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Project Goals and Success Criteria
  1. Strand PHIL.I Definitions of Philanthropy
    1. Standard DP 01. Define Philanthropy
      1. Benchmark MS.1 Define philanthropy as individuals and organizations providing their time, talent, and/or treasures intended for the common good throughout history and around the world. Give examples.
      2. Benchmark MS.4 Give examples of how individuals have helped others.
      3. Benchmark MS.5 Identify the business, government, family, and civil society sectors.
    2. Standard DP 03. Names and Types of Organizations within the Civil Society Sector
      1. Benchmark MS.1 Recognize terms that describe the civil society sector.
  2. Strand PHIL.II Philanthropy and Civil Society
    1. Standard PCS 07. Skills of Civic Engagement
      1. Benchmark MS.1 Identify and research public or social issues in the community, nation or the world related to the common good. Form an opinion, and develop and present a persuasive argument using communication tools.
  3. Strand PHIL.IV Volunteering and Service
    1. Standard VS 01. Needs Assessment
      1. Benchmark MS.2 Research the need in the school, neighborhood, local community, state, nation, or world.
    2. Standard VS 02. Service and Learning
      1. Benchmark MS.1 Select a service project based on interests, abilities and research.
    3. Standard VS 03. Providing Service
      1. Benchmark MS.2 Describe the goals of the project and their impact.

Discuss concepts of public, private, and civic responsibility, and set the stage for explaining the project criteria. Students begin working in groups to discuss ideas for their projects.

Duration: 
Print50 Minute Class Period
Objectives: 

The learner will

Instructions: 
Print

  1. Review the homework, which was to read and discuss the Challenge Letter. Introduce vocabulary and discuss the concepts of public, private, and civic responsibility. Have a preliminary discussion to consider possibilities for projects over the next three weeks:

    • Hunger in the US and globally
    • Relationship of food production to resolving food insecurity
    • Factors contributing to hunger
    • How hunger is being managed
    • Civic, private, and public responses to hunger
    • Role of philanthropy in alleviating hunger
    • 21st Century Solutions (e.g. technology, bioengineering)
    • Why are we not more successful? What more could be done to solve hunger?
    • How might water safety and quality impact health, nutrition and/or hunger?

  2. Preview the handouts (below), Project Criteria and Combating Food Insecurity Rubric

    As seen in the rubric, students will be evaluated on their ideas, their research, their vocabulary, and also the quality of their presentation.

  3. The teacher will assign groups (matching complementary learners). Once those groups are formed, students will work together to select a research strategy.

    • Students will receive three days of group instruction.
    • Students will have seven days to conduct research.

    NOTE: Teacher assigns groups matching strong learners with those who may need more help. There should be no more than four students in each group. Roles might include leader, writer, graphics, reporter, and other student talents and strengths.

  4. Outline agenda for next three weeks:

    • Background info: Food insecurity, nutrition, water risks, and food production (3 sessions)
    • Time to work in teams to research issues and create a solution (7 sessions)
    • Define the issue (Student Group Activity)
    • Research solution (Student Group Activity)
    • Design and fine-tune solution (Student Group Activity)
    • Share projects and reflection (3 sessions)
    • Extension: Implement service learning projects

  5. Extensions to Projects:

    1. Invite a speaker from the community to talk about food production, such as someone from a local nonprofit, a representative from Feeding America, or a conventional and organic farmer (sample questions in Lesson One).
    2. Visit and volunteer at a local food bank or collect food to bring to a homeless shelter or food bank. 
    3. Learn more about countries experiencing hunger or water safety/scarcity. Students could research countries that are experiencing hunger, finding out more about contributing factors and issues. [Venezuela, Eriteria, Cambodia, Afghanistan and India.] 
    4. Learn more about water quality and water risk issues. Students could study the impact of water related concerns on one region of the world or country, including growing concerns, steps that are being taken, and potential for additional technological, biotechnological, or other solutions.
    5. Plan and conduct a Service Learning Project. Ideas:
    • Create a community or school garden
    • Write government leaders to ask them to advocate for policies that will reduce the level of hunger
    • Participate in the annual CROP Walk or host a CROP Walk at your school or in your community
    • Have students assemble a mock food policy council to represent their community
    • Conduct a survey of neighborhood food distribution services to find out more about food needs and assist with implementing solutions to some of the problems they face
    • Write an essay or story for a student or local newspaper/media on an issue related to hunger, food insecurity, and food production or create an awareness campaign through posters, a short video, or a public service announcement on the school’s morning news program.

     

Assessment: 

End the class by discussing the plan for the next three days (Lesson 3). Students will begin to discover project ideas through the handouts, teacher-led workshops, and resources provided during the lesson.