Learning to Give, Philanthropy education resources that teach giving and civic engagement
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Purpose:
Students analyze the meaning of personal best and recognize the value of persistence in doing their best.
Duration:
One 20-minute lesson
Objectives:
The learner will:
- discuss the gentle persistence of water in creating the Grand Canyon.
- work in small groups to complete a chart of the Frayer Model that defines personal best.
- read the charts of the other groups.
Service Experience:
This character education mini-lesson is not intended to be a service learning lesson or to meet the K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice. The character education units will be most effective when taught in conjunction with a student-designed service project that provides a real world setting in which students can develop and practice good character and leadership skills. For ideas and suggestions for organizing service events go to www.generationon.org.
Materials:
- picture of the Grand Canyon (see Bibliographical References)
- one sheet of chart paper for each group of four students
- markers
- one copy of Attachment One: Frayer Model for each group
Instructional Procedure(s):
Anticipatory Set
Show a picture of the Grand Canyon. Ask students to raise their hands if they have been to the Grand Canyon. Talk about their impressions of its beauty and attributes. Ask the students if they know what mighty force carved that deep rocky gorge that is over one mile deep, up to 18 miles across and nearly 300 miles long. Tell them that it was mostly the persistence [continuing without change for a long period] of water eroding away the rock for millions of years that slowly carved the Grand Canyon. Read the following quote by Lucretius: "The drops of rain make a hole in the stone not by violence but by oft falling." Ask the students, "What can we learn from water about how to get things done?"
- Ask students to reflect on what is the Grand Canyon (a big accomplishment) in their lives. Remind them when they meet obstacles and difficulties to think like the water by doing their personal best persistently (without giving up).
- Tell the students that you want them to analyze what it means to do their personal best. Put the students into groups of four and give each team a copy of Attachment One: Frayer Model and a piece of chart paper and some markers. As a team, they will analyze and define personal best. They will create an attractive model of the Frayer model on the chart paper and fill in the parts with appropriate ideas: characteristics of personal best, examples, non-examples, and a definition of personal best.
- Give the students ten minutes to complete the chart.
- Post the charts and have the groups walk by all the charts and read one another's models. Discuss observations.
Bibliographical References:
Photos of Grand Canyon:
- National Park Service. "Grand Canyon National Park." http://www.nps.gov/archive/grca/photos/index.htm
- Terra Galleria Photography. "The Grand Canyon." http://www.terragalleria.com/parks/np.grand-canyon.html
- The Frayer Model is adapted from the original, designed by Dr. Dorothy Frayer and her colleagues at the University of Wisconsin.
Lesson Developed By:
Betsy FlikkemaAssociate Director
Learning to Give
Barbara Dillbeck
Director
Learning to Give
Handouts:
Handout 1Print Handout 1
Frayer Model
Write the word to be defined in the center circle. Write a definition of the word. Write some characteristics of the word. Give some examples and non-examples of the concept.
The Frayer Model is adapted from the original, designed by Dr. Dorothy Frayer and her colleagues at the University of Wisconsin.
Unit Contents:
Overview:Character Education: Perseverance (Grade 7) Summary
Lessons:
- 1.
- My Personal Best
- 2.
- A Long Walk
- 3.
- Persistent Drop of Water
- 4.
- Small Actions with Big Purpose
- 5.
- Reflection on the Long Term
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely use this information for nonprofit (noncommercial), educational purposes only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.
