Learning to Give, Philanthropy education resources that teach giving and civic engagement
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Purpose:
In this lesson, students discover and discuss the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and especially focus on his ethic of service.
Duration:
One 30 minute class period
Objectives:
The learner will:
- define service.
- recognize the vocabulary words in context.
- explore and discuss the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his commitment to service.
Vocabulary:
service: to provide a community or organization with something that it needs
donate: to give or present something, especially to a charitable organization or other good cause
Materials:
- I Have A Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Meet Martin Luther King, Jr. by James T. de Kay
- Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.? by Bonnie Bader
Teacher Preparation:
If the books listed in Materials are not available, go to one or more of these websites and share the online information with the students or download and print the information for students to read. (As with all websites, preview each site before showing to students to avoid unexpected content or pop-ups.)
The King Center, listen to the short audio recording of Dr. King's speech about service "The Drum Major Instinct" - http://www.thekingcenter.org/
Learning to Give paper about Dr. King - http://www.learningtogive.org/papers/paper193.html
Excerpt from Dr King's I have a Dream Speech, 2:18 minutes - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4AItMg70kg
Noble Peace Prize website, Biography of Dr. King - http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html
History Channel - http://www.history.com/topics/martin-luther-king-jr
Instructional Procedure(s):
Anticipatory Set:
Ask the students what they know about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. List their responses on a display area. Congratulate the students on their knowledge. Tell them that they will be learning more about Dr. King, in particular learning about his views on service and volunteerism.
- Explain that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a man who committed his life to service. Tell students that service can be described as giving time, talent and/or treasure and taking action for the sake of another or for the common good. People who give in this way are called philanthropists. Ask students to think about and share times when they helped others without expecting anything in return. Ask how it felt to help others and what teh impact of their service was.
- Group the students and give each group print information about Dr. King (specific pages in one of the recommended books or teacher prepared information - see the Materials and Teacher Preparation sections of this lesson). Have each group read and prepare a summary about Dr. King, paying special attention to examples of his words about service.
- Ask each group to report to the class, summarizing the information they discovered.
- Hold a class discussion. Ask:
- How did Martin Luther King’s teachings influence others?
- What can you learn from Dr. King’s example?
- Write this quote by Dr. King in a display area, “Everyone can be great because everyone can serve.”
- Ask the students to volunteer verbal responses to the quotes or write a paragraph answering the questions: What does this mean to you? How can you attempt to spread his message of service and continue the work that he has done - his legacy?
Curriculum Connection:
Social Studies: Have the students research the issue of ethnic conflict in countries today. Discuss or write a comparison between modern ethnic conflict and the segregation and discrimination of African Americans.
Language Arts: Students write a poem or brief narrative describing their service experience through their senses.
Cross-Curriculum Extensions:
Extend the lesson with a visioning activity that encourages students to think about what issues are part of their dreams for a better world. Give each student a sheet of white or colored paper (8 1/2” x 11”). Have each student draw a picture or use words and symbols to show what they would like the world to look like in ten years. Help them focus on an area by asking what one world problem they would like to fix and make perfect (well-fed children, school for everyone, healthy planet, no more illness). When they are done drawing, students tell the class about their vision. They start by saying, “In ten years I would like to see . . .” Display all the drawings on a bulletin board. Use the drawings as pre-reflection to help design a service project related to student interests.
Reflection: (click to view)
Bibliographical References:
- I Have A Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Scholastic Press; 1 edition (November 1, 1997), ISBN-10: 0590205161, ISBN-13: 978-0590205160
- Meet Martin Luther King, Jr. by James T. de Kay
- Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr? by Bonnie Bader
Handouts:
Unit Contents:
Overview:Grow Involved 6-8 Summary
Lessons:
- 1.
- Caring About Others (Introduction Grade 6-8)
- 2.
- Healthy Eating (Grade 6)
- 3.
- Environmental Justice (Grade 7)
- 4.
- Practice Peace (Grade 8)
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely use this information for nonprofit (noncommercial), educational purposes only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.
