Reflection plays a very important role in promoting student learning. The following suggested activities are ways to help students reflect on their learning after they have participated in a service event.  Choose one or more of the activities most appropriate to the service event and your students.

ACTIVITY ONE: Give each student four sticky notes. On one of the sticky notes have the students write their response, using one or two words, to the question, “How did you feel about participating in the event prior to actually being involved?” On the second sticky note have the students write their response to the question, “How did you feel while being involved in this Event?” On the third sticky note, have the students respond to this question, “How did you feel after the Event was over?” And on the fourth sticky note have the students respond to the question, “What could I do differently in the future?” 
Place the following headings on the display board: Before, During, After, Future. Have students come and place their sticky notes under the appropriate heading on the display board.  Allow time for them to walk around to view and read the comments of others. Encourage them to note similarities and differences.  Involve the class in a discussion using the prompt,”What did you learn from reading everyone’s comments?”

ACTIVITY TWO: Give each student three sheets of multi-colored construction paper, one sheet of white construction paper, a pair of scissors, and a black marker (assorted colored pens are optional).  Using one of the sheets of multi-colored construction paper for each shape, ask each student to draw and cut out the following shapes: 1) a head, with a “light bulb” drawn in it; 2) a body, with a “heart” drawn in it, and; 3) limbs-two arms and two legs.  Ask the students to think about what the “light bulb” and “heart” might represent. (NOTE: The ‘light bulb” is an icon often identified with “ideas”. The “heart” as an icon is often identified with “feelings.”) Ask the students what they think the “arms and legs” might represent. (NOTE: Arms and legs are often associated with going places and doing things.) Now have the students use their sheet of white construction paper to cut out three “word bubbles.” (See Example) Have them write words or phrases that represent how their head (mind), their body (heart) and their arms and legs were involved in the Event.

Said another way, one ‘bubble’ for the head (what they thought about the Event),
one “bubble” for the body (how they felt about the Event), and one ‘bubble’ for the limbs (what they did for the Event).  When completed, call the first student to the bulletin board-type display area entitled  “Join the Crowd” (or some similarly appropriate title).Have each student, in turn, pen his/her designed cutout head along with its “bubble” on the display board. Share some of the responses. Now have each student come and pen his/her cutout body beneath their head along with its bubble. Share some of the responses. Finally, have each student pen his/her designed cutout arms and legs on their body along with the “bubble.” Share some of the responses. Have students walk past the ‘crowd’ and read the “bubble”. Discuss findings, comparisons, and final thoughts.

ACTIVITY THREE: Assign the students to one of four groups and distribute a white sheet of square paper, preferably 21.5” x 21.5” (the official size of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd base in Major League Baseball), a pair of scissors for each student, a glue stick/paste and a variety of magazines and newspapers.  Tell them that they are to go look through these magazines and newspapers to cut out pictures and /or words that could be used to describe their involvement in the recent service project. Once they have cut out as many pictures or words as they can, in the allotted time, as a group they are to decide which pictures and/or words will be included on their group base. Tell them to glue the pictures and/or words to their base.  When completed they are to offer their base for display in the area marked “Let’s Play Ball” or “Covering All the Bases,” etc (Note: You may wish to display the base in the traditional diamond shape to add more realism and invite interested students to complete the ballpark design. If time allows, ask the students how participating in this service project is like playing baseball/participating in sports.)

ACTIVITY FOUR: Using the name of the service project, have students brainstorm words or short phrases, the letters of which when properly placed, form some sort of crossword puzzle-like creation.  These words should ‘describe’ the activity, the feelings, and/or the impact of the Event for the individual student involved.   

When the students have each completed their own crossword puzzle, instruct them to draw an outline of the pattern around their words (See above), have them shade-in the interior of the form with a light color pencil or crayon, so as not to cover up the words, and then cut out the form along the outline. Display these crossword puzzles forms in an area entitled, “The Shape of Our Service” or “We’re in Great Shape”, “Join the Crowd” or etc.