We learn a little history of the painters Van Gogh and Gauguin who were driven by a need to give of themselves to others through art. Participants study the techniques and draw their own portraits. They make a gift of the portrait to someone.
Students will define philanthropy as "sharing or giving time, talent or treasure for the common good."
The purpose of this lesson is to examine the tradition of giving and sharing in Indigenous communities and to learn about philanthropy in other cultures.
Rosa Parks' acts of philanthropy brought a community of people together for the common good and resulted in major social change in her community and in the nation. Participants identify a need in the community and take action with personal responsiblity.
Three amendments to the Constitution extended voting rights to more citizens. Look at the language of these amendments and the effectiveness of everyone actually getting the vote. Youth discuss the purpose of voting, and they take action to make a difference, such as by making posters about the history of voting rights.
Literature and primary documents help youth understand the role of the Constitution for the United States. They overview the three branches of government described in the first three articles and learn that government officials are serving with their time and talent for the common good. With the goal to look for traits of trustworthy officials, youth use the Internet to research their own state officials. They gather data and summarize what they find.
Participants define philanthropy as givng time, talent or treasure and taking action for the common good. They identify philanthropy in a read-aloud story and the regional news.
Participants identify the impact of humans on lakes and rivers. They explore ways to take responsibility to protect the waterways.
Participants discuss the attributes and benefits of local water resources and ecosystems. They identify the interrelatedness of humans and the environment in the book A River Ran Wild, and discuss how the way we treat the water impacts our lives.
Introduce the philanthropic behavior of Native Americans through the speech attributed to Chief Seattle, using the book Brother Eagle, Sister Sky: The Words of Chief Seattle.