Giving homemade blankets to help people who are homeless or young people in the hospital is a form of philanthropy (giving treasure). What is the best way to donate? Using a decision-making model, the young people compare blanket projects and determine whether they have the time,...
Students learn about the characteristics of an effective personal narrative and compare those to a news article. They do prewriting activities and practice writing details to show rather than tell about an experience.
In a kid-friendly approach, we look at the components of the U.S. Constitution and put early government-forming events in a context. We distinguish the roles of the three branches of government, especially the structure and responsibilities of our judicial system.
Young people identify an animal welfare organization to research, and then develop a plan to help persuade others to take up the cause(s) of this group using an advocacy type of their choice.
Students read about the Orphan Train and compare and contrast how that philanthropic effort has evolved today.
Using texts and experiential learning experiences, this lesson emphasizes the reasons why giving tzedakah, or charity, is a fundamental concept in Judaism.
Young people discuss examples of philanthropy in poems and quotations. They write an expression of philanthropy using the poetic conventions of metaphor, simile, and personification. These statements could be used as the text for greeting cards produced for an Art from the...
Small personal actions can be first steps in a life of service and civic engagement. Voting and civic action are small examples of responsible citizenship. Advocating for what we value is a demonstration of a citizen's rights.
This lesson focuses on the meaning and benefits of gratitude. Teens research one aspect of gratitude in order to understand its relationship to health, happiness, or generosity. For their service project, they decide how they can 'deliver gratitude' to a deserving person or group. They will then...
Children learn about caring and sharing through discussion of the book Martin's Big Words. The lesson introduces the "big" word philanthropy (giving time, talent, and treasure for the common good).