Students form groups, sign group agreements, delegate tasks, and begin forming their service-learing project proposal. The teacher provides mini-lessons to individuals, as needed, who bring information back to groups on presentation skills, budgeting, and service-learning procedure.

Young people make puppets out of recycled materials. They use their creativity to come up with a movable puppet that represents a character in their puppet play.

As a group, the young people and their families make all the preparations for the lemonade sale, including making posters and advertising in creative ways. The posters communicate about the purpose for the sale and the impact they hope to make. The children prepare the lemonade for the sale and...

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...

Learners recognize the value of nonprofit organizations and identify how nonprofits meet citizen needs when government can't.

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.

To help students understand the legal aspects of a 501(c)(3) organization and how they differ from other organizations.

Students view primary documents to explore public policy on service. They make meaning of the government role and citizen responsibility in civic action. They make a personal plan of service based on their available time, talent, and treasure.

Students organize and implement a school-based recycling plan based on a one-day lunchroom waste audit.

Adapt this one-period lesson plan and follow it with a simple and powerful service project for Earth Day. The reflection...