California Department of Education
Gaining by Giving
Community service is a win-win! Scholars discover how to gain valuable career skills through helping others using a lesson about volunteer work. Second in a six-part career and college readiness series, the activities focus on...
Teaching Tolerance
Be the Change...
An engaging lesson empowers individuals to make a difference in the community. Pupils work together to identify problems within the community and draft possible solutions. Scholars then take it to the next level by volunteering their...
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation
Interview a Family or Community Member: Taking Oral Histories
Young scholars gain insight into how historians record events by engaging in an oral history project. In preparation, class members brainstorm open-ended interview questions and take part in and debrief a mock interview simulation....
Curated OER
Community Helpers
In this community workers worksheet, students read a one page text that has information about 8 community helpers and their jobs. Students then answer 8 matching questions and draw a mini poster that tells why community helpers are...
Curated OER
Community Helpers in our School and Town
Students create a PowerPoint presentation. In this community helpers lesson, students discuss community helpers and create a t-chart to list what each community helper does. Students watch a PowerPoint presentation, walk through the...
Curated OER
Philanthropy in Your Community
Students brainstorm how an action to benefit others is a type of philanthropy. They
identify the commonwealth approach to philanthropy,
plan and carry out a philanthropic action in their community and
reflect how their action qualifies...
Curated OER
Homeless in our Community
Third graders explore homelessness in their local community. In this service project/social studies lessons, children research local areas where homeless people reside, discuss global acceptance and unity, and visit a local food bank.
Curated OER
Becoming Part of the Community
Students read narratives by Peace Corps volunteers and examine how they succeeded in adapting to living in a new cultural environment. They identify attitudes and actions that promote having a positive experience in a foreign country.
Curated OER
Volunteering for Others
Students research the kind of volunteer options for teens in their area, using the Internet and calls to local agencies. Students conduct a simple survey in your school or ask volunteer organizations you contact to help you get in touch...
Curated OER
Citizenship
Young students view this presentation which goes over the concepts of being a good citizen, what volunteers do, what our basic rights are, and what types of organizations in our society are considered to be led by volunteers. The last...
Curated OER
National Volunteer Week Celebrations
Encourage and recognize volunteering's power for positive change!
Curated OER
Making Service Count
Young scholars investigate the importance of community service by creating their own project ideas. In this volunteering instructional activity, students research stories of Peace Corps Volunteers and how they were able to have a...
Curated OER
Celebrate Make a Difference Day on October 26, 2013
Join millions of volunteers around the world by uniting for a common mission to improve others' lives.
Curated OER
Ornaments for Nursing Home Tree
Students participate in an activity that will allow them to create a gift for a nursing home patient and give their gift to someone who needs a caring hand. In this community service lesson, students learn compassion, and also understand...
Curated OER
Acting for the Common Goods
The first of a three-part series on bullying, this plan has class members present skits about bullying, write and sign an anti-bullying pledge, and complete a service project. For the skit, learners use information from previous lessons...
Curated OER
Volunteering Our Time
Young scholars participate in a service learning project. In this philanthropy instructional activity, students volunteer their time at a local soup kitchen and reflect upon the experience in a journal.
Curated OER
Making a Difference: Community Helpers Lesson Plans
Children can learn about volunteering and put that knowledge into action with community helpers lesson plans.
Curated OER
What Can I Do?
Students implement a volunteer plan. For this philanthropy lesson, students discuss the needs of their community and list possible ways to improve their community. Students develop a plan to volunteer their time in their community.
iCivics
Students, Engage!
Discuss as a class some problems that you would like to see changed in your school or community, and then take action! After your young citizens determine the appropriate steps they should take to accomplish their objectives, they will...
Polar Bears International
Taking Action!
Motivate young scientists to stand up and take action with this environmental science instructional activity. To begin, the class works in small groups brainstorming actions that support the conservation of the earth before creating and...
Curated OER
Yea For Volunteers!
Students explore volunteerism. In this citizenship lesson, students define the term "volunteer" and identify volunteers in a classroom setting. Students illustrate and write about the concepts of being a volunteer.
Curated OER
Community Helpers
Students identify examples of community services, identify jobs/services performed by community helpers and relationships between community needs and community services, and work cooperatively to create Bubble map, flyer, and Powerpoint...
Curated OER
Community Helpers
In this community helpers learning exercise, learners connect 14 pictures of community helpers which include fire fighters, dental hygienists, police officers, carpenters, doctors, teachers, and mail carriers. They tell how these people...
Curated OER
Planning a Service Project
Young scholars begin the instructional activity by discussing what type of project they are interested in and how much time can be devoted. They also discuss why it is important to focus on the community and are introduced to the...