Learning to Give, Curriculum Division of The LEAGUE

Note: The National Arbor Day Foundation, http://www.arborday.org, has a wealth of information useful in this activity. For a ten-dollar membership fee they will send ten small trees for planting and the Tree Book including planting and care information.

Age:

• 7-11

Philanthropy is:

• Sharing time, talent and treasure, and taking action for the common good.

Purpose:

• Participants will gain an appreciation for the importance of nature and the environment through the philanthropic act of planting a tree to beautify their community.

Objectives:

The young person will:

• understand the importance of trees and how they affect the
  lives and the health of people in our communities and the world.
• understand the connection between philanthropy and environmental stewardship.
  

Activity Theme:

Genesis 1:26 (The Message)
God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth."

American Indian Proverb

“Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”

The facilitator explains to the group that they will be planting a tree(s). Planting a tree is an example of a philanthropic act related to caring for our environment - creation. This activity is about giving of one’s time. The facilitator will remind the group that philanthropy is simply giving of one’s time, talent, and treasure, and taking action for the good of others and/or the common good. The purpose of this activity is to foster an appreciation of nature and the creation. Emphasize that a healthy environment is the foundation of our world and that they have the opportunity to get involved today to make a positive and important difference. They will learn about various philanthropic roles in which we all can participate in order to keep our world environmentally safe, not only for us but for the generations to come. Caring for the environment is called “environmental stewardship.”

Activity Steps:

• Ask participants to list the many purposes of trees to the lives and health of people. Record their responses on chart paper. Give them the handout or share the information from Attachment One (scroll to bottom of page) about the importance of trees.
• Make sure that the group has collected all of the necessary materials before leaving to plant the tree(s): i.e., the shovel, extra soil, and water to nourish the tree after it has been planted. Also make sure that the necessary steps have been taken to arrange for the field trip and the planting. The facilitator should already have permission from the participant's parents/guardians before leaving on the trip. Have a celebration after a job well done!

Processing Questions:

1. How does planting a tree help people?
2. How is planting a tree considered to be a philanthropic act?
3. What does our faith tradition believe about our role in the creation?
4. Why does understanding our purpose lead us to take care of the environment?
5. When we take care of the environment how does it show respect for the Creator?
6. What are some occasions that the community comes together to better the environment?
7. Why is it important to protect the environment?
8. What are some other ways that we can protect our environment?
9. Do you know of any clubs or groups that work to protect the environment?
10. Would you consider creating or getting involved in an environmental group and/or doing other environmental projects?

Variation:

Depending on the location and time involved, there are many other possible activities that the group could do to emphasize protecting the environment: i.e. picking up trash in a local park, planting flowers, weeding a garden, learning about water conservation, create a recycling project and many more. The group would be able to generate a list of ideas and possibly pick a next project.

Supplemental Activity:

Have the participants return home and talk to parents, friends and neighbors about creating a neighborhood Earth Day or Arbor Day. Ask them how they can become involved in an Earth Day/Arbor Day celebration or how they could begin their own Earth Day celebration in their town or neighborhood. One example would be for everyone in his or her neighborhood to pick up trash on his/her block. Challenge the participants to share their planting experience with others.

Suggest that the participants access the National Arbor Day Foundation web site at http://www.arborday.org and click on Carly’s Kids Corner - the picture of the red cardinal bird - to find fun information and activities about trees.

Activity Source:

Learning to Give Lesson (3-5) “Helping Others with a Garden”

Unit “Building a Mini-Park or Bird Sanctuary”

Additional Resources:

The National Arbor Day Foundation. http://www.arborday.org.

Local Heroes

Learning to Give Lesson (K-2) “Heroes in Our Community”

Unit “We Can All Do Our Share”

Community Volunteers

Learning to Give Lesson (6-8) “Unsung Heroes”

Unit “The Power of One - Everyday Heroes for the Common Good”

The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Philanthropy Theme Framework :

Strand Standard Benchmark PHIL I. Definitions of Philanthropy DP 01. Define Philanthropy E 3. Recognize that citizens have a responsibility for the common good, and define core democratic values. PHIL I. Definitions of Philanthropy DP 04. Operational Characteristics of Nonprofit Organizations E 1. Describe how citizens organize in response to a need. PHIL I. Definitions of Philanthropy DP 05. Role of Foundations E 4. Describe the concept of saving for the future. PHIL II. Philanthropy and Civil Society PCS03. Philanthropy and Economics E 5. Recognize the wise use of resources as stewardship. PHIL II. Philanthropy and Civil Society PCS04. Philanthropy and Geography E 3. Describe the "characteristics of place" related to the school and neighborhood. PHIL II. Philanthropy and Civil Society PCS05. Philanthropy and Government E 3. Discuss the importance of personal virtue, good character, and ethical behavior in a democracy. PHIL III. Philanthropy and the Individual PI 01. Reasons for Individual Philanthropy E 1. Describe one reason why a person might give or volunteer. PHIL III. Philanthropy and the Individual PI 01. Reasons for Individual Philanthropy E 2. Identify why people practice philanthropy related to their own self-interest. PHIL IV. Volunteering and Service VS 03. Providing Service E 1. Provide a needed service for students in the school, or citizens in the neighborhood. PHIL IV. Volunteering and Service VS 04. Raising Private Resources E 1. Identify why private resources (volunteers and money) are needed. PHIL IV. Volunteering and Service VS 05. Integrating the Service Experience into Learning E 2. Evaluate progress on the Service-Learning project before, during, and after the project. PHIL IV. Volunteering and Service VS 05. Integrating the Service Experience into Learning E 3. Identify outcomes from the service.