A Story of Giving

Young readers explore philanthropy and its effects on the public good. They discuss athletes and their examples as philanthropists. They research a sports hero and play "The Match Game" to determine what they know about other sports...

Investigate the beginnings of the detective fiction genre through a discussion and writing assignment related to Edgar Allan Poe's "The Purloined Letter." Class members converse about the elements of the story and then compose brief...

This story is bound to motivate your class. Learners read a story called Elena by Diane Stanley. The story is about a young woman who marries for love but is soon widowed during the Mexican Revolution. She takes her children to...

Class members assume the role of one of the characters in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. Writing as that character, they defend a decision he/she made. Groups then are presented with problematic situations that  parallel those of...

Giving gifts has been a part of the human experience since modern man walked the earth. Upper graders explore the culture of gift giving in Mayan times through an artistic analysis. They analyze gift giving and palace life as seen on an...

What elements make the short story a distinct genre? After generating a list of common elements and a working definition, class members identify the characters, setting, plot, rising action, crisis, climax, and conclusion in “The Three...

Students discuss the concept of the common good. Using primary source documents, they read accounts from volunteers in the Dominican Republic and discuss how they work for the common good. They reflect on the topic in their journals to...

Students identify the theme in the movie, "Spider-Man" and relate it to philanthropy. They examine the reasons why Spider-Man chooses to give back to his community. They read the reasons they wrote to the class.

Students identify acts of philanthropy. In this philanthropy instructional activity, students define the term "hero" and read the book Stone Soup. Students discuss soup kitchens and complete a Venn diagram analyzing the differences...

How can we make the world a better place? Help your class members become world citizens, active in philanthropy and the community around them. Use a comic book (included) to discuss the idea of philanthropy. Then, using the superhero...