9th-12th Grade
Subjects:
Language Arts, Library / Technology, Philanthropy and Social Studies
Key Words/Concepts click to view
| ELA: | Group Discussions; Listening |
| PHIL: | 11 lesson genOn; 12 lesson genOn; Caring/Sharing; Community; Giving; Hunger; Responsibility |
| SOC: | Citizenship/Civic Engagement; Civic Responsibility/Virtue; Common Good; Giving; Personal Virtue; Responsibility |
Focus Question(s):
How might individuals and society address the issues of poverty, homelessness and hunger, and their underlying causes?
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:
The purpose of this lesson is to help the learners understand that an appropriate way to address global issues/problems is to begin by working for change at both a personal as well as at a local level. The lesson also addresses the need to exercise civic responsibility in promoting the common good in order to realize a more civil society.
Duration:
One 50 class period
Objectives:
The learners will:
- identify and articulate many of the major issues/problems facing our world today.
- demonstrate their understanding of some of the common causes of hunger, homelessness, and drug abuse.
- define and give examples of civic society, civic responsibility, and common good and articulate an understanding of how each of these plays a role in addressing issues and problems at both locally as well as globally.
- understand and demonstrate the concept of "think globally, act locally" through their planning and involvement in the Drive event(s).
Teacher Preparation:
It is important to be sensitive to the possibility that someone in your class may have some personal experience with homelessness, hunger and poverty.
Instructional Procedure(s):
Anticipatory Set:
Write the phrase "Think Globally, Act Locally" on the display board for all to see. Hold up a newspaper and challenge the learners to consider what an alien coming to earth for the first time would conclude from what s/he reads in newspapers from around the world to be some of the world's current major issues. As the learners share their responses list these on the display board. (Teacher Note: It is anticipated that somewhere on this list of issues/problems, the learners will identify Hunger, Homelessness, and Drug Abuse. It may require some prompting on your part but it would be important to the lesson to at least have these three issue/problems among those identified by the learners.) Once a sufficient number of issues have been identified (including hunger, homelessness, and drug abuse) help the class to reach consensus as to whether this list is adequate and sufficiently represents what they also feel are some of the issues our world faces today.
- Now challenge the learners to use the information they might recall from other classes (and from conversations involving their parents or older family members) to identify what were considered by the Carter administration (25-30 years ago) to have been the three most major issues/problems in the world at that time. After recording their thoughts and ideas (and guesses) have the learners draw some comparisons between the two lists, identifying those overlapping issues of concern between the two time periods.
- Place the learners into four groups and assign each group to one of the four corners of the room. Distribute copies of Causes of Hunger http://www.ifpri.org/2020/BRIEFS/NUMBER19.HTM to one of the groups, copies of Causes of Homelessness http://www.camillushouse.org/camillus_resources/homelessness.php to another group; copies of Causes of Drug Addiction http://addiction.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Causes_of_Drug_Addiction to yet another group; and finally copies of Attachment One: Interventions to the last group. Instruct the first three groups to read through the information on their handouts and be prepared to share a summary of their reading. To the final group distribute copies of Attachment One: Interventions and instruct them to read and follow the directions on this handout. Allow five to ten minutes for this activity.
- Have each of the first three groups report their summaries, in turn, allowing time for questions and clarifications after each presentation. Once these three reports have been completed tell the class that these were the three major issues identified by the Jimmy Carter administration 25-30 years ago!
- Now have the final group responsible for Attachment One: Interventions read the opening paragraph with the class and read the questions #1, #2, and #3 as well as their responses to them. Allow time for the rest of the class to comment on these responses by offering idea extensions, idea modifications, and/or idea alternatives.
- Place a C3 (C cubed) on the display board. Tell the class that today’s discussion can be summed up in three "C-words" Civil Society, Civic Responsibility, and Common Good. Have the learners share their prior knowledge of these words (definitions may be found at http://www.learningtogive.org/resources/vocabulary.asp) and share how these words relate to any activity(-ies) they might be involved in during this year's Drive event.
- Conclude this lesson by having the Interventions' group read question #4 and their response to it. Involve the whole class in a discussion centered around ways they, as a class or as individuals, could help promote the common good by performing small acts of kindness in their community during this Drive event. Encourage them to consider the impact their small acts could have on the global scene and to consider Mother Theresa’s admission about the importance of taking a first step.
Assessment:
The assessment for this lesson will be through the teacher's observation of the learner's involvement in whole group and small group discussions taking into consideration the appropriateness and depth of one's reflections, contributions, shared thoughts, and ideas.
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: When you were younger, do you recall being told that there was a way you could tell how far away a thunderstorm is by counting the seconds between the lightning and the thunder? If you slowly count 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005 it is equal to five seconds. For every five seconds you count, it is equal to one mile. So if you slowly count from 1001 to 1005 between the lightning you see and the thunder you hear, the storm is about one mile away. If you can count up to 1010 after seeing lightning and before you hear the thunder, then the storm is about 2 miles away. This is a fun fact that meteorologists agree is pretty accurate. But do you also know that in the same time it takes you to slowly count 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, one young person somewhere in the world dies from hunger or an illness caused by the lack of proper food or proper nutrition?
Discuss: Is it possible that hunger is closer to us than we might think? How might knowing this other fact motivate someone to participate in our planned Drive event? How can we use this other fact to encourage our classmates to join us in our Drive event?
www.bread.org/hungerbasics/international.html
- Read: John Bul Dau was about thirteen years old when he had to flee his Dinka tribe in the Sudan. Northern Sudanese soldiers destroyed his village and villages like it to get rid of the Christians living there. In a journey that covered more than one thousand miles, walking barefoot and unaccompanied by his family, John struggled against the dangers of enemy soldiers, hunger, disease, and wild animals. Despite his ordeal of having to chew on grass, eat mud and drink his own urine in order to stay alive, John was one of only a few “lost boys” of the Sudan to survive. Today he finds himself working toward a degree at Syracuse University majoring in Public Policy, writing a book entitled God Grew Tired of Us. He is building a medical clinic in his former Sudan, and is involved in a host of other good that has earned him such awards as the Distinguished Alumni Award at Syracuse University, Martin Luther King Jr. Award of the Year, and numerous other community involvement awards. When asked about his medical clinic, John says, “You’ve got to have someone stand at the door and point where to start, and then someone else will join. I don’t deserve the credit. The American people deserve it because without them giving me money to buy equipment and materials and medicine and paying the doctors… I cannot do it. So the credit goes to the donors… America (is) where people are so selfless.”
Discuss: Do you agree or disagree with John Bul Dau’s assessment of America being made up of selfless people? Why? Against seemingly insurmountable odds, John has not only survived, he is making it a point to forward things on to those who also stand in need. In what ways are we forwarding things on to those in need during our Drive event? How might we be able to “stand at the door and point” out to our peers where we need to start? How might what we are doing during our Drive event be seen as a selfless act?
- Read: Empty Bowls is an international fund raising project carried out at the community level to get rid of hunger both at home and abroad. The project was started by a Michigan high school teacher. During the 1990-91 school year, John Harton joined a drive to raise charitable funds in his community. His idea was to give artists and his students a way to make a personal difference. In his art classes, students made ceramic bowls. The finished products were used as serving pieces for a fund-raising meal of soup and bread and the guests could keep their empty bowl. The rest is history. The present-day Empty Bowls program features individuals or artists who create and donate the bowl(s) they have made and then serve a simple meal in them. Those who come to participate in the event choose a bowl to use and keep as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. In exchange for the meal and the bowl, guests are given an opportunity to donate to the Empty Bowls program. These donations are then given to local hunger eliminating organizations, such as food banks or soup kitchens or in some cases to national or international charitable groups. These organizations use the money to buy food to feed the hungry. Besides raising money for various food distributing organizations, the project also increases awareness of hunger and hunger related issues as well as advocates for art education
Discuss: Addressing the issues of hunger can take many different approaches. Our Drive event is one such approach. In what ways are we being given an opportunity to make a personal difference? How might our Drive event help to increase awareness of hunger and hunger related issues? Mr. Harton’s Empty Bowls project also was a way to advocate for art education. In addition to addressing hunger and hunger related issues might there be something that our Drive could advocate? If so, what?
- Read: Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear. This phrase is etched or painted on the passenger side mirror of most vehicles. Unlike the mirror on the driver’s side and the rearview mirror mounted on the inside of vehicles, this passenger mirror is constructed in such a way as to give a wider view. This allows the operator of the vehicle to see more of what is behind him or her than could otherwise be seen. To be able to provide this wider view, the mirror is constructed in such a way that objects in the mirror appear smaller than they normally would be. Our brains would tell us that because they are smaller they must be further away, hence the reason for the “warning”. However, unless otherwise constructed mirrors typically reflect an image in exact proportion to that image lending truth to the idiom mirrors don’t lie. We may or may not always like what we see when we look into a mirror, but mirrors tell the truth. It’s how we interpret what we see that makes the difference.
Discuss: It’s possible to approach our Drive event looking into a passenger-side mirror. That is, we can look at hunger as a small problem that is far away. Why would a warning such as the one that appears on the passenger-side mirrors of most vehicles also be an appropriate reminder for us during our Drive event? Looking at hunger through the operator’s side mirror and the rearview mirror might also give us the impression that hunger is somewhere else and not right in front of us. How might taking a “front windshield” look at hunger help us see that hunger is potentially all around us?
- Read: People who live in areas where there is a lot of snow during the winter months are well acquainted with their snow-blowers and shovels. When temperatures plummet and the snow flies, driveways, sidewalks, building entrances and entire streets require frequent shoveling or plowing and in some instances de-icing. However, many people are finding a way around the backbreaking work of shoveling and blowing snow, the expense of snow plowing, and having to spread salt to melt ice. Snow Melt systems are now being installed in many concrete driveways, sidewalks, building entrances and in some cases entire sections of streets. These systems use electricity or heated water running through pipes imbedded in the concrete to heat the concrete and melt the snow and ice. There are other types of heat being applied to streets in many cities. These projects are known as the Heat the Streets Run and Walk for Warmth. Both of these projects are annual charity events sponsored by non-profit organizations. They raise awareness and additional funds needed for low-income families who are struggling to cover their increasing utility costs, resulting in the loss of heat during the winter months. They also provide much needed warm clothing to those who otherwise would not have them.
Discuss: Our Drive event is an effort to meet human needs by providing people with things they might not otherwise have or be able to afford. What human need(s) is our Drive event addressing? What might motivate someone to be a part of our event? The word warmth refers to physical temperature as well as to good feelings and comfort. How might our participation in our Drive event provide good feelings and comfort for everyone involved?
- Read: A proverb is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated. It typically expresses a truth, based on common sense and practical experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical, which means that they suggest a likeness or similarity between two or more things. Scripted in the artistry of the Chinese language, one will find many ancient proverbs. Here is one such proverb:
“A bit of fragrance clings to the hand that gives the flower”
Discuss: What truth, based on common sense or practical experience might this proverb be saying to us? How might this proverb serve as a motivational metaphor for our involvement in our Drive event?
- Read: Many years ago the story of “How the Pig Died” circulated in a small an out of the way farming community. The story is about a family of five--a mother and her four children whose ages ranged from 5-14 years of age. They were barely making a living on a small 4 acre farm during a time in our history that we know as the Great Depression. This struggling family was able to raise just enough in the way of a garden to provide them with food for the table. The one cow that occasionally provided milk shared the barn with a broken down old mare that the kids just could not see putting out to pasture. On this small farm, each of the kids had their chores and was pretty good about doing them without being told. It seems that Mr. Amamas who rented three-and-a-half acres of the farm to plant and harvest corn, paid the yearly rent this year by giving the family a piglet. The family was excited and looked forward to the day when they might eat ham and munch on fresh bacon. But it seemed that everyone just assumed that feeding the pig was someone else’s responsibility and although five able hands went about their daily chores, not one of them thought to feed the pig. Consequently, there was to be no ham or fresh bacon in this family’s future because the pig died.
Discuss: How might this story be a picture of what is happening around the world to cause the deaths of so many people due to lack of food and nutrition? How might our Drive event show that it is everyone’s responsibility to feed the world’s hungry and poor?
- Read: The Horn of Plenty or cornucopia, its Latin interpretation, is a symbol of food and abundance. A myth of ancient Greek gods and goddesses tells how a goat’s horn was given as a “thank you” to one of the goddesses for providing milk to the baby Zeus in a goat’s horn. It was believed that a goat’s horn had the power to give to the person in possession of it whatever he or she wished for. Since food in ancient times was often difficult to get, the legend of the Horn of Plenty, spilling out with food often represented the wishes of ancient peoples. The original depiction of a cornucopia was that of a goat's horn filled with fruits and flowers. Today, the cornucopia is typically depicted as a hollow, horn-shaped wicker basket filled with various kinds of festive fruits and vegetables. It has come to be associated with fall festivals and a celebration of abundance as well as an expression of appreciation and a willingness to share the harvest with those less fortunate.
Discuss: During our Drive event we will be collecting items to be given to individuals in need or organizations that will do this for us. In what ways might what we share be granting “the wish” of some people? Why do you think some people choose to share of their abundance while some do not? In what ways might our donations to our Drive event be an expression of our appreciation for our own abundance?
- Read: There are hunger strikes and then there are places where hunger strikes. So what is the difference? One type of hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants do not eat as an act of political protest, to provoke feelings of guilt, or to achieve a goal such as a policy change. Most people involved in this type of activity will take liquids but not solid food. Hunger strikes have always been a voluntary act. Many however, are forcibly ended through the use of force-feeding because people have to eat to stay alive.
The other type of hunger strike is what happens when natural and man-made disasters and/or consequences result in food shortages, hunger, and malnutrition. When hunger strikes in these ways, it is usually far from being a voluntary act and far too often results in serious illness and even death. There are those who feel that while we see pictures on our televisions intended to evoke feelings of empathy for those struck by disaster and even in some cases, perhaps feelings of guilt at our having life so much better than the victims of these disasters, we seem to be more interested in ‘force-feeding’ those on voluntary hunger strikes than we are in feeding those who are victims of involuntary poverty and famine.
Discuss: Would you agree with this statement? Why or why not? What is our Drive event doing to voluntarily help those who are involuntarily hungry and/or needy?
- Read: Do you know the letter carriers’ credo? It is “…neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor gloom of night will deter the pickup and delivery of the mail”. Do you know that the mail is not all that the U.S. Postal Service picks up and delivers? Once a year, people find a pamphlet in their mailboxes announcing the annual National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive. This is a time when letter carriers will collect nonperishable food donations left by mailboxes and take them to the local food bank for distribution in the community. In 2006, this one day drive in the state of Oregon collected over 1.4 million pounds of food for hunger relief in local communities. Asked why the US Postal Service would take on this major project in individual communities, a spokesperson replied, “We couldn't do our work without our fabulous volunteers and without people willing to donate in this way. We’re proud of our community, but we can't say ours is a great community if it can't take care of those less fortunate."
Discuss: This is an example of how the government and individuals work together to address the issue of hunger. How might our Drive event also involve partnerships? Why, if the US Postal Service collects so much food, should we have to conduct our Drive?
www.nalc.org
School/Home Connection:
The learners could be encouraged to "interview" older friends and family members (i.e. grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc...) about what they recall as the major issues/problems both locally and globally when they werein high school? This information could be shared during a follow-up class period and compared and contrasted to what were the issues/problems 30 years ago to present.
Cross-Curriculum Extensions:
- Research the philanthropy of former President Jimmy Carter as he volunteers his efforts to address the three big problems of hunger, homelessness, and drug abuse by doing small acts (i.e. Habitat for Humanity; The Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Partnership Foundation, etc.). Refer to Briefing Papers http://www.learningtogive.org/papers/paper82.html
- Ask the learners to share ways in which they or someone they know are working to address the issues of hunger, homelessness, and/or drug abuse in their community.
- As a result of a needs assessment of the issues facing their community, encouraged the learners to plan, implement, and evaluate the impact of a service project designed to address the issues of hunger, homelessness, and/or drug abuse in their community.
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:
Have the students write down some of their thoughts and ideas about their involvement in this most recent service project. Assign them to groups of three or four. Have each group listen to the thoughts and ideas of each of its members. Using words and phrases representative of the individuals in the group, have each group create a rap, a poem, a song, or a skit that represents the combined thoughts and ideas of the group. Conclude the class with a performance of each composition and a brief discussion of what was learned as a result of these performances. (Note: Groups that perform their composition could be “rewarded/recognized” in some way. An “Oscar” Award could be given to the group whose performance receives the most votes from their classmates, and/or other categorical awards could be given etc.)
ACTIVITY TWO:
Review this service project with the students asking them to share their experiences: what they did, how they felt, and what impact they think they had. When everyone has had an opportunity to contribute to the discussion, share this scenario with the class: An Assistant Principal in another school district is experiencing some frustration over the lack of interest and involvement by the 9th graders in their service projects. We are being asked, as a class, having been 9th graders last year, if we would discuss what might be done to involve more 9th grade students in upcoming service events.
Assign students to groups of three and give them a number to represent their group. Have them complete the following work sheet:
GROUP #__________
- Names of the students in our group
- The problem as we see it.
- Some solutions we have considered.
- The solution that we think might work best and why we think so.
Collect each group’s worksheet. Read these worksheets to the class indicating only the group number. As the students listen to each group’s recommendation/suggestion, have them rank (See Below) each group’s recommendation/suggestion based on how effective their recommendation/suggestion might be in motivating more 9th graders to be involved in service projects.
Solution Ranking
|
No Way...It’s Possible ...This Will Work |
| Group 1 |
0 1 2 3 4 5
|
| Group 2 |
0 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Group 3 |
0 1 2 3 4 5 |
Group 4
|
0 1 2 3 4 5 |
Group 5
|
0 1 2 3 4 5 |
Group 6
|
0 1 2 3 4 5 |
Group 7
|
0 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Group 8 |
0 1 2 3 4 5 |
Tally the results and conclude this reflection with a brief discussion as to why the recommendations/suggestions receiving the most points might be a good way to motivate 9th graders to become involved in service projects.
ACTIVITY THREE:
Ask the students if they have ever seen the TV reality program entitled Extreme Makeover (A show that features groups of architects, designers, carpenters, decorators and painters selecting a house, usually too small or run down for the families who live in them, and completely remodeling them into wonderful places in which to live. The families who live in these homes are away so that they do not see what is going on. After a specified period of time, the work is completed and the owners return to their home to discover an almost unbelievable transformation.) For those who have seen the show, encourage them to share something about the show that impresses them. Talk about what might be the motivations of the people who work on these houses. Discuss why companies might be willing to donate thousands of dollars of free equipment and building materials. Consider how someone might react returning to their “new” home and why. Discuss any similarities and differences between this TV show and what they were thinking, feeling and doing during this service project. Talk about the motivations they felt as they became involved; how they donated “dollars” (time equals money); and how they might feel if they were the recipients/benefactors of this service activity. Discuss how this Event could become the next “reality show.”
ACTIVITY FOUR:
Have students think about who, in their lives, has made the biggest impression on them so far. Have them consider why they think this is so. Encourage students to expand their thinking to consider whether this big impression was because of a one-time action or something that occurred over time and/or possibly is still occurring in their lives. Challenge them to consider whether this “big impression” had more to do with time, talent, or treasure or a combination of these. Ask them if this “big impression” came about as a result of something someone had done/is doing for them or did it have more to do with who that person is (personality and traits), or possibly a combination of both. Open the discussion by asking the students to share some of the things they did during this service project. Have them consider the possibility that they too may have made a “big impression”.
Conclude this reflection by giving students an option to:
- Write a letter to the person identified as the one who has made the biggest impression in their lives to date, thanking them for what they did/are doing for them. (Note: Students may not feel comfortable sharing names, so names need not be included.) Encourage students to consider the impact of their letter if they were to send them and challenge them to do so.
- Write a description of this service project and describe any ‘lasting impressions’ that it had on them as participants.
Bibliographical References:
Lesson Developed By:
Dennis VanHaitsma
Curriculum Consultant
Learning to Give
Handouts:
Interventions
The phrase Think Globally, Act Locally was reportedly coined by David Brower, founder of Friends of the Earth, as its slogan when it was founded in 1969, although others have stated it was originated by Rene Dubos an advisor to the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972. As an advertising and branding strategy several companies later picked up on the phrase and coined the word "glocal" to represent the interconnectedness between thinking big (globally) and doing the little things (locally) in order to bring about positve change. Regardless of who said "what-when", the message is clear, in order to impact the world we need to impact our community. Mahatma Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Recognized as one of those individuals who was "the change she wanted to see in the world", Mother Theresa toiled tirelessly among the "untouchables" of India, bringing comfort and healing to the poorest of the poor; people with leprosy, blindness, and crippling diseases; those rejected by family and friends. She is quoted as saying "If I hadn't picked up that first person many years ago, the 77,500 plus who came next wouldn't have been picked up off the streets." She is credited with saying that "big things are accomplished in small acts."
1. Why do you suppose many of the issues/problems of hunger, homelessness and drug abuse of today's world are the same as those 25-30 years ago?
2. What can we interpret Gandhi's quote "Be the change you want to see in the world " to mean for us? What can we interpret from Mother Theresa's belief that "big things are accomplished in small acts" ? How do these two quotes relate to the phrase Think Globally, Act Locally (or the word "Glocally")?
3. As citizens of our community and world, do we have a responsibility to help those who are victims of these major issues/problems? If so why? If not, why not? How might being philanthropic (giving of one's time, talents and/or treasures to promote the common good) help to solve the issues/problems of hunger, homelessness, and drug abuse in our community? How might volunteering in one's community impact these issues/problems worldwide?
4. If we as a class were to decide to take on the challenge of helping to solve the issues of hunger, homelessness, and/or drug abuse in our community what is one small act (appropriate and doable) we could do? To address homelessness in our community? To address drug abuse in our community?
