Everyone has special talents and abilities. We must seek to develop our own talents and use them to make a difference in our life and the lives of others. This unit will help students recognize talents and think of ways to use them to help others. They will also learn about homelessness from a homeless person ’s point of view.

In the first lesson, students will assess their own talents and choose one to demonstrate to the class. Teacher will challenge the students to share their talent in some way outside the class. In Lesson Four: Why Volunteer? the students will explore and choose ways to volunteer in the community.

• “Copy-and-Paste” Class/School Newsletter Information Insert:
  We all have talents and skills that can be used for the common good. Sometimes it is not easy to recognize our own talents. In this unit on philanthropy, the students will explore their own talents. They will also learn how they can use their talents as they relate to the core democratic values. Students will write about their own personal responsibility for helping people in need. They will be seeking your help when they look to the community to find what volunteer opportunities are available and make a class scrapbook of volunteering.
  
  
• Interactive Parent / Student Homework:
  In Lesson One: Talent, students may take home a video of the class presentations demonstrating individual talents. In Lesson Four: Why Volunteer?, the students get parent help to find ways that people volunteer. They should look in the newspaper and cut out articles and advertisements. They may also write about personal or family experiences related to volunteering. When they bring in their research, the class will make a collective scrapbook of volunteer experiences. (See Attachment Two: How Can We Help? in Lesson Four: Why Volunteer?)