These Learning Links provide ten quick-and-easy, five-minute mini-lessons to promote student thought and dialogue about service and civic engagement. You may use as many of them as you wish, 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 time, talent, and treasure for the common good) and to reinforce the lesson focus. These Learning Links also promote the development of character traits, civic engagement, and student leadership. As appropriate to your grade level, it is recommended that students play an active leadership role in presenting these mini-lessons to their classmates.

1. Read: Sometimes a decision is made by the flip of a coin. If after tossing the coin “heads” appears one thing happens. If “tails” appears another thing happens. A football game starts by using the flip of a coin. It decides which team will be the first to receive the ball depending on whether heads or tail is showing after a flip. It makes decision-making easier.
   
   A more difficult decision might be what we should do with our coins? Do we save it? Do we spend it? Or do we give it away to someone in need?
   
   Discuss:  During our Penny Drive event what decisions will we have to make? Why might these decisions be more difficult that just flipping a coin? What are some things that could help us make these decisions?
   
    
2. Read: Aaron’s grandfather always said “A Penny saved is a penny earned.” He probably heard this saying from his grandfather who heard it from his grandfather. Actually this quote belongs to Ben Franklin who lived a very long time ago. The following quote also belongs to Mr. Franklin. "Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?"  While the word “talent” has grown to mean a personal gift or skill that one might possess, back in Mr. Franklin’s days “talent” meant an amount of money.
   
   Discuss: A sundial was an ancient way of telling time. It required the sun to be shining in order to create a shadow to work properly. So a sundial in the shade was useless. How might the quotes: A penny saved is a penny earned and Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade? - represent spending, saving, and donating? When might it be a good thing to spend money? To save money? To donate money? If Mr. Franklin were to walk into our school today, what do you think he would say about our Penny Drive event?
   
    
3. Read:  Aaron’s grandpa knew that Aaron wanted to save up money for a new bike. When school began, he told Aaron that for every “A” he got on his report card, he would give him $1.00. Report cards at Aaron’s school come out four times a year. Since he usually got lots of “A’s” on his report card, Aaron knew this would be easy. Later when he got his first report card of the year, Aaron took it to his grandpa. Grandpa gave Aaron $6.00. “Congratulations! I’m proud of you. Keep up the good work!” grandpa said with a big smile. Aaron felt proud of himself. That night he counted his money. With the money he had just received, he was only $18 short of being able to buy that new bike. The next two report cards brought Aaron twelve more dollars. Now he was just $6.00 short of his goal with one final report card to go. It was then that Aaron’s school announced their annual Penny Drive. Everyone was asked to think about donating some money. This year Aaron’s school decided to give the money they collected during their Penny Drive to help provide meals for homeless people in the community. Aaron wanted to contribute. But he also wanted that new bike. As he stood staring at his old bike, he wondered what it would be like to be really hungry; not to have much to eat. He decided what he had to do. The next day he told his mother that he was donating all $18.00 grandpa had given him for the A’s on his report card. He was giving it all to the Penny Drive. Mother smiled and patted him on the head. “That’s really a nice thing for you to do,” she said.
   
   After dropping his money in the container at school that day, Aaron walked away feeling proud of himself. Oh, he would miss having the bike. But he reminded himself that the old one still worked okay. Arriving home after school that day, he kissed his mom and went to get a snack from the refrigerator. “How did it go, today?” she asked.
   
   “This was a good day!” Aaron replied. Mother knew why it was a good day.
   
   “I’m glad to hear that, “she said handing him the kitchen wastebasket. “Here, would you please dump this in the trash can in the garage?” Aaron took the wastebasket and opening the door to the garage. There stood grandpa next to the brand new bike Aaron had been saving for.
   
   “Congratulations! I’m proud of you. Keep up the good work!” grandpa said with a big smile. Then he gave Aaron a big bear hug.
   
   Discuss: What decision did Aaron have to make? What were the opportunity costs?  Why do you think Aaron felt proud of himself after he gave his “hard earned” money to the School’s Penny Drive? Why do you think grandpa congratulated Aaron and told him that he was proud of him and to keep up the good work? What “good work” is our Penny Drive hoping to accomplish this year? What might be some of our opportunity costs?
   
    
4. Read: Two battleships were assigned to train in heavy weather at sea for several days. One night after darkness had fallen and patchy fog had settled in, from the bridge came this report, “Light, bearing on the starboard bow.”
   
   “Is it steady or moving toward us?” The captain called out.
   
   “Steady captain,” came the reply.
   
   Somewhat concerned, the captain called back, “Signal that ship. Tell them we are on a collision course. Advise them to change their course 20 degrees.”
   
   Back came the signal, “Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees.”
   
   “Signal that ship again and tell them, I’m a captain. I am ordering them to change their course 20 degrees!”
   
   “I’m a seaman second class,” came the reply. “You had better change your course 20 degrees.”
   
   Furiously the captain gave the order to signal back, “I’m a battleship. Change your course 20 degrees!”
   
   Back came the flashing light, “I’m a lighthouse!”
   
   Discuss: We are left to assume from this story that the battleship changed its course. How does knowing all the facts help in making a decision? Is it always easy to change your mind when you think you are right? Why or why not? As we anticipate our Penny Drive what information might be important for us to know when it comes to deciding how and where we will donate the money that we collect?
   
    
5. Read: Mrs. Arenson panicked! She was about 45 miles from the mall when she realized that she did not have her purse. She recalled that she had set it down in the Food Court. She was afraid that it would be gone. But she stopped to make a call at gas station, anyway. Imagine her relief when the person on the other end of the line told her that her purse had been turned in. Hurrying back to the mall all sorts of things ran through her mind. She wondered how she could be so careless to have left it there in the first place. She wondered if whoever found the purse took things out of it before turning it in. She wondered if she should offer a reward to the person who turned it in. When she finally arrived back at the mall and appeared at the Courtesy Desk, she was handed her purse. Quickly looking through it, she discovered that nothing had been disturbed. Feeling a need to offer a reward, she turned to the manager in charge. She asked if the person who turned it in had left a name or telephone number. “No, no name or number,” the clerk replied. “But I can tell you this; the young boy who turned it in was probably around 11 or 12 years old.  And from the looks of things I think he and his family could have used some money. In fact, all he said to me was, ‘If you talk to the woman who owns this purse, tell her to pay it forward. I think she’ll know what I mean’.”
   
   Discuss: Why do you think Mrs. Arenson was so convinced at first that her purse would no longer be at the mall? Have you ever misplaced something only to find it later? How did you feel when it was discovered? Why would Mrs. Arenson feel a need to reward the young boy? What do you think the young boy meant when he said to pay it forward? How is our Penny Drive an example of paying it forward?
   
    
6. Read: There are three ways everyone can use the money they earn and receive. Money can be saved (put in a bank or piggy bank). It can be spent (on ourselves or for buying something for others). Or, it can be donated (given away to an individual or cause). We might earn money by doing chores around the house or little jobs. We might even get an allowance. We might get money as a gift around the holidays or on our birthday. These are some of the ways that we can earn or receive money. Usually money earned or received as a gift is our responsibility to do with what we wish.
   
   Discuss:  Do you think most kids our age spend, save, or donate their money? Why do you think this might be so? What might motivate someone to want to spend all their money? Save all their money? Donate all their money? How might someone do all three? How can we help everyone understand that our Penny Drive is for a good cause and that donating some of their money is showing responsible behavior?
   
    
7. Read: The boys and girls who live in Marksville are always excited when summer comes. It means that the Walker Community Pool is open. As soon as the green flag flies at the pool entrance, everyone is invited to come and swim. It usually is a busy place. Kids are jumping and splashing, talking and laughing. Moms and dads are sitting around talking to each other as they keep watch. They want to be sure that everyone is playing safely. It’s just a great place to be on a hot summer day!
   
   One day, I asked my mom about the picture of the man that hangs above the pool entrance. She told me that it was a picture of Mr. Walker. He had died before I was born. Because he loved to swim and he loved children he decided to give a lot of his money to have the pool built for the community. She said that Mr. Walker also left some of his money in an endowment to make sure the pool would always be open and clean each summer. I wasn’t sure what an endowment was so I looked it up. I guess it means that Mr. Walker also left some money in a bank and the interest that the money earns is used to keep the pool open and clean each year. It appears that the pool will be open in the summer for a long, long time.
   
   Discuss: How did Mr. Walker use his money to make the community a better place to live and play? What did he do to make sure that the pool would always be open for the community? As we think of our Penny Drive in what ways might we use our money to make the community a better place to live and play?
   
    
8. Read:  Somewhereville Elementary School decided to give the money they raised this year during their Penny Drive to their local Humane Society. This is place where animals are cared for and offered for adoption. April was really excited.
   
   Last week, her grandmother and she stopped to see one of her grandmother’s friends. She was in a nursing home. This is a place where many older people go when they need many help caring for themselves.
   
   On the way home from their visit grandmother told April how just a couple of months ago her friend was really sad and lonely. But that all changed when the local Humane Society brought Bonner to her room. Bonner is a pet Black Labrador Retriever. Grandmother said that her friend is now back to her old self. She’s also feeling so much better. “How could having a pet make that much difference?” April asked.
   
   “I’m not really sure,” said grandmother. “I did read somewhere that having a pet helps people to feel better. Sometimes people in nursing homes can get very lonely. I guess having a pet around just seems to help.”
   
   “Where do they get these pets from?” April continued.
   
   “My friend got hers from the Humane Society. They have a program there called Pets For the Elderly Foundation (PFE). People donate money to this Foundation. This money helps seniors adopt pets. They also save the lives of lots of pets that otherwise might have to be put to sleep because nobody wants them.” How sad April thought. So when she heard the news about this year’s Penny Drive, she told her class the story of her grandmother’s friend. She told them how having a pet helps people feel better. Everyone got really excited. They all wanted this Penny Drive to be the very best one yet.
   
   Discuss: How can Somewhereville’s Penny Drive benefit both people and animals? Why is it important to know something about the organizations to which we will be donating our money? Why do think the Somewhereville’s students wanted this Penny Drive to be the very best ever? What are some things we do to help make this year’s Penny Drive our best one ever?
   
    
9. Read: People who help raise money for good causes know some secrets. One of these secrets is people give money because they are asked to give. Another secret is that people love to give money for causes that are really important to them. And another secret is people who give money like being “thanked.” In fact, people who are thanked are more likely to give more money the next time they are asked.
   
   Discuss: How will knowing these secrets help us raise money for our Penny Drive? How can we be sure that we thank everyone for being a part of our Penny Drive?
   
    
10. Read: An elementary school in California decided to raise money to buy toys for children.  It was the holiday season. These students knew that many children would be without toys during this time of year. They raised enough money to donate $143.23 to their community’s Toys for Tots program.   Did you know that the Toys for Tots program began about the time our grandparents were our age? It all started when a Marine officer and his wife decided they wanted to help kids in need have a better holiday season.  The Marine’s wife made a Raggedy Ann Doll. She asked her husband to donate it to an organization who gave toys to children during the holidays. They soon discovered that there wasn’t any such organization. So the Marine and his wife decided to start one. The Toys for Tots program was born.
    
    Discuss: How will our Penny Drive be like collecting Toys to give to children who have less than we do? How do you think people will feel about us helping them?
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