6th-8th Grade
Subjects:
Language Arts, Library / Technology, Philanthropy and Social Studies
Key Words/Concepts click to view
| ELA: | Concept Mapping; Cultural/Historical Contexts; Narrative Writing; Research; Writing Process |
| PHIL: | 10 lesson genOn; 5 lesson genOn; Caring/Sharing; Charity; Common Good; Contribute; Empathy; Empower; Motivation for Giving; Need; Opportunity Costs; Philanthropic Traditions; Sacrifice; Selflessness; Stewardship; Time/Talent/Treasure; Tolerance; Trust |
| SOC: | Communities; Cultures; Good Character; Native Peoples; Nonprofit; Research |
Focus Question(s):
What does it mean to be a member of a community?
NOTE: Prior to this lesson, use the Blue Sky Activity in which students envision a better world. If you already have a Blue Sky display, revisit it before beginning this lesson.
Purpose:
Students will recognize the value of giving to the community by looking at examples of the sacrifices and traditions of people of Native American culture.
Duration:
One 45 Minute Class Period
Objectives:
The learner will:
- give examples of philanthropic deeds of Native American people.
- compare the deeds of Native Americans to the benefits and sacrifices (opportunity cost) of their actions.
Materials:
- Anticipatory Set Overhead (Attachment One)
- The Talking Circle Overhead (Attachment Two)
- One feather for each group of seven (Use a real feather or create a paper feather.)
- Native American Scenarios, a copy for each student (Attachment Three)
- Symbol (Using the graphic organizer Native American Scenarios Talking Circle Recording Sheet, Attachment Four, enlarge each of the graphics and glue them to the back of the corresponding scenario card.)
- Native American story cards, a copy for each group (created from Attachment Three.) Prior to the activity, make enough sets of these scenarios on cards so that each group of seven will have a set. You will also want to put the appropriate graphic on the back of each one. Refer to The Talking Circle (Attachment Two) for directions. Using enough colors of construction paper to create a set of the Native American Scenarios (Attachment Three) to accommodate all students. Each set will contain one of each of the 7 scenarios. (In other words if you have 30 students, you will need 4 or 5 colors so that each individual set will be easy to identify during the activity. (For the two extra students you may consider doubling them up, or removing one of the scenarios from each set so that each group has only six students.) Cut and paste each separate scenario on an individual piece of construction paper, creating one card per scenario.
- Use the following list to place the appropriate graphic on the back of each. Use the graphics from Native American Scenarios Talking Circle Recording Sheet (Attachment Four).
Thorpe - heart in hands
Massey - bag/pouch
Harris - shirt (explain the well-known phrase “the shirt off my back”)
Hill - grave
Mankiller - interconnected rings
Williams - key
Coyhis – deer
- Native American Scenarios Talking Circle Recording Sheet, one for each student (Attachment Four)
- My Communities Recording Sheet (Attachment Five)
- Dictionaries or access to Learning To Give vocabulary terms (optional)
- Handout 1
- Anticipatory Set
- Handout 2
- The Talking Circle
- Handout 3
- Native American Scenarios
- Handout 4
- Native American ScenariosTalking Circle Recording Sheet
- Handout 5
- My Communities
- Handout 6
- Chart
Instructional Procedure(s):
Anticipatory Set:
Display a slide or overhead of Attachment One (or create a copy on the board). Be sure to include a few examples if you are creating the table from scratch, as it will give the students a direction. Instruct students to set up a sheet of notebook paper the same way and continue to list as many words as they can, under each of the letters that would relate to “ingredients or aspects” of successful communities. These may include words that represent “good character” i.e. “Considerate,” as well as those that represent concepts that build a community i.e. Unity.
Teacher Note: If you generally start your class with a journal entry use this for your journal entry allowing students about 5 minutes to come up with as many suggestions as they can. (They will unlikely be able to find a word for every letter in the time allotted.) If you do not use a journal entry or “self-starter” activity, you may consider immediately starting with “whole-group”. You may have to make suggestions when the students need prompting.
Example: (Complete so each letter in C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y is used)
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C
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M
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Caring
Charity
Contribute
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Open-
Mindedness
Optimistic
Opportunity Costs
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Motivation for Giving
Morality
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Mindful
Mission
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Under-
standing
Unity
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- Hand out a Native American Scenario to each student. Explain to students that they will be “role-playing” during the next activity. They are to represent the person on their scenario card. Allow a few minutes for students to read through their scenario a couple times, about 5 minutes. Circulate the room to help students with any unfamiliar words.
- The Talking Circle: Explain to the students that the scenarios used in this activity are the authentic words of Native American people of today. Each of the people quoted in the lesson is real and is of our time period. These people represent the customs and habits of people of Native American communities.
- Display an overhead or slide of the Talking Circle Overhead (Attachment Two) using whole group instruction. Once the students understand the concept, have them get into groups of seven according to the color of the construction paper on their scenario card. Have each group form a circle. Distribute a Native American Scenarios Talking Circle Recording Sheet (Attachment Four).
- Have each student take a few minutes to record a few of key concepts on their recording sheet in the box designated for their respective scenario. For example: The student who has Thorpe will record some ideas in the box which contains the heart in hand, and so on with each student filling his or her portion of the recording sheet. (This procedure eliminates the need for the reader to stop and write during his/her presentation.)
- Choose one student to be the leader and give that student a feather. The leader’s responsibility is to help the students successfully complete this activity.
- Instruct the leaders to start the circle by introducing their “name and tribe” from the scenario sheet. They then share the beliefs from the scenario card. While each member of the circle is sharing, students continue to record concepts/words or ideas that pertain to that person’s beliefs and foster “community”. These words should be recorded on the recording sheet next to the graphic that is on the back of the reader’s scenario card. The talking circle continues until all members have had a chance to share.
Note: Ideas for recording sheets and their correlation to graphics:
- Thorpe (heart in hand) This graphic is used because the message is that people give unconditional love, giving from the heart with no expectation of return.
- Massey (bag/pouch) This graphic is used to represent a collection of little things which are given to any visitors. The collection represents your appreciation of the visit.
- Harris (shirt) This graphic is used to represent the idea that no material item is too sacred to give to someone else. Harris explains that any item admired by another should be given to that person. This exemplifies the cliché “shirt off your back.”
- Hill (grave) This graphic is used to represent the idea of the spirit. Hill explains that people are known or remembered for what they give and that giving is generosity of the spirit.
- Mankiller (interconnected rings) This graphic is used to represent the strong connection the Native people have to their tribes.
- Williams (key) This graphic is used to represent William’s idea that respect is the key element in teaching philanthropy.
- Coyhis (deer) This graphic is used to represent the Native tradition of “sharing the deer.” “Sharing the deer” is the idea that everything you have is shared with your community, as in a hunt when the game is shared among all members of the group.
- Once all students have finished, conclude with a whole-group discussion of their findings.
- My Communities: Hand out My Communities (Attachment Five) to each student. Take a few minutes to talk about what it means to sacrifice. Instruct students to complete the questions on this sheet. If time allows ask students to share their responses.
Assessment:
My Communities recording sheet
Learning Link(s): (click to view)
Have an idea for a Learning Link?
If your Link is accepted for publication on the Web site you will be credited with your name, school, and city.
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.
- Read: Excuses are reasons used to explain some of our actions. For example, we use excuses when we are asked to do something that we are not sure we want to do. Saying “no” should be easy with no excuses necessary. This is especially true when it comes to using drugs, stealing, vandalizing things and in other ways breaking the law or hurting our health or the health of others. But sometimes our saying “no” is followed by such excuses as: I’m not good at that! Other kids will laugh at me! I’m too busy! What difference can I make? That’s not my problem! Usually we use excuses like these when we are asked to do something we are afraid to do or don’t want to do even though we know that we should. While we all can use our “no” to mean “no” whenever we feel it is in our best interest, sometimes we need to look at our excuses when we say “no” to things that are in the best interest of everyone.
Discuss: As we think about our service project how easy might it be for us to use excuses not to participate? How can we encourage those who use excuses because they do not want to participate in our service project? In what ways might our One Day be in the “best interest of everyone”?
- Read: We all know that 1 apple + 1 apple = 2 apples. But did you know that 1 person + 1 person can equal 2, or 3, or perhaps even more people? This unusual “math fact” describes synergy. Synergy is a big word that means when two or more people are working together they can create an effect far greater than they could if they worked alone.
A good example of synergy recently appeared in a newspaper article in Belmont, New Hampshire. According to the reports “…eight unidentified men helped free a woman who was trapped under her car after crashing along Route 107. The local newspaper reported the next day that … Lisa K., of Belmont, lost control of her car while driving south on Route 107. Her car crossed the center-divide and went into the ditch and rolled over on top of her. Police told reporters that about eight men, apparently on their way to work, lifted the car off Lisa. Another passer-by called 911 and was told to tell the men not to move her. So these eight men held the car up in the air until a rescue team arrived at the scene.” We know that no one human being could do this alone. So how was this possible? It was possible because of synergy; people working together in order to save Lisa’s life.
Discuss: How important is working together for our service project and other events like it? How will our working together accomplish more than working alone? How can we work together to produce synergy?
- Read: Baseball is a game of strategy. It is also a team sport. Sometimes players are actually asked to make “sacrifices” for the team. There are two types of sacrifices baseball players can be asked by their manager to make for the benefit of the entire team. One of these sacrifices is called a “sacrifice fly.” Here the player is asked to focus all his ability on hitting a pitched ball deep into the outfield. By so doing it is hoped that a runner on base would be able to advance a base after the outfielder caught the ball. The other type of “sacrifice” is called a “sacrifice bunt.” In this situation, a batter is asked to hit the ball slowly into the infield in hopes to advance a runner while he, the batter, is being thrown out at first base. The batter purposely makes an out in this situation in order to advance a runner. There are other occasions when player are asked to make sacrifices, but they are not called sacrifices. On occasions a player may be asked to give up his turn at bat and allow a “pinch-hitter” to bat instead. A player on base may be asked to allow a “pinch runner” to run in his place. A player may be asked to give up his position in the field so a “defensive replacement” can take his place. A starting pitcher may be asked to allow a relief pitcher to come into the game and replace him on the mound. All this strategy is intended to make the “final score” something that will make the team proud.
Discuss: In what ways will our service project require a team effort? In what ways might we have to make “sacrifices” for our team in order to make the “final score” one that will make everyone proud?
- Read: In 1920 Robert Frost’s Poem entitled The Road Not Taken was published. From your literature classes you may recall that the poem starts with these lines:
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both.
And it ends with these lines:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Discuss: We know that there are a number of interpretations concerning the intended meaning of this poem. Probably the most popular being that Mr. Frost was advocating for the excitement of “risk”; and choosing to do things that others might not consider safe or comfortable. In what ways might involving oneself in our service project be like taking the road less traveled? How might our doing so, “make all the difference?”
www.bartleby.com/119/1.html
- Read: Have you seen the movie Rocky? In it Sylvester Stallone plays an underdog boxer. He is far out classed by a formidable opponent by the name of Apollo Creed. Bigger and stronger by far than his opponent, Apollo Creed would appear to be the winner even before the first punch was landed. But Rocky had three qualities that spurred him on to defeat Apollo Creed. Those qualities were determination, an “I-can-do-it” attitude, and his love for his girlfriend, Adrienne.
Discuss: In what ways might our service project seem like a formidable opponent? In what ways will the qualities of determination, an “I-can-do-it” attitude, and our desire to make a difference in the lives of others, our school and community help us be successful?
- Read: John Robert Wooden (John Wooden) is a retired college basketball coach and arguably the best coach to ever coached at that level. To this day, his 10 NCAA (pronounced "N-C-Double-A) National Championships while at UCLA (The University of California, Los Angeles) are unmatched. He has not only been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, located in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, as a player but he also has been elected to the hall of fame as a coach. He was the first person ever receive to this honor in both categories. He has chosen to live his life by a Seven Point Creed, given to him by his father upon his graduation from school.
Be true to yourself.
Make each day your masterpiece.
Help others.
Drink deeply from good books.
Make friendship a fine art.
Build a shelter against a rainy day.
Seek guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.
He is quoted as saying, “You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”
Discuss: In what ways might John Wooden’s Seven Point Creed have helped him be such a highly successful basketball player and coach? In what ways does his quote reflect his Seven Point Creed? In what ways might we act in agreement with his creed and his quote by involving ourselves in our service project?
- Read: Last October, for the 16th time, millions of Americans reached out to help others on USA WEEKEND magazine's Make a Difference Day. This is a national day of community service. This day focuses national attention on how people, working together, can help change things for the better. Our school’s service project in some ways is very much like Make a Difference Day. One of the things that is true for both Make a Difference Day and our service project is that its impact is immeasurable. No one can really know all the good that will result from our efforts on these special days.
Discuss: In what ways is this true? Is the fact that our impact could be immeasurable a good way to encourage everyone to get involved? Why or why not? What are some ways we might be able to tell if what we do for our service project has made a difference?
- Read: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia on the web, lists over 200 different ways to tie a knot. Each knot has a unique purpose. For example a Windsor knot is one way of tying a necktie around a shirt collar. A honda knot is a knot used in making a lasso, while a monkey fist is a type of knot most often formed at the end of a rope and used as the weight in throwing a line ashore for tying up a boat. The lover’s knot, legend has it, was used by Dutch sailors on their ships to remind them of their loved ones during their ocean voyages in the 16th century. The two intertwining overhand knots symbolize two lovers. The knot is sometimes used by goldsmiths to make a romantic piece of jewelry. The egg knot is a knot used to tie soft or loose bait, including clusters of eggs, to a fishing hook, while a corned beef knot is a knot tied to hold the corned beef together while it is being cooked.
Discuss: All knots serve to bring and hold things together. The use of an appropriate knot ensures that things won’t loosen and fall apart. Yet each knot serves a special purpose. The use of any other knot for that same special purpose has proved not to be as good. During our service project we intend to bring everyone together for the purpose of our planned event. Why might that be important? Why is it important to plan this event in such a way that each of us will be assigned a “special purpose” according to our interests and abilities? What are some things we can do to make that happen?
- Read: Inside Addition is a TV show about real stories and real people. One of the recent real people stories was about 11 year old Jourdan Urbach. He is an excellent violinist. Jourdan is the founder of C.H.C. (Children Helping Children). C.H.C. is a musical group which helps raise money for the children’s areas in hospitals. Jourdan’s group has raised over 1.3 million dollars since it began. Jourdan says that his goal is to use his musical talent to raise money to help make a difference in the lives of as many children in the hospital as possible.
Discuss: What might motivate someone our age to want to do what Jourdan is doing? Even though we all cannot be Jourdan Urbach, what can we do to help make a difference in the lives of others? How is being involved in our school’s service project going to help make a difference?
- Read: It seems that everyone is looking for the good life, defined by many as fame and fortune. Both have launched ships as well as careers. But according to research and studies done by psychologists and sociologists, while a few people have found these things lead to the good life, many have also found that fame and fortune weren’t at all what they expected it would be. Stories time and again report of the dissatisfaction with what many refer to as the good life. Often celebrities lack a sense of their true self and instead find themselves having to live up to an image that is created for them. They lack privacy and their schedules often will not allow them to go where they want to go when they want to go. They can’t always do things they want to do when they want to do them. “My life was just not my own,” shares one former movie star.
How about fortune? Wouldn’t it be great if you could win the lottery? Many follow-up studies of past lottery winners however, reveal that while for many people, winning the lottery is the American dream, for many that reality is more like a nightmare. Story after story share the trails of woe left in the wake of lottery winners. Many have lost everything and are now worse off than they were before. The 1988 Pennsylvania $16.2 million lottery winner admits, "I wish it never happened. It was totally a nightmare.” So what are people really looking for? “People are ultimately looking for a life of meaning. Such a life is one that is filled with purpose, contentedness with self, and happiness. It is a life filled with love and service for others.”
Discuss: Why do you think some people who possess fame and/or fortune, are so dissatisfied with their life? In what ways is our service projectall about service for others? In what ways is our service project making a contribution to the good life? How might our involvement in this event help to bring meaning to our lives?
Reflection: (click to view)
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: Give each student four sticky notes. On one of the sticky notes have the students write their response, using one or two words, to the question, “How did you feel about participating in the event prior to actually being involved?” On the second sticky note have the students write their response to the question, “How did you feel while being involved in this Event?” On the third sticky note, have the students respond to this question, “How did you feel after the Event was over?” And on the fourth sticky note have the students respond to the question, “What could I do differently in the future?”
Place the following headings on the display board: Before, During, After, Future. Have students come and place their sticky notes under the appropriate heading on the display board. Allow time for them to walk around to view and read the comments of others. Encourage them to note similarities and differences. Involve the class in a discussion using the prompt,”What did you learn from reading everyone’s comments?”
ACTIVITY TWO: Give each student three sheets of multi-colored construction paper, one sheet of white construction paper, a pair of scissors, and a black marker (assorted colored pens are optional). Using one of the sheets of multi-colored construction paper for each shape, ask each student to draw and cut out the following shapes: 1) a head, with a “light bulb” drawn in it; 2) a body, with a “heart” drawn in it, and; 3) limbs-two arms and two legs. Ask the students to think about what the “light bulb” and “heart” might represent. (NOTE: The ‘light bulb” is an icon often identified with “ideas”. The “heart” as an icon is often identified with “feelings.”) Ask the students what they think the “arms and legs” might represent. (NOTE: Arms and legs are often associated with going places and doing things.) Now have the students use their sheet of white construction paper to cut out three “word bubbles.” (See Example) Have them write words or phrases that represent how their head (mind), their body (heart) and their arms and legs were involved in the Event.
Said another way, one ‘bubble’ for the head (what they thought about the Event),
one “bubble” for the body (how they felt about the Event), and one ‘bubble’ for the limbs (what they did for the Event). When completed, call the first student to the bulletin board-type display area entitled “Join the Crowd” (or some similarly appropriate title).Have each student, in turn, pen his/her designed cutout head along with its “bubble” on the display board. Share some of the responses. Now have each student come and pen his/her cutout body beneath their head along with its bubble. Share some of the responses. Finally, have each student pen his/her designed cutout arms and legs on their body along with the “bubble.” Share some of the responses. Have students walk past the ‘crowd’ and read the “bubble”. Discuss findings, comparisons, and final thoughts.
ACTIVITY THREE: Assign the students to one of four groups and distribute a white sheet of square paper, preferably 21.5” x 21.5” (the official size of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd base in Major League Baseball), a pair of scissors for each student, a glue stick/paste and a variety of magazines and newspapers. Tell them that they are to go look through these magazines and newspapers to cut out pictures and /or words that could be used to describe their involvement in the recent service project. Once they have cut out as many pictures or words as they can, in the allotted time, as a group they are to decide which pictures and/or words will be included on their group base. Tell them to glue the pictures and/or words to their base. When completed they are to offer their base for display in the area marked “Let’s Play Ball” or “Covering All the Bases,” etc (Note: You may wish to display the base in the traditional diamond shape to add more realism and invite interested students to complete the ballpark design. If time allows, ask the students how participating in this service project is like playing baseball/participating in sports.)
ACTIVITY FOUR: Using the name of the service project, have students brainstorm words or short phrases, the letters of which when properly placed, form some sort of crossword puzzle-like creation. These words should ‘describe’ the activity, the feelings, and/or the impact of the Event for the individual student involved.
When the students have each completed their own crossword puzzle, instruct them to draw an outline of the pattern around their words (See above), have them shade-in the interior of the form with a light color pencil or crayon, so as not to cover up the words, and then cut out the form along the outline. Display these crossword puzzles forms in an area entitled, “The Shape of Our Service” or “We’re in Great Shape”, “Join the Crowd” or etc.
Bibliographical References:
Michael Ranken. Reproduction permitted provided source acknowledged. First published in Guildford Cathedral Papers, Autumn 1990.
http://www.chrism.org.uk/PaperC4.htm
Lesson Developed By:
Cheryl Larkin
Pontiac School District
Madison Middle School
Pontiac, MI 48340
Handouts:
Anticipatory Set
The Talking Circle
The Talking Circle
- Chairs are arranged for the talkers to sit in a circle around the fire, with a space forming a channel that opens to the east.
- One of the participants, who will begin the talking circle, carries a large feather. (Traditionally, this person would begin the talking circle by offering a prayer to the Great Spirit.)
- Starting south of east, as the feather is passed to the left, the privilege of speech moves from one to the other in a clockwise direction around the circle. The person holding the feather has the right to speak. Time taken may be as long as the person wishes - all others respect the person’s right to speak and will not interrupt.
- When the speaker has finished, the feather is passed to the next person on the left. After the circle has been completed, any member of the circle may request the feather, and speak again.
Native American Scenarios
Native American Scenarios
Dagmar Thorpe (Sac and Fox)
Giving is an inseparable part of the way of life of Native people. It is your acknowledgement and thanksgiving to the Creator for the things that you have been given. This thanksgiving shows itself in the ways in which you give to others. It can be giving in words, prayers, gifts of time, energy, or love. Giving is an integral part of what your life is, your acknowledgement of life itself and all that life gives to you.
The motivation to give is love and is unconditional without expectation of return – knowing that to give is to show your respect and your love for another, and that as we live the way we are intended to live, the goodness that we share with others will come back to us. It is a natural part of this way of life.
Henrietta Massey (Sac and Fox)
For us, giving means sharing. I grew up in a home where, if a visitor came to your home, you give that person something. If you’ve got something cooking, you feed them. Or if you have no food, you give them something to drink – even a glass of water. Those are relatives – they thought enough to come to see you, so you share. There are many ways that we all share.
You just do it – like when someone comes to visit, I make a collection of little items, material things – and I will give it to the person who has come to visit; you appreciate for them to come to see you. This is how we’re taught when we’re young. You’re taught to give – and that if you give, it will come back to you ten times.
LaDonna Harris (Comanche)
In the Comanche tradition, giving and receiving are an intricate part of the social norm that you grow up in. The whole concept of ownership is different from the Euro American view of property and giving. The basic concept is “You should never own anything that you couldn’t give away.” You should always offer to feed anyone who comes to your door. If someone admires something you own, you should be able to give it, take it down and present it to them - because they have honored you by admiring some of your possessions.
Norbert Hill (Oneida)
In the Oneida tradition…the definition of “being noble” is to give to those who have less. And so you get more by giving¾rather than by saving or hoarding. If you have something, you give the best of it - you give the best piece of meat to the most elderly person, and so on. Throughout the country, I find Indian people very generous. They may not have much to give, but they share whatever they have. It’s not generosity with regard to things, it’s generosity of the spirit. I never fail to see that, especially with older people. You’re more likely to be known for what you give away rather than for what you keep.
Wilma Mankiller (Cherokee)
The concept of giving is very natural for Indian people. If you look first at the very strong interdependence among tribal people – and I think that is the most significant difference between Native people and non-Native people today – we Native people have a sense of interconnectedness with, and a sense of responsibility for, one another. If that is so, that we still have a sense of community or of tribe and a clear understanding that we have to depend on one another, somehow separate, as something that one does as part of a social obligation in our community, then it does not quite come together.
Tessie Williams (Nez Perce/Cayuse)
It’s not just responsibility and it’s not just bonding. It’s the respect – that’s the key – the respect for such a person, such a group, people who really have the knowledge of respect. And that is to me the most important thing. When I do teaching I always emphasize self-respect - how I feel about me? And when I can understand and have self-respect, I can then learn how to respect other people – regardless of how they appear.
Don Coyhis (Mohican)
When you look at the origins of giving, based on the old traditional communities – the way that it was explained to me by the elders – there was always the concept of “share the deer.” There was no custom of people accumulating things. In the society there was a system of balancing things out in the community. Whether the community was on hard times or not, whatever was there was given out. Traditionally, it was more a survival situation. I’ve been told that there were some communities where, on a periodic basis, they would lay everything out, and then divide it. It was a survival mechanism. Additionally, it was frowned upon to accumulate; it was more popular to give to the community. So it had to do with survival, and always looking for the good of the people first.
Excerpt from Wells, Ronald Austin. The Honor of Giving. Bloomington: Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, 1998. Used with permission from Indiana University Center on Philanthropy.
Native American ScenariosTalking Circle Recording Sheet
My Communities
My Communities
Sacrifice: "A surrender of something of value as a means of gaining something more desirable or preventing some evil". Collins English Dictionary.
“Most sacrifices are made in the hope of a result, that things will be better or less evil in future. Some are made to give thanks for better things already received.” http://www.chrism.org.uk/PaperC4.htm
Michael Ranken
Reproduction permitted provided source acknowledged.
First published in Guildford Cathedral Papers, Autumn 1990. (Both of these quotes come from the same source.)
1. What sacrifices did the Native American people offer that helped them to contribute toward the success of their communities?
2. List 3 communities that you are a part of.
3. What beliefs or habits do you have that help you to be a positive member of your communities?
4. List 4 ways that you can act in the interest of the common good to contribute to your community/ies.
Chart
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C
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O
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M
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M
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U
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N
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I
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T
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I
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E
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S
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Caring
Charity
Contribute
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Open-Minded-ness
Optomistic
Opportunity Costs
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Motivation for Giving
Morality
Mindful
Mission
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Under-standing
Unity
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Non-profit Needs
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Improve
Initiative
Invest
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Time, Talent, Treasure
Tolerance
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Effort
Empathy
Empower
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Sacrifice
Steward-ship
Selfless-ness
Service
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Comments
The talking circle allowed a lot of fresh ideas and thoughts about good deeds to be expressed. Students seemed to feel more empowered toward positive thinking.
The Native American Scenarios were as timely as they were timeless. I used them in my class, and will continue to do so. Thank you for the thoughtful plans.