These Learning Links provide ten quick-and-easy, five-minute mini-lessons to promote student thought and dialogue about service and civic engagement. You may use as many of them as you wish, and in whatever order best meets your needs and the interest of your students. The purpose of these mini-lessons is to provide a deeper understanding of philanthropy (the giving of time, talent, and treasure for the common good) and to reinforce the lesson focus. These Learning Links also promote the development of character traits, civic engagement, and student leadership. As appropriate to your grade level, it is recommended that students play an active leadership role in presenting these mini-lessons to their classmates.

1. Read: For his birthday, Jonathan was hoping for a new skate board. When his birthday arrived and he did not get one from his parents, he hoped that his grandparents would get it for him. When the mailperson arrived, Jonathan rushed to the mail box. He hoped that there would be a birthday card from his grandparents telling him that his new skateboard was on the way. He found their card and quickly opened it. It told him how special he was and wished him a happy birthday, but there was no mention of a skateboard. Jonathan felt sad as he opened the other cards from friends and relatives. They all mentioned how special he was and wished him a happy birthday.  After the last card was opened and read, Jonathan realized that he was no longer sad. The cards had cheered him up.
   
   Discuss: Is it possible that sometimes nice words are better than nice presents? During our service project, what nice words can we use to cheer people up and tell them how special they are to us?
   
    
2. Read: Why do you think people usually wrap a present rather than hand it to you unwrapped? Why do you think that presents are also usually wrapped with ribbon and bows? When Marci asked her mother that question, her mother said that as a little girl she asked her mother the same question. This is what her mother told her. People like to be surprised! If you hand them an unwrapped present there is no surprise. They know what the present is right away. The ribbon and bow are attached to the wrapping paper to make the package pretty. It is also attached to build the excitement. The anticipation grows. “What can be in such a pretty wrapped package?” they ask themselves as they slowly remove the ribbon and bow and wrapping.
   
   Discuss: In what ways might our cards and letters be a surprise for the people who receive them? What are some things we can do to make them look pretty? Do you think the people who receive them will be excited?
   
    
3. Read: One day the animals were having a discussion. Mr. Rabbit was trying to convince Mr. Weasel that he should help the Beaver family build their new home in the water. “What do I know about building a home in the water?” Mr. Weasel said to Mr. Rabbit. “My home is on the land!” “Mine is too,” said Mr. Rabbit, “but we can bring branches and leaves to the shore and the Beavers can take it from there.” “Ummm,” muttered Mr. Weasel. “I guess I can do that. I’ll ask Mr. Skunk and his two older children to help too.”
   
   Discuss: Sometimes we are asked to do something we don’t think we can do. It seems like too big of a job, so we say “no”. Then someone reminds us that we don’t have to do everything we just need to do a little something. Our service project might be something that we think we cannot do. It’s too big of a job. How can we still do a little something? Why is it helpful to ask others to join us on these big projects?
   
    
4. Read: Ayden and his friend Ashton worked hard raking the leaves at Ayden’s grandmother’s house. When the job was finished, grandmother smiled at the boys. She gave Ayden a big hug and a thank you kiss on the cheek. He pretended to be embarrassed. Grandmother reached out to shake Ashton’s hand. She told him that she was so happy to have the leaves raked for another year. She was so thankful that Ashton would give up a Saturday to spend helping Ayden rake her leaves. She invited them in for milk and cookies. That night Ayden’s grandmother sat down and wrote a “thank you” note to both Ayden and Ashton’s parents. In each note she enclosed a coupon for a free ice cream sundae.
   
   Discuss: Grandmother showed her appreciation to the boys in six different way can you name them? (the smile, the hug and kiss, the hand shake, the milk and cookies, the thank you note, the free ice cream coupons). There are many ways to express thanks. How is our service project another way to express thanks or appreciation?
   
    
5. Read: Erica’s class had just finished learning all about apples. On the last day of their apple unit, Tammi’s mom came to the classroom to help the children make caramel apple treats. She brought all the ingredients and pots and pans needed to make them. When they were made and everything was cleaned up, Tammi’s mom left the classroom to go home. When she was gone, the teacher sat down on a chair in front of the class. She asked the boys and girls to tell her about what they had just done. Pointing to the caramel apples now setting on the counter, each with one of the student’s name next to it, she asked them how they felt about making caramel apples. How they felt about Tammi’s mom coming with all the supplies needed to make them. They decided to write her a thank you note. Erica came to her teacher. She wondered if it would be all right to draw her “thank you” note. Her teacher said that would be okay. Erica took a lite-brown crayon and drew a caramel apple. With a deep red crayon she drew a heart on the apple. After writing her name at the bottom of the paper, she handed it to her teacher for Tammi’s mom.
   
   Discuss: What do you think Erica is trying to tell Tammi’s mom in her drawing? What are other things she could have drawn to show her appreciation for Tammi’s mom coming to help make caramel apples? What are some things we can draw to show what we want to say during our service project?
   
    
6. Read:
   One, two, three ---I wanna say “Thanks” for helping me
   Four, five, six--- but the clock still ticks
   Seven, eight, nine--- so, now’s the time."
   
   Discuss: According to this little rhyme, when is the best time to tell someone that you appreciate them? Why is our service project a good time to say the things we want say?
   
    
7. Read: Have you ever played the game Rock, Paper, Scissors? Sometimes people can’t decide if they want to go first or last in a game or event. Sometimes both people may want to go first or last. Playing the Rock, Paper, Scissors game helps them make a fair decision. In football and some other games, a coin is tossed to make this decision. “Heads” you win the opportunity to choose first, “tails” you lose your opportunity to go first. Some decisions are easy to make. Some decisions are hard to make.
   
   Discuss: How might taking part in our Art for the Heart event be an easy decision for some and a hard decision for others?  How can we help others make a decision to participate in this event?
   
    
8. Read: Almost everyone can recognize a “Smiley Face”. It is a yellow button with two dots representing eyes and a half circle representing the mouth. But there is something really important about that half circle representing the mouth. Do you know what it is? If you guessed how it is drawn, you are right! Think about a cereal bowl. One that is upright is one that you can put cereal and milk in. That may make you happy!  If you turn the bowl upside down, you can’t put cereal and milk in it. That may make you sad. A smiley face drawn upside down is a frown and that may make you feel sad.
   
   Discuss: In what ways might our service turn a frown upside down and make a happy face? How might doing this make you happy too?
   
    
9. Read: When the teacher asked the class how people who are police officers help, the students shared how they felt the police officers helped. When the teacher asked how firefighters help, they shared how they felt the firefighters helped. When she asked the class how lifeguards help, the students shared how they felt they helped too. She continued to ask about the ambulance drivers, the doctors, the mayor, and many others. When she finally stopped asking about people and how they help, she asked this question. “How can we tell these people that we are proud of what they do for our community?” There was silence. The teacher asked, “Have any of you ever told any of these people how proud you are of what they do and how they help?” Everyone shook their head “no”.
   
   Discuss: As we think about people who we are proud of for what they do and how they help, who comes to mind? Why do you think that we often forget to share our appreciation to these people? What are some ways we can show our appreciation during our service project?
   
    
10. Read: Josh’s dad just baked a fresh batch of cookies. Dad loved to make cookies. They always smelled so good. “I’ll tell you what,” dad said to Josh. “If you take this plate of cookies to Mrs. Miller next door, you can have a cookie before dinner!” Josh jumped at the offer. He took the plate of cookies in one hand and a bite out of the cookie he held in the other and headed for Mrs. Miller’s house. He rang the door bell. Mrs. Miller took a while getting to the door. She was very old and walked very slowly. When the door opened Josh handed her the plate of cookies. He quickly told her that his dad had baked them and wanted her to have some. “Come in for a minute,” she said leading him into the living room. Josh sat on the sofa and looked around. It was the holiday season and Mrs. Miller had a few decorations placed about the room. Josh noticed on the fireplace mantel that Mrs. Miller had lined up what seemed like many cards. She noticed him looking at them. Mrs. Miller shared that the holiday cards were ones that she had received over many years. “I put them out every year to remind me that I have so many people who love me and are my friends.” She said.
    
    Discuss: Why were these cards so important to Mrs. Miller? Do you think the people who sent them to her knew how she kept them and displayed them each holiday season? For our Art for the Heart event we will be making cards and letters to send to people. Do we know how much they will mean to the people who receive them? What do we want our cards and letters to say?

Reflection plays a very important role in promoting student learning. The following suggested activities are ways to help students reflect on their learning after they have participated in a service event.  Choose one or more of the activities most appropriate to the service event and your students.

ACTIVITY ONE:
Provide the students with one of four different flower cut-outs of various colors.  Have the students write, or tell you what to write, on each of their flowers that indicate what they did during the service project.  When each student has something written on their flower, display all the flowers placing them in a reflection “garden” entitled “Planting Helping Seeds”, “Helping Blossoms,” “Fun Flowers”, etc. When all the flowers have been "planted in the garden" read to the class what is written on each flower. Draw a comparison between flowers making the world more beautiful and their caring deeds making the world more beautiful.

ACTIVITY TWO:
Provide students with a cutout outline of a fish.  Have the students color their fish and then draw a face on their fish that represents how they personally felt when they were helping during the service-learning activity.  In turn, have each of the students share the feeling that their “fish-face” represents.  As the students share their “fish face” have them place their fish on a display entitled “Sea of Feelings”, “Fish Face Tank,” School of Fish”, or etc.  Ask the students to conclude what the majority of all the fish are ‘feeling’ and why others might be ‘feeling’ differently. Draw a comparison between how fish seem to like ‘schooling together’ to do things and the class coming together to do things like the service project.

ACTIVITY THREE:
Have each student bring their favorite doll, or stuffed animal to class.  (NOTE: Be sure to have a few extra of these items on hand in the classroom for use by students who forget or cannot bring an item.)  Ask the students to share their feelings about their doll or stuffed animal. Remind them of the service project and ask them to share how they felt about being involved in the event. Help them to see that the feelings they have for their favorite doll or stuffed animal are in some ways alike and in some ways different from their feelings about being involved in the service project, but they are alike because these are all “feel good” feelings.

ACTIVITY FOUR:
Assign each student a partner.  Have them stand back to back.  While in this position, ask the students to take turns sharing with their partner their responses to the prompt, “What did you do during the service project?” After each student has had a chance to share with his or her partner, still in the back-to-back position, ask them to share their responses to a second prompt, “Do you think what you did made a difference?”  After an appropriate amount of time, have the partners face each other and respond to the prompt.  “How do you feel now that the event is over?” After returning to their seats, ask the students which way of sharing with each other was easier and why.  (Note: depending on the maturity of the group, explain that many times it’s easier and more helpful if we “face” people and situations rather than ‘turn our backs on them.’)