Learning to Give, Philanthropy education resources that teach giving and civic engagement
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Purpose:
Duration:
Five Fifty-Minute Class Periods
Objectives:
The learners will:
- classify the work of the executive branch into its related government departments.
- justify historically the existence of nonprofit public interest groups.
- research government agencies, programs and services and nonprofit organizations with related interests.
Materials:
- Pertinent Government Documents (see Attachment One)
- The Work of Government and Nonprofit Agencies Worksheet (see Attachment Two)
- The Work of Government and Nonprofit Agencies Worksheet - Sample Answers (see Attachment Three)
Instructional Procedure(s):
Anticipatory Set:
Quickly call out the following acronyms and ask students to identify them by responding with their appropriate names:
- USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)
- HUD (Housing and Urban Development)
- IRS (Internal Revenue Service)
- CDC (Centers for Disease Control)
- FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
- DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency)
- FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
- INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service)
- OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- USGS (United States Geological Survey)
- FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)
- NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms)
- VA (Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Ginnie Mae (U.S. Government National Mortgage Association)
- Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association)
- Freddie Mac (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation)
- Explain that the activity which was just completed points out the proliferation of government departments and agencies in the executive branch, all under the control of the President. These are just a "drop in the bucket" of agencies necessary to help the President "enforce laws." Using Pertinent Government Documents (see Attachment One) or any copy of The Constitution of the United States, review Article II, Section 2, Clauses 1 and 2 (II,2,1-2) and Article II, Section 3 (II,3) to review the powers and duties of the President as constitutionally described. Explain that the section of the Constitution which spelled out the "enforcement" responsibilities of the Chief Executive was very short. Because of this, there has been a historic argument over "strict constructionism" (the idea that the President has no powers not specifically described in the Constitution) versus "loose constructionism" (the idea that the President has more powers to "enforce the law" than those specifically stated in the Constitution).
- To understand how the President carries out his responsibilities to enforce the law, ask students to quickly jot down on a piece of paper the names of the executive departments which come under the auspices of the President. To help students understand what these are, explain that the heads of the departments usually have the title of "Secretary" and together they comprise the President's cabinet. (Note: The current departments include: Agriculture; Commerce; Defense; Education; Energy; Health and Human Services; Housing and Urban Development; Justice; Labor; State; Interior; Transportation; Treasury; and Veterans Affairs. The heads of these departments are called "Secretary," except the head of the Justice Department who is called the Attorney General.) (Optional: You may also ask students to name the current persons holding these positions.)
- Divide the class into fourteen groups. Allow each group to select one government department to research. Ask groups to research their department online. As a group, the team should design a poster which identifies the work of the department.
- Explain that within each department are a number of agencies, services and programs that carry out its work. As an example, the Department of Defense includes the following agencies, plus many others:
- Ballistic Missile Defense Organization
- Civilian Personnel Management Service
- Defense Commissary Agency
- Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Office
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- National Imagery and Mapping Agency
- National Security Agency
- Each member of the fourteen groups should select two agencies within their department for further study. (Note: These agencies may be located online under United States Government —Executive Branch—Departments and Agencies.) Distribute The Work of Government and Nonprofit Agencies Worksheet (see Attachment Two) to each student. Have students complete the first three steps in filling in the chart. Once this is completed, each student will have researched two agencies, programs or services in a federal department.
- Before completing the rest of the worksheet, refer again to Pertinent Government Documents (see Attachment One) and read the passage from The Declaration of Independence to the class. Ask students to mentally imagine what the persons who signed this document were like. By their words, do they seem like the type of persons who would readily stand back and let the government take complete control of their lives and the lives of their families? If they saw the complete listing of executive branch departments, agencies, programs and services, would they be more concerned or less concerned about the power of government over their lives? Discuss. Point out that the next task will identify some groups with special interests that act as watchdogs on government programs and some groups which try to influence public policy. Ask students to define special interest groups or pressure groups or lobbies, generalize about their purposes, and evaluate their value in society.
- Returning to The Work of Government and Nonprofit Agencies Worksheet (see Attachment Two), students should fill in columns three and four by researching a non-governmental, nonprofit organization whose interests fit the government agencies they have identified in columns one and two. Ask students to use http://www.Guidestar.org as the source of their searches. When completed, all members of the team should attach their information sheets to the bottom of the departmental poster they completed to give others a clearer idea of the work of the department. Display the posters. Note to Teacher: Check The Work of Government and Nonprofit Agencies Worksheet—Sample Answers (see Attachment Three) for some of the possible answers.
- Divide the class into seven groups. Each person in the group should have researched a different cabinet department from the others in the new group. Put the following statement on the board: "Why are there 640,000 organizations (as shown in the GuideStar database) that do work similar to what the government is already doing? They aren't needed at all." Allow groups to discuss the statement and agree or disagree with it. After fifteen minutes, return to a whole group and discuss the statement. If the following topics are not discussed, add them to the discussion:
- Does the existence of a large government bureaucracy mean that the federal government is doing a good job serving the purposes for which it was created?
- Are there various diverse groups whose interests or needs are protected by the presence of nonprofit special interest groups? Why not just let the government look out for minority and other diverse groups?
- As a nation, are we better off with or without the 640,000 groups?
Assessment:
The completed poster with attached worksheets may serve as an assessment.
Cross-Curriculum Extensions:
As an extension of the study of each cabinet department, each team may wish to write a letter to the Secretary of the department they researched, explaining that they are producing a display about that department. They should ask for a picture of the Secretary and pamphlets related to the work of the specific agencies they chose for study. A wall, bulletin board or display case should be reserved for the displays of information including the poster and worksheets completed in the lesson.
Lesson Developed By:
Evelyn NashCurriculum Consultant
Learning to Give
Handouts:
Handout 1Print Handout 1
Pertinent Government Documents
|
Article II of the Constitution of the United States |
| Section 2 Powers of the President |
|
Clause 1. Military powers;Cabinet; pardons The President shall be Commander-in-Chief of the Army and the Navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several states, when called into the actual service of the United States. He may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices, and he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. |
|
Clause 2. Diplomatic powers;appointments He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the senators present concur; and he shall nominate and, by and with the advise and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law; but the Congress may by law vest the appointment of such inferior officers as they think proper in the President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments. |
|
The Declaration of Independence |
| We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. |
Handout 2Print Handout 2
The Work of Government and Nonprofit Agencies Worksheet
Directions:
- Fill in the name of your assigned government department on the first line.
- Select two agencies within that department and list them in the first column.
- Go online to research each agency's purpose and fill in the purpose in the second column.
- Visit http://www.Guidestar.org and complete a search for a nonprofit agency which has a similar interest. Fill in the name of the organization in the third column.
- Using information from the GuideStar search, fill in the nonprofit organization's mission and/or program in column four.
SAMPLE ENTRY
Name of Department: Energy
|
Agency |
Purpose |
Nonprofit Org. |
Mission / Programs |
| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) | To ensure adequate protection of the public health and safety, the common defense and security, and the environment in the use of nuclear materials in the United States. | Nuclear Information & Resource Service |
Mission: Nuclear energy information and awareness Programs: Provide information and assistance to individuals and groups working to replace nuclear power with safer and more economical alternatives. |
Name of Department:
|
Agency #1 |
Purpose |
Nonprofit |
Mission / Programs |
|
|
|||
|
Agency #2 |
Purpose |
Nonprofit |
Mission / Programs |
|
|
Handout 3Print Handout 3
The Work of Government and Nonprofit Agencies Worksheet (Sample Answers)
|
Department/ Agency |
Purpose |
NonprofitOrganization |
Mission / Programs |
| Agriculture/Food and Nutrition Service | Strengthens the nutrition safety net through commodity distribution and other nutrition assistance to low-income families, emergency feeding programs, Indian Reservations, and the elderly. | Senior Nutrition Services Region IV, Inc. |
Mission: Provide meals to elderly in need Programs: Provided over 415,000 congregate and home delivered meals to persons over age 60 |
| Commerce/ Minority Business Development Agency | The only Federal agency specifically created to encourage the creation, growth, and expansion of minority-owned businesses in the United States. | Saginaw County Minority Business Development Center |
Mission: Minority business development Programs: Business counseling, specialized assistance, business information resources, training and education, and products to enhance such businesses |
| Defense/ Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations | Exploits mature and maturing technologies to solve important military problems. | Heritage Foundation |
Mission: Heritage Foundation is a Washington think tank that formulates and aggressively promotes conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values and a strong national defense. Programs: Foreign and Defense Policy: We promote deployment of a missile defense system; free international trade enhancing economic freedom and lowering trade barriers; rebuilding the defense budget to assure military readiness; and foreign aid reform, especially an end to U.S. appropriations to the International Monetary Fund. |
| Education/ Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs | Established in 1974 by Congress, the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs helps school districts meet their responsibility to provide equal education opportunity to limited English proficient children. | California Association for Bilingual Education |
Mission: The California Association for Bilingual Education is a nonprofit corporation whose purpose is to assure educational excellence and equity for all students through bilingual education. The Association accomplishes its purpose through the following programs: 1) advocacy, 2) professional development of teachers, 3) research and 4) scholarships. Programs: Bilingual education and training conferences provided training for teachers, aides and parents so that non-English speaking children have an enriched educational opportunity. Scholarships were awarded to enhance bilingual education opportunities. Public awareness and advocacy for bilingual education issues were promoted. |
| Energy/U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission | To ensure adequate protection of the public health and safety, the common defense and security, and the environment in the use of nuclear materials in the United States. | Nuclear Information & Resource Service |
Mission: Nuclear energy information and awareness Programs: Provide information and assistance to individuals and groups working to replace nuclear power with safer and more economical alternatives. |
| Health and Human Services/Administration on Aging | Providing services to the elderly, especially to enable them to remain independent. Supports meals for the elderly, including home-delivered "meals on wheels," helps provide transportation and at-home services, supports ombudsman services for elderly, and provides policy leadership on aging issues. | AARP Foundation |
Mission: A.A.R.P. Foundation was established to engage in the study and discussion of problems of aging persons. Programs: In addition to its many other activities, AARP Foundation administers government grants, the largest of which is the Senior Community Service Employment Program. Its purpose is to provide job placement services and temporary work experience and training for people aged 55 and older whose incomes fall at or below the federal poverty line. The AARP Tax-Aide Program is a free nationwide tax counseling service offered to middle and low-income taxpayers aged 80 and older. The AARP Foundation Litigation files "Friend of the Court" briefs where warranted, lawsuits which focus on issues that affect the older population. It concentrates on cases that raise novel or significant issues, challenge common or systematic practices, or affect policies. |
| Housing and Urban Development/Office of Housing, Federal Housing Administration | Underwrites single family, multifamily, property improvement, and manufactured home loans. Administers assisted housing programs for low-income families who are experiencing difficulties affording standard housing. | National Low Income Housing Coalition and Low Income Housing Information Service |
Mission: The NLIHC is solely dedicated to ending America's affordable housing crisis through educating, organizing, and advocating to ensure decent affordable housing within healthy neighborhoods. Programs: NLIHC informs and educates housing advocates and activists, and the public at large, about policy solutions to the affordable housing crisis. Research and Policy Analysis-NLIHC is a leading publisher of thoughtful and useful information on low income housing issues. |
| Justice/Immigration and Naturalization Service | Regulates permanent and temporary immigration to the United States. Maintains control of U.S. borders. | American Immigration Law Foundation |
Who We Are: AILF promotes public understanding of immigration law and policy through education, policy analysis, and support to litigators. We seek to counter anti-immigrant groups that would close America's doors to future newcomers, making the case that America is a Nation of Immigrants. Programs: The Legal Action Center was created to promote fundamental fairness for immigrants, their families, and their employers. The Center conducts impact litigation, including filing affirmative suits against the INS. |
| Labor/Occupational Safety and Health Administration | The mission of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to save lives, prevent injuries and protect the health of America's workers. | Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc. |
Who We Are: Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc. (FJF) is a national litigation and advocacy organization for migrant and seasonal farmworkers. We focus on labor, employment, immigration, occupational safety and health, farmworker women and access to justice. Goals and Results: FJF has one hundred farmworkers as "promotores de salud," or lay health promoters. They, in turn have educated nearly 8,000 co-workers and neighbors about ways to reduce risks of infection from HIV/AIDS and to prevent exposure to pesticides and environmental health hazards. FJF has helped many farmworkers improve their working conditions. |
| State/Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Affairs | Promoting the growth and consolidation of democracy and human rights. | Amnesty International USA, Inc. |
Mission: Amnesty International works to: free all prisoners of conscience detained anywhere for their beliefs or because of their ethnic origin, sex, colour or language who have not used or advocated violence; ensure fair and prompt trials for political prisoners; abolish the death penalty, torture and other cruel treatment of prisoners; end extrajudicial executions and disappearances. Programs: Worldwide campaigns: Each year, Amnesty International members from around the world campaign on human rights issues in one country or on a particular human rights issue. These major campaigns involve reporting on major human rights issues, lobbying governments and ambassadors globally for change, publicizing human rights abuses, and working closely with local human rights activists and other community organizations to achieve change. |
| Interior/National Park Service | To promote and regulate the use of the national parks, which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. | National Parks & Conservation Association |
Mission: NPCA is America's only private, nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated solely to protecting, preserving, and enhancing America's National Parks for present and future generations. Programs: Two program areas - Park Resource Protection and Visitor Experience - address systemic threats facing the parks. The two others - Park Funding & Management and Public Support - are aimed at creating the underpinnings for the sustained protection of the parks. |
| Transportation/Federal Highway Administration | Sharing our expertise with state and local transportation agencies across the country. Ensuring that we keep America moving--safely, efficiently, economically, and without harm to our environment. | National SAFE Kids |
Mission: The National SAFE KIDS Campaign and its 275 Coalitions lead the fight against the number one killer of children ages 14 and under - unintentional childhood injury - through education and safety device distribution to families in need. Programs: The National SAFE KIDS Campaign provides direct public service through local safety events, a toll-free hotline for car seat information, educational materials and safety device distribution. Each May, the Campaign holds National SAFE KIDS Week to reach kids, teachers, and consumers with life-saving messages. Through the Campaign's SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP program, thousands of families attend Car Seat Check Up events each year where trained experts assist families with the proper installation of car seats. The SAFE KIDS CYCLE SMART program features local bicycle rodeos where kids learn safe riding skills, the importance of bike helmet use and receive free helmets. |
| Treasury/Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms | Reducing violent crime, collecting revenue, and protecting the public. | The NRA Foundation, Inc. |
Mission: The NRA Foundation, Inc. is a 501©(3) tax-exempt organization that raises tax-deductible contributions in support of a wide range of firearm-related public interest activities of the National Rifle Association of America and other organizations that defend and foster the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. Programs: The NRA Foundation provides millions of dollars in grant funding for both NRA's educational programs and those of organizations across the country that provide America with youth firearms training, hunter education, conservation, law enforcement training, marksmanship and firearms safety, and many other firearm-related activities |
| Veterans Affairs/National Cemetery Administration | The National Cemetery Administration honors Veterans with a final resting place and lasting memorials that commemorate their service to our nation. | North Dakota Militia Foundation, Inc. | Accomplishments: Grants were made to the Adjutants Office for direct support of the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery which is a state-owned facility. The grant was for maintenance and development costs. Grant was made to the North Dakota National Guard. 188th ADA Bn. Unit Fund for flood relief for unit members due to the Grand Forks, ND flood. |
Unit Contents:
Overview:Philanthropic Research Summary
Lessons:
- 1.
- How Should I Begin?
- 2.
- Government Agencies and Philanthropic Organizations
- 3.
- Nonprofit Organizations in the Local Economy
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