Lesson Plan
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Westward Movement

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the concept of philanthropy in historical context. In this Westward Movement lesson, students read Our Journey West and explain examples of settlers working together for the common good.
Lesson Plan
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Philanthropy News

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students collect examples of local philanthropy and write a news article for a  local newspaper. In this philanthropy lesson, students read Helping Out by George Ancona to gain understanding of what philanthropic acts are. Students...
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Women in office

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine women holding political office. In this critical inquiry activity, students read an article then design a series of interview questions that they think will identify a good candidate for office. They then interview a...
Lesson Plan
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Preparing the Soil

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning activity, students read Seedfolks and discuss the characters in the story and consider their actions that led to a community garden. Students journal about their...
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Conditions of City Life in the Late 19th Century

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine tenement life. In this lesson on early urbanization, students research the role of journalism for social change in early American cities. Students write a journal article for themselves that demonstrate an understanding...
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Using R&R to Teach Mathematics

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders create a shape garden. In this polygons lesson plan, 2nd graders practice making shapes using a geoboard and read the book The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns.  Students also design a shape garden using...
Lesson Plan
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Animal Coverings

For Teachers K
Students read a book. In this animal characteristics lesson, students read the book Animal Coverings, answer comprehension questions, and complete a chart where they match animals with their coverings.
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Day in the Life of a Homeless Person

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine a day from the point of view of a homeless person. They listen to and discuss two stories, identify ways to help homeless people, watch a Reading Rainbow video, and write an essay.
Lesson Plan
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Recognizing How We Are Alike

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the concept of social justice. In this service learning worksheet, students read The Sneeches in order to appreciate cultural uniqueness.
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How About a Hand?: The Drive

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the concept of social justice. In this service learning worksheet, students read Wanda's Roses in order to understand homelessness, hunger, and poverty.
Lesson Plan
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Our Class, Our Earth day

For Teachers K - 2nd
Young scholars understand the importance of participating in recycling and clean-up efforts in the community. In this recycling lesson plan, students respond to questions after reading "The Wartville Wizard" by Don Madden. Young scholars...
Lesson Plan
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Plants are Growing and Changing

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore living things. In this agriculture lesson, students read the book A Tree is a Plant and participate in an experiment to explore the patterns of change in living things. Students continue to observe the plant throughout...
Lesson Plan
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What Have We Done?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the effect of dams on the ecosystem. In this environmental lesson, students read case studies on the Aswan Dam and the Colorado River Basin and construct a T-chart to compare the effects on the region.
Lesson Plan
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Definition of Philanthropy

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students discover philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students read literature and discuss occurrences of people sharing their time, talent, and treasure. Students respond, in writing, to the theme of philanthropy in a...
Lesson Plan
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Inquiring Minds: News and Philanthropy

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners study newspaper articles and rewrite events from literature into news stories about kindness. In this news article lesson, students read sentences from newspaper articles and identify the purpose of the article. Learners...
Lesson Plan
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Was Nobel Noble? Meet the Man

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discover the man behind the Nobel Peace Prize. In this philanthropy lesson, students research Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Peace Prize and create personal banners including works they would like to be remembered for.
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Common Good

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students read stories and then discuss the meaning of philanthropy as they identify ways the characters contribute to the common good.
Lesson Plan
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Smoky Night

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders compare the neighborhoods they know to those of a different place and time. In this historical perspectives lesson, 2nd graders read Eve Bunting's Smoky Night and discuss the outcome of the story. Students also discuss...
Lesson Plan
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Friendly Neighbors

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students review the days of the week and the meaning of unconditional kindness. For this days of the week and kindness lesson, students participate in a reading of Libba Moore Gray's Miss Tizzy. They talk about the days of the week and...
Lesson Plan
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Growing Like Dr. King

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore American History by reading biographical material. In this civil rights lesson, students read information about Martin Luther King Jr. and his successful demonstrations which led to equal rights for African Americans....
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Our Family

For Teachers K - 2nd
Learners explore the roles of family members. They read books, discuss the special talents of household members, and create a class family album book using photographs brought in by the students.
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Go, Johnny, Go!

For Teachers K - 2nd
Young scholars become familiar with the story of Johnny Appleseed by reading, singing and creating a Johnny Appleseed hat. In this Johnny Appleseed instructional activity, students understand that Johnny Appleseed was a philanthropist...
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Living in a Community

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students understand the differences in communities by reading "City Mouse, Country Mouse" by Isabelle Chantellard. In this types of communities instructional activity, students find that although communities are different, one is not...
Lesson Plan
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Benjamin Franklin- Philanthropist

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students research and read a profile of Benjamin Franklin. In this philanthropic lesson, students research the projects of Benjamin Franklin and determine which were philanthropic, which were governmental and which were business...