Parent Letter
WORLD REGIONS—OUR STUDY OF CONTINENTS
We are starting a new unit of study on the regions of the world. Our focus will be to study the physical geography of each continent, and we will discover how two countries from within every continent except Antarctica have developed nonprofit organizations as instruments of Philanthropy and Stewardship. Our learning partner, Learning To Give, defines philanthropy as the "sharing of our time, talents, and treasure for the common good." "Stewardship is the process whereby an organization seeks to be worthy of continued philanthropic support and donor recognition, prudent investment of gifts, and the effective and efficient use of funds to further the mission of the organization."
Each of the countries we will study has their own cultural traditions that have existed, in most cases, for hundreds of years. Cultural elements such as food, clothing, religion, music, and oral histories have made each nation unique. Their approach to forming philanthropic organizations is strongly tied to these cultural elements. We will also compare each of these countries to the United States in physical geography, human - environment interaction and the purpose and development of their philanthropic organizations. You can help us by talking with your child about the generations in your family and circle of friends. Discuss with them how daily life and family traditions have changed and developed over the years. Include their participation in philanthropic organizations, volunteerism and acts of stewardship in the community.
We hope that all of our learners enjoy the unit. We are eager to begin and hope to learn a lot about world regions and global philanthropic efforts. Please feel free to comment or ask questions as we progress through the unit.
Sincerely,