The children select a service project based on interests and abilities, and community needs. They plan and carry out the project. Some community projects may include fixing up a park, helping at the library, helping a neighbor, building bird houses for the nature center, and making banners...
Native Americans, or Indigenous People, are located geographically across the entire continent of North America. There are many stereotypes of native culture, but their culture varies as much as their locations, as each group of native peoples have their own traditions. This lesson focuses on...
The purpose of this unit is to raise awareness about the impact of growth (commercial and residential) on the environment, specifically, how impervious surfaces impact the environment. Learners explore the impact of some of the following factors on the environment: population density, land...
This lesson will introduce the basic personal finance terms spend, save, invest and donate in the context of making economic decisions or choices with money. The important economic concepts of scarcity and opportunity cost, plus the concepts of philanthropy and common good, will be taught...
In this lesson, students create a gift of story modeled after the documentary The Gift of All. The students will research and/or interview a local philanthropist. Each student will write a biography telling the story of the philanthropist. They share the completed biography with an...
Students watch the documentary The Gift of All: a Community of Givers and identify the motivations and attributes of the generous people interviewed. Students read, summarize, and report on short biographies of philanthropists. Student writing includes metaphors and journal reflections...
The purpose of this lesson is for students to plan and develop a video documentary. Modeling their documentary after the West Michigan documentary The Gift of All, students create a multi-media story of their community and local philanthropy. Creating and sharing the documentary is an...
This lesson explores how electricity is created, used, measured, and conserved. Through the use of data collection tables, students measure and analyze their families' electrical energy consumption. Students learn about the various renewable and non-renewable resources available to produce...
The purpose of this unit is to learn how “recycle” relates to trash and the environment. They work together in groups to brainstorm ways that they can recycle trash and why it is important. They learn the term philanthropist (someone who gives of their “time, talents and...
This lesson will introduce the basic personal finance terms spend, save, invest and donate in the context of making economic decisions or choices with money. The important economic concepts of scarcity and opportunity cost, plus the concepts of philanthropy and common good, will be taught...