We define community as "coming together with a common purpose" and brainstorm communities we are part of: classroom, sports team, interest and faith groups, and neighborhood. We reflect on how philanthropy and trust affect the common good of the community.
Introduce the folksinger Woody Guthrie and his legendary song This Land Is Your Land. His songs were written for everyone to get involved in their community. Learners understand that it is the responsibility of everyone to help take care of each other and the Earth.
The song "This Land Is Your Land" describes many places in the United States in order to call out our wonderful shared places. Young people understand that a country is made up of people living in the same place and working together to keep the...
Rosa Parks’s acts of philanthropy brought a community of people together for the common good and resulted in major social change in her community and in the nation. Young people identify the relationship between individual rights, justice, equality, and community responsibility.
After reading two stories, learners compare and contrast the attitudes, actions, and impact of the main characters. They reflect on some essential questions: What does it mean to be a philanthropist? What does it mean to be an environmentalist? What does it mean to be a good steward...
Youth make a chart of how they typically spend a free day and then envision what that same free day would look like when it is infused with philanthropy. They plan a free day, substituting their usual routine with activities that serve the community. They discuss the benefits and...
Youth learn about basic human rights and discuss whether everyone deserves these rights. In addition, they reflect on examples of human kindness and collective action for the common good.
Youth analyze personal reasons for taking action and compare them to the researched motivations for giving.
Young people are making a difference for the issues they care about in big and small ways every day. Learners read stories of young people who are taking action through philanthropy and discuss the attributes of youth philanthropists. They reflect on their own power and potential to make a...
This lesson introduces the definition of a community and explores how communities come together to help or address a need.
Photo credit: Woodward Downtown by Becky McCray is licensed under CC BY 2.0...