The Power of Children
How can students create positive change in our community?
Photo Credit: 2012 June - Teen Thursday ductigami – Heather by Allen County (IN) Public Library is licensed under CC by 2.0
This is a Project Based Learning (PBL) unit. The students individually identify a need in their community and research how a service-learning project could be beneficial. Students form small groups and create a layout of a service-learning project (including a budget and timeline). At the end of the unit they hold a "Service-Learning Expo," where the students present their projects. The participants vote on the best project, and the winning projects will be implemented by the class or school during the rest of the school year.
Students are introduced to philanthropy and service-learning. They learn about different needs in the community and community organizations that address these needs. Students are introduced to the full scope of the Project Based Learning (PBL) project. They establish the "Knows and Need to Knows" for the project.
Students brainstorm the elements that make an effective service-learning project. They discuss the important elements and take responsibility for making sure these are carried out in the final project. They review the rubric and discuss expectations for a presentation of a service-learning project proposal.
Students determine which community need should have greatest priority. Once a priority need has been determined, students research organizations that address that community need. The research process will use a student-generated list of questions.
Students form groups based on issue areas on which to base their service-learning projects. They 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.
In this lesson, students complete all necessary aspects of the service-learning presentation. Students present their proposal at a community expo. From these proposal presentations, the class votes on their favorite service-learning project and this becomes the project the whole class carries out.
Students evaluate their learning about philanthropy and the process of selecting a service-learning project. They write a guided reflection on their experience.