1. Read: How many faucets do you have at your house or apartment? Think about sinks, showers, and outdoor faucets. You could even think of a toilet as a source of fresh water in your home. Water is easy to come by at our homes and schools. We may even think of it as cheap or free. However, that isn’t true to millions of people in the world. Some cities and states require families and businesses to ration their water use, which means to use it for only the most important purposes to make it last. In some places in the world, people have to walk four miles and lug home all their water in jugs because that is the closest source. Some people have to use public outhouses in the neighborhood because they don’t have bathrooms in their homes. Sometimes the local water is not safe to drink. Water is a scarce resource.
   Discuss: Clean water is not available equally around the world. Some people have plenty of clean water. Others have only unsafe, polluted water or not enough water. What responsibility do we have toward protecting water? What can we do to make water more available and safer for some people? Is safe drinking water a right? What does King Day have to do with fairness or rights?
2. Read: Here are some words about the power of kindness by Martin Luther King, Jr. from his sermon on November 17, 1957. “When Abraham Lincoln was running for president of the United States, there was a man who ran all around the country talking about Lincoln. He said a lot of bad things about Lincoln, a lot of unkind things. … Finally, one day Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the United States. … And then came the time for him to choose a Secretary of War. He looked across the nation, and decided to choose a man by the name of Mr. Stanton. [His advisors said,] ‘Mr. Lincoln, are you a fool? Do you know what Mr. Stanton has been saying about you? ... Do you know that he has tried to defeat you on every hand?’ … Abraham Lincoln stood before the advisors around him and said, ‘Oh yes, I know about it; I read about it; I've heard him myself. But after looking over the country, I find that he is the best man for the job.’
   “Mr. Stanton did become Secretary of War, and a few months later, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. …And as Abraham Lincoln came to the end of his life, Stanton stood up and said: "Now he belongs to the ages." And he made a beautiful statement concerning the character … of this man. If Abraham Lincoln had hated Stanton, if Abraham Lincoln had answered everything Stanton said, Abraham Lincoln would have not transformed and redeemed Stanton. Stanton would have gone to his grave hating Lincoln, and Lincoln would have gone to his grave hating Stanton. But through the power of love Abraham Lincoln was able to redeem Stanton.”
   Discuss: Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in the power of love. He refused to hate his enemies, even if he hated what they did. What did Abraham Lincoln do that was an act of kindness? What was the effect of his kindness? What effects (on you and others) have you seen from the acts of kindness you have performed for King Day?
3. Read: Have you heard about the “Pennies for Peace” project? Schools all over the United States are collecting pennies to build and equip schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Many children, especially girls, can’t go to school there because they are poor, or they don’t have teachers, or their village doesn’t even have a school. In Pakistan, a penny buys a pencil. Three dollars pays a teacher’s salary for a day. And $20 buys a boy or girl a whole year of school supplies. Don’t you think everyone has the right to go to school?
   Discuss: Why do you think school is a basic right? What do you think life is like for a child that can’t go to school? How do you think a community is better when everyone goes to school? Justice is about equal opportunity. Other than sharing pennies, what can we do to bring justice to children in the world who can’t go to school?
4. Read: The third-grade boys played soccer on the big field every recess. When Peter and a group of five fourth graders tried to join the game, the third graders pushed them away. They said, “You can’t play here. This is our game.” Peter was upset. He felt angry and frustrated, and he didn’t know what to do. He and his friends went to another area and played tag, but they wanted to join the soccer game, and it just didn’t seem fair. Peter and his friends tried for several days, but again and again the third graders wouldn’t let them play. “I don’t know how to solve this problem,” Peter said.
   Discuss: This sort of thing happens on the playground all the time. Discuss and list some different possible solutions for Peter and the third graders. What are the costs and benefits of asking an adult for help? What are the costs and benefits of doing nothing? Do you think the third graders have to let the fourth graders play? Why or why not?
5. Read: Latasha and Brandi were playing chess. They were both good at the game, but Brandi was winning this time. Latasha bumped the board lightly to knock the pieces off balance and said, “Whoops, sorry.” Brandi could tell that Latasha did it on purpose to end the game. Latasha said, “Let’s do something else. Chess is boring.”
   Discuss: Playing by the rules is a way to be truthful and respectful with your friends. Latasha did not want to lose, so she didn’t play by the rules. How do you think Brandi felt about that? What do you think will happen in the next game they play? How do honesty and respect make friendships and communities stronger? How do you think you affect your neighbors and community when you perform acts of kindness and respect?
6. Read: Sally Rogers is a song writer. She is best known for her songs about unity and justice. One song that she wrote is entitled “What Can One Little Person Do?” It is a song about unity and justice. It honors four individuals who made a positive difference in our world. It speaks of Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King. All of these people worked to bring people together. All of these people worked to bring freedom and fairness to the world. In the song, the Sally Rogers ask, “What can one little person do to help this world go round? She gives the answer as, “One can help another one, and together they can get the job done”.
   Discuss: As we think about and plan for our King Day project can any of us do the job alone? Why do we need each other? In what ways might what we are planning to do help bring people together? In what ways might what we are planning to do help make the world a better place?
7. Read: If you’re like most children you love a birthday party. They can be a lot of fun. You get to eat cake and ice cream, play games, and might even get presents. Kelsey was planning a birthday party for her best friend, Jack. Kelsey wanted to invite all of Jack’s friends to the party. She asked her step-dad to help her make the list of people to invite. Kelsey’s step-dad suggested that she invite all of the children in their class at school. Kelsey wasn’t sure about that. There were children that didn’t like each other because they weren’t the same size. Some children didn’t like each other because they weren’t as smart. Some children didn’t like each other because they dressed funny. And some children didn’t like each other because their skin was a different color and they talked differently. Kelsey wasn’t sure anyone would have fun.
   Her step-dad looked puzzled. “What does your teacher do about all the different children in class?” “Does he separate the children into groups that are alike?” He asked.
   “Well, no”, said Kelsey. “We work together. Our teacher says that we are more alike than different.”
   “I think you have your answer and the invitation list for Jack’s birthday party.” He said.
   “Yes”, said Kelsey. “I’ll invite all the children and the teacher too.”
   Discuss: How do you think you would feel if you were not invited to a party because you were too big or small. Because you didn’t know many of the things that other children knew. Because your clothes were not new? Because your skin was a different color or your speech was different? Is it fair to keep people from doing things just because you think they are different? How is our King Day project going to help make everyone feel included?
8. Read: Toby and his friend Carrillo were arguing one day. Toby said a turtle moved the slowest while Carrillo was convinced that it was the snail. They could see that neither one was about to convince the other. They decided to ask their teacher. They both considered her to be very smart. They were both sure that she would be able to put an end to their argument. But when they asked her their question, they got a strange response. “Why is that so important?” their teacher asked. “As long as they both get to where they want to be. I think they are happy. Do you really think they worry about how slowly they move?” It got both of the boys to thinking about how they often push their way to the front of the line in order to be first getting to where their class is going. And they knew their teacher was right. Everybody gets there about the same time anyway.
   Discuss: While Carrillo was correct in thinking that the snail moves slower than the turtle (When it wants to, a turtle can move 15 feet in a minute, while a snail when it decides it wants to move can only move 2 ½ feet in a minute), after talking to their teacher it did not seem to be all that important. Why do you think it’s so important for some people to always be first? If we allowed others to be first, what would we have to lose? To gain? Taking turns is considered “fair play”. What could we do to help promote “fair play” on King Day? What could we do throughout the school year to help promote fairness?
9. Read: When Alec and Kosta go for a bike ride, they often see children playing on the city playground. One day they noticed that a group of older children were stopping the younger children from playing on the slide. The older children said that because they were older they were the only ones who could play on the slide. They told the younger children they had to go to the other side of the park. Alec was seven years old and Kosta was ten years old. They were best friends and wanted to play together. When they got to the playground, however, one of the older children told Alec that he would have to go to the other side to play, but Kosta could stay and play with them. Kosta didn’t like this idea. He told the older children that he wanted Alec to stay and play on the playground with the slide.
   Discuss: What would you do if your friend were told to go to the other play area? How do you think you would feel? How do you think your friend would feel? Do you think these older children were being kind? Fair? Why is it important to be kind and to be fair? During our King Day project what are we doing to be kind to others? What are we doing to be fair?
10. Read: There is an Aesop’s fable about the sun and the wind. They had a difference of opinion. They were discussing who was strongest. They decided to settle the issue by seeing who could cause a traveler to remove his coat first. The wind went first. The stronger it blew, the more tightly the traveler wrapped his coat around him. After the wind had tired itself out, it was the sun’s turn. When it began to shine, the traveler felt its warmth and quickly removed his coat.
    Discuss: How was the Sun able to prove that it was the strongest? The wind tried to settle the issue by being forceful and cold, while the sun just smiled and was warm. Why is it important that we be more like the sun than the wind during our King Day project? Why is it important that we be more like the sun than the wind all year long?

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 a paragraph about their personal King Day project experience using this prompt, or something similar:  “This King Day project was like a chocolate chip cookie and a glass of milk because…”

ACTIVITY TWO: Toss a tennis ball to a student and have that student use one word or phrase to describe or summarize how they felt about their King Day project experience.  After a student has had an opportunity to respond, have him or her toss the ball back to you.  Continue the process until everyone has had an opportunity to respond.  As always, allowing a student to pass (not respond) is permissible.

ACTIVITY THREE: Give each student an 8 ½” x 11”-sheet of multi-colored construction paper, a pair of scissors, a glue stick/paste and a variety of old magazines and newspapers.  Instruct them that they will have a certain amount of time to go through these magazines and newspapers to cut out pictures and/or words that could be used to describe their involvement in the recent King Day project.  Once they have cut out pictures or words, instruct them to place their name somewhere on the construction paper and then glue the pictures and/or words they cut out to the construction paper being careful not to cover up their name.  Display these in the classroom. If time allows, have each student share the contents of his or her collage with the rest of the class.

ACTIVITY FOUR: Provide each student with a sheet of construction paper, preferably of five different colors.  Have the students cut from their sheet of construction paper, five different geometric shapes; namely, a square, a circle, a triangle, a cone, and a rectangle.  Provide each student with a wire coat hanger and pieces of string.  Collect all the squares in one pile; all the triangles in another, and so forth.  Invite the students to select one of each shape from the piles.  On the circle have them draw a face showing how they felt doing the service project on the reverse side have them write a word or two describing how they felt during the King Day project.  On one side of a triangle have them draw a picture of what they did during the King Day project and on the reverse side write a brief description.  On the square, have them list what they think were the affects/effects of the King Day project. On the rectangle have them draw another act of giving or caring they would like to do and on the reverse side ask them to describe what they drew. On the cone have them place their name. Then demonstrate how the students are to attach the strings to each shape and tie the shapes onto the coat hanger to make a mobile.  Display the mobiles in the room. If time permits, ask for student volunteers to explain their mobile.