Concepts of Leadership
The thematic unit, Concepts Of Leadership, is designed to be integrated into the regular American History class over the period of an entire year culminating in a discussion and inquiry session which leads to a Service Learning experience for each student. At various times during the course of the regular American History class, the unit presents various "leaders" in chronological sequence and the events in which they were involved. Toward the end of April, these leaders will be presented again with the focus question: How does leadership develop in an individual to the point where he or she is willing to take private action for common good?
This unit will enable students to identify the elements of decision-making that leaders have used throughout history and the challenges and rewards that they encountered as they committed themselves to taking private action for public good. Students will also understand the conflicts in society between economic and environmental interests and the role of the citizen in government.
Students will utilize primary source material to identify three key ways that both Native American societies and our early government promoted leadership in their citizens.
To enable students to recognize various roles that an individual leader can take throughout his life.
To enable the student to identify characteristics of philanthropic leadership and apply it to his or her own life.
To enable students to identify the personal attributes of those individual volunteers who chose to be involved in the abolition movement and in the fight for women's suffrage.
To enable students to understand the contributions and sacrifices made by the Mormons and their leaders in the development of the West.
To help students identify the fundamental components of philanthropic leadership through the life of Ida B. Wells.
To acquaint students with Andrew Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth and enable them to determine if it provides the philosophy for today's philanthropists.
To enable students to understand the conflicts in society between economic and environmental interests and the role of the citizen in government.
To enable students to describe the social and economic consequences of overpopulation as well as philosophical issues that affect government policies and decision-making about economic issues.
To enable students to identify a major Michigan philanthropic contributor whose efforts still affect society today.
To enable students to list the conditions which led César Chávez to direct the farm workers' struggle for economic wellbeing and to evaluate current issues facing farm workers and the American consumer today.