philanthropically. Instruct the class to write a short list of their philanthropic acts. (Note: The teacher may need to make suggestions, for example, babysitting or lawn work for neighbors, participating in school or community-sponsored charity events, writing a letter to a public official.)
- Using their personal lists and Note Taker's Guide (Attachments One and Two from Lesson Two) as references, learners should take on the role of the philanthropist they studied to write a letter. The letter should include a summary of his/her life and work and compare/contrast the philanthropist’s work with that of the learner.
- Have the students incorporate the letter into the previous research report and present both to the class
- After finishing the letter and presentation, students should prepare their reports for presentation at school and/or public functions, for example, in the local library, at a “Make a Difference Day” celebration, or at a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration.
- Explain the Homework assignment.
Homework:
Readings on Civil Society/Civic Value: Provide students with a packet of the edited readings from the following famous scholars/philanthropists, and Attachment One: Reading Guide.
1. Democracy in America—Alexis de Tocqueville
Chapter 4: Individualism by Free Institutions
Chapter 5: Associations in Civil Life
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~Hyper/DETOC/ch2_04.htm
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~Hyper/DETOC/ch2_05.htm
http://www.learningtogive.org/papers/index.asp?bpid=23
http://www.tocqueville.org/
http://www.c-span.org/classroom/tocqueville/index.asp
2. Gospel of Wealth—Andrew Carnegie
http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/pdocs/carnegie_wealth.pdf
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1889carnegie.html
3. Hull House Papers— Jane Addams
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/ADDAMS/ch06.html
http://www.learningtogive.org/papers/index.asp?bpid=71
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/
laureates/1931/addams-bio.html
4. The Duties of American Citizenship—Teddy Roosevelt Stewardship
http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/
26_t_roosevelt/psources/ps_citizen.html
- Assign one reading per night for all students to read and answer all questions on the corresponding reading study questions (Attachment One: Reading Guide).
Teacher's Note: Homework should be completed before teaching Lesson Four.
Lesson Developed By:
Dennis Thomasn/a
Cathedral High School
Indianapolis, IN 46226
Handouts:
Handout 1Print Handout 1
Reading Guide
1. Democracy in America Chapter 4-5—Alexis de Tocqueville
Questions for Democracy in America Chapters 4-5
Focus on the following sentence as a compact summary of Tocqueville's argument:
"The Americans have used liberty to combat the individualism born of equality, and they have won."
These sixteen words contain three strong arguments. Consider each in turn.
- "Individualism born of equality." What is individualism, according to Tocqueville? How is it born of equality?
- "The Americans have used liberty to combat." How does liberty combat individualism? Is there a paradox here?
- "And they have won." Won what? Is he right? What has our art of association in fact won us? Has it lost us anything?
2. Gospel of Wealth—Andrew Carnegie
- What do society’s laws do to wealth?
- What are the three modes surplus wealth can be disposed?
- Why is passing wealth generationally misguided?
- How does Carnegie feel about the trend of increasing taxes? Why?
- How can the consolidation of wealth benefit the many?
- What is the duty of the man of wealth?
3. Hull House Papers— Jane Addams
Subjective Necessity for Social Settlements Chapter 6 or Twenty Years at Hull House Terms:
-
Toynbee Hall
-
Two Miseries
-
Submerged Tenth
-
Christian humanitarianism
-
Positivist-ism
Questions:
- How are parents inconsistent with their daughters’ purpose in life?
- What does years of education and worldly travail give to the youth?
- Why did the settlement movement start in England?
- Why must Christians put their work into action?
- What does the Settlement movement accomplish through Christendom and removing from sectarian differences?
- What are the three trends addressed with the opening of the Hull-House?
- What must the Settlement Movement do to avoid inflexibility and adaptation to society’s changing needs?
- And are pledged to devote…?
Unit Contents:
Overview:Philanthropy's Role in a Democratic Society Summary
Lessons:
- 1.
- Key Concepts in a Democratic Society
- 2.
- Research & Development
- 3.
- Dear Young Philanthropist
- 4.
- The Building of Philanthropic Tradition in America
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely use this information for nonprofit (noncommercial), educational purposes only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.
