These "LEAGUE Learning Links” provide ten quick and easy 5-minute mini-lessons to help promote The LEAGUE’s vision and scheduled events in your classroom. You can choose from among these mini-lessons and use as many of them as you would like and in whatever order best meets your needs and the interest of your students. The purpose of these mini-lessons is to provide a deeper understanding of philanthropy (the giving of ones, time, talents, and treasures for the common good) and to promote those philanthropic acts that have been identified as supporting The LEAGUE events. These mini-lessons will also help ensure a deeper understanding of character traits, civic engagement, and promote student leadership. It is recommended that students be encouraged to play as much of a role as possible and appropriate in presenting these lessons to their classmates.

1. Read: Most birds build their own nests. Not one nest looks like any other nest. Every nest is different. Every nest is special. Yet every nest serves the same purpose. They are built to hold eggs and eventually new born birds. Most mother and father birds work together to build their nest. It seems more fun that way. They can build a nest more quickly working together. Some mother and father birds are able to return to the nests they built last year. Some have to build a new nest each year. Nests are very important.
   
   Discuss: What are some special things we can do during our King Day event that might be different from what others are doing? Why might it be important for us to work together as a team during our King Day event? What do you think is the most important reason for our King Day event?
   
    
2. Read: Careen and Joel have to help their mother clean the house every Saturday. Careen has to dust. Joel has to clean the counters and sinks. It’s hard work. But things really look nice and clean when it is all finished. Mom said that it helps to do a little cleaning each day. That way everything is easier on Saturday.
   
   Discuss: During our King Day event how we are trying to make things nicer for everyone? Why would it be easier if we tried to make things nicer for everyone all year long rather than just wait for this event? Is it always easy to be nice? How do things look and feel after we have been nice to someone?
   
    
3. Read: One day a baby rooster was hatched in the chicken coop. His mother called him Red. It was because he was very red from head to foot. As he grew older the other chickens and roosters would make fun of him. “Hey Red, your pants are on fire,” they would tease. Because he was so red others would not let him play in their games. Nobody would be his friend. Then one day all of that changed.
   
   Billy the Bull had somehow gotten out of his pen. Farmer Jack was worried. How was he ever going to get Billy back into his pen? The other farm animals were afraid of Billy. He was big and he was mean. He was about to charge the chicken coop when Red got an idea. He heard that bulls don’t like the color red. It makes them really mad. So he flew close so Billy could see him. Billy started to charge Red. But Red flew right into the Billy’s pen. Billy was so mad he didn’t even look where he was going. Soon Farmer Jack was able to close and bolt the gate to Billy’s pen with him in it. Red was a hero!
   
   Discuss: How do you think Red felt when others teased him or when others wouldn’t let him play in their games? What did the others find out about Red that changed their minds about him? Do you think that they teased him anymore? Do you think they let him play in their games? Why or why not? During our King Day event is there anyone who we need to stop teasing? Is there anyone we need to let play in our games?
   
    
4. Read: Erin’s daddy had a big mark on his arm. One day Erin asked her mother what that mark was.
   
   “It’s a scar,” her mother said.
   
   “What’s a scar?” Erin asked.
   
   “Well, a scar marks the spot where your skin has healed over a cut, a bad scrap, or burn?” mother replied.
   
   “Do you always get a scar if you cut yourself?” Erin asked. She was looking at her arm where she had cut herself on bike last year.
   
   “Not always.” Mother replied.
   
   “How did daddy get his scar?” Erin wanted to know.
   
   Mother took Erin on her lap. “Well,” she began slowly. “Daddy was in a war before you were born. One day he was looking for one of his friends. He could not find him right away. When he did find his friend, his friend he was hurt. Daddy rushed out to help him. A bomb went off and part of it hit you daddy in the arm.”
   
   “Did he cry?” Erin asked looking worried.
   
   “Yes,” he cried. “He cried because he was hurt but also because he could not help his friend. Your daddy says that scar reminds him always to be kind to everyone so maybe there wouldn’t have to be wars anymore.”
   
   Discuss: Do any of you have a scar? What happened to you that you got a scar? Because scars show where skin has healed, they are good! Sometimes scars are reminders to be careful. Sometime they are reminders to be kind. Our King Day event is a reminder to be careful and kind to everyone. How can being careful and kind heal the hurts that other people might have?
   
    
5. Read: The building was on fire. There were people in the building. They were trying to get out. A firefighter saw a little girl at the window on the fourth floor. She was afraid and crying. A firefighter put his ladder against the burning building. He climbed up to where the little girl was. He reached for her. She looked down and saw that she was a long way from the ground. She grew more afraid. She backed away from the outstretched hands of the firefighter.
   
   The firefighter said to her, “I know this is scary and that you are afraid. But I am your friend. I am here to help you. Together we can get to the ground safely. You need my help and I need your help. Please trust me.” He reached out to her. This time she went to the firefighter and was rescued.
   
   Discuss: During our King Day event some of the people we want to help may be scared. What do you think might be some things that scare them? How can we show them that we are there to help them? Why is it important to be a friend that is honest, trustworthy, and helpful during our King Day event and everyday thereafter?
   
    
6. Read: Jacob and his mom went shopping. They needed some groceries. Next to the entrance door into the store was a table. On it were beautiful shiny red apples. Jacob wanted one. He asked his mom if he could have one. His mom asked him how he knew if the apples were good to eat.
   
   Jacob replied, “Gee mom look at how shiny and red they are. They must be good to eat!” Mother reminded Jacob of the watermelon they had bought last week at the store. It too looked really good on the outside. It was shiny and green. But when they opened it up they saw that it wasn’t ripe yet.
   
   “Oh yeah”, Jacob recalled. “You said that it’s what’s on the inside that actually makes something delicious not the color of its skin.”
   
   Discuss: Do you ever remember a time when you ate something that looked really good but didn’t taste good? Do you ever remember a time when you ate something that looked just ok but tasted really, really good? Were you surprised? What do you think Jacob’s mom meant when she reminded Jacob that it’s what’s on the inside that actually makes something delicious not the color of its skin. How might this be true for people as well? During our King Day event why is it important not to judge people based only on the color of their skin?
   
    
7. Read: The first grade teacher handed his students the results of their spelling test. Carla had studied hard to do well on the test. When she got her spelling paper she saw that she got a 100%--an A grade. She couldn’t wait to show her family. She knew that they would be proud of her. She had worked hard. It paid off just as grandpa said it would. Carla was proud of herself. She had a good feeling.
   
   Discuss: During our King Day event what will we be doing to help make the world a better place? What are some things we will need to do to help make the event successful? How do you think we will feel about ourselves if it is successful? How do you think others will feel about us if our event is successful? Why is it important to always do our very best?
   
    
8. Read: An eraser is something that can be found on the end of most pencils. It can also be found on chalk or whiteboard trays. Did you know that long ago white bread was used as an eraser? White bread was used to erase pencil and chalk. Most pencil erasers are now made of rubber. Most chalk or whiteboard erasers are now made of felt. The reason for an eraser is to do its job. What is the job of an eraser? If you said its job is to rub out mistakes you are right. They are also used to clean areas. It gives everyone a chance to write new and different things. Erasers can make things look new and clean again.
   
   Discuss: During our King Day event we are trying to make things better. What mistakes do we need to erase so the world can be a better and nicer place to live for everyone? How might our King Day event give us a clean fresh start to do things differently? What could we write on our clean chalk or whiteboard to remind us to be kind to others?
   
    
9. Read: There was a rule in Ashton’s school about throwing snowballs. It was not allowed. That meant you were not supposed to throw snowballs. It seemed like someone forgot about that rule almost every day when it snowed. Children who “forgot” the rule had to go to Ms. Hart the principal. Usually their consequence was that they were not allowed to play out of doors at recess time for a day or two. One day Ashton, who never ever did anything wrong, forgot the rule. Everyone wondered if he would have to go see Ms. Hart. He did. And he had to stay indoors at recess time for two days. Ms. Hart told Ashton, “You know the rule, Ashton. I am sorry that you broke the rule. You know the consequence. You know here at our school everyone who breaks the rules has the same consequence. It’s only fair.”
   
   Discuss: Why do you think Ashton, who never did anything wrong, was punished like everyone else? Do you think it was fair that Ashton had to suffer the consequences like everyone else? Why or why not? During our King Day event we want to be fair. We also want to be kind. How can we be both fair and kind?
   
    
10. Read: This happened in another school not far away. It was a special day. The kindergarten teacher had arranged to have the zoo keeper come to school with some of the smaller animals. The zoo keeper brought a raccoon, a snake, a hawk, and a baby monkey. As the zoo keeper talked about the animals she would hold them up for everyone to see. But she would only let the boys and girls who were wearing red that day carefully pet them. Those who got to pet the animals didn’t mind this rule. But everyone else thought it was not fair.
    
    Discuss: Do you think this rule was fair? Why or why not? Would it have been fairer if only the girls got to pet the animals? Would it have been fairer if only the children with brown hair got to pet the animals? During our King Day event how are we trying to be fair to everyone? Why is it important to be fair to everyone?

Reflection plays a very important role in promoting student learning. The following suggested activities are ways to help students reflect on their learning after they have participated in a service event.  Choose one or more of the activities most appropriate to the service event and your students.

ACTIVITY ONE:
Provide the students with one of four different flower cut-outs of various colors.  Have the students write, or tell you what to write, on each of their flowers that indicate what they did during the Event activity.  When each student has something written on their flower, display all the flowers placing them in a reflection “garden” entitled “Planting Helping Seeds”, “Helping Blossoms,” “Fun Flowers”, etc. When all the flowers have been "planted in the garden" read to the class what is written on each flower. Draw a comparison between flowers making the world more beautiful and their Event deeds making the world more beautiful.

ACTIVITY TWO:
Provide students with a cutout outline of a fish.  Have the students color their fish and then draw a face on their fish that represents how they personally felt when they were helping during the Event activity.  In turn, have each of the students share the feeling that their “fish-face” represents.  As the students share their “fish face” have them place their fish on a display entitled “Sea of Feelings”, “Fish Face Tank,” School of Fish”, or etc.  Ask the students to conclude what the majority of all the fish are ‘feeling’ and why others might be ‘feeling’ differently. Draw a comparison between how fish seem to like ‘schooling together’ to do things and the class coming together to do things like the LEAGUE Event.

ACTIVITY THREE:
Have each student bring their favorite doll, or stuffed animal to class.  (NOTE: Be sure to have a few extra of these items on hand in the classroom for use by students who forget or cannot bring an item.)  Ask the students to share their feelings about their doll or stuffed animal. Remind them of the Event and ask them to share how they felt about being involved in the Event. Help them to see that the feelings they have for their favorite doll or stuffed animal are in some ways alike and in some ways different from their feelings about being involved in the Event, but that for the most part these are all “feel good” feelings.

ACTIVITY FOUR:
Assign each student a partner.  Have them stand back to back.  While in this position, ask the students to take turns sharing with their partner their responses to the prompt, “What did you do during the Event?” After each student has had a chance to share with his or her partner, still in the back-to-back position, ask them to share their responses to a second prompt, “Do you think what you did made a difference?”  After an appropriate amount of time, have the partners face each other and respond to the prompt.  “How do you feel now that the Event is over?” After returning to their seats, ask the students which way of sharing with each other was easier and why.  (Note: depending on the maturity of the group, explain that many times it’s easier and more helpful if we “face” people and situations rather than ‘turn our backs on them.’)