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Models of Mastery (Private-Religious)

Lesson 3:

From Unit We Are Guardians of the Earth (Stewardship) (Private-Religious)

Lesson

Handouts

Academic Standards

Philanthropy Framework

6th-8th Grade

Subjects:

Language Arts, Philanthropy and Social Studies

Key Words/Concepts click to view

ELA:	Influence; Retell; Summarize; Voice
PHIL:	Caring/Sharing; Judaism; Leadership; Religious Perspectives; Tradition
SOC:	Common Good; Decision-Making Model; Economic Impact; Parochial; Point of View; Religious Perspectives; Rights/Responsibilities; Values

Purpose:

The most important role models for learners demonstrate how one can live responsibly in our world while achieving success by contemporary measure. The great gift and challenge of Judaism is to bring holiness to the profane- to the worldly. The models offered in this lesson are successful in this world and they act as well as give voice to the ideal of caring and sharing our personal gifts and bounty.

Duration:

One - Fifty Minute Class Period

Objectives:

The learner will:

identify the qualities of a successful person by worldly standards.

utilize Biblical texts to identify G-dly qualities and values that define the ethical mastery of the world.

relate the success of historic and contemporary Jewish figures.

utilize Biblical texts and historic as well as contemporary Jewish figures to personally identify and define success.

Materials:

A collection of articles and/or magazines that feature stories of admired/popular contemporary figures
A display board or large sheets of poster paper
Attachment One: Portrait of a Master
Computers with Internet access and resources Attachment Two: Internet Resources: Aaron Feuerstein and Malden Mills or articles downloaded from these or related sites.
Attachment Three: Doing Well and Doing Good
Attachment Four: Portrait of a Modern Master

Handout 1: Portrait of a Master
Handout 2: Internet Resources: Aaron Feuerstein and Malden Mills
Handout 3: Doing Well and Doing Good
Handout 4: Portrait of a Modern Master

Instructional Procedure(s):

Anticipatory Set:
As the learners enter the room, assign them a number beginning with one (#1) and hand them articles/magazines featuring contemporary “icons”- admired as successful people in today’s world. Announce the paring of numbers and have the learners locate their partner (i.e. 1 and 3; 2 and 4; 5 and 7; 6 and 8, etc.). In their groups tell the learners to look through their materials and identify someone they believe is admired as successful in today’s world-- it need not reflect their personal point of view. Ask them to determine what qualities their identified “icon” possesses that might account for the reason they are admired as being successful- What is it that makes these individuals popular/successful? Tell them to record these “admirable qualities” on the display board or poster paper. Once all groups have had a chance to record their identified “admirable qualities”, take some time to identify commonly referred to qualities and allow for discussion.

Distribute to each group a copy of Attachment One: Portrait of a Master and have each group read and respond to the questions.

Lead a discussion centered on the learner responses to the questions related to the text and have the learners draw some comparative conclusions.

Write the words well and good on the display board. Challenge the learners to consider the difference between these words.
Teacher Note: It might help to stimulate thinking if you posed this question, “What difference, if any, would there be between these two comments. ‘He is doing well’ and “He is doing good.’?” Doing “well” is often regarded as being influential, having economic impact and financial resources. Doing “good” is often regarded as making a positive contribution to improving the welfare of others.

Distribute a copy of the Attachment Two: Internet Resources: Aaron Feuerstein and Malden Mills to each learner and have them, individually, select and read about Aaron Feuerstein or Malden Mills utilizing the citations listed on the handout (or printouts of these materials) to gather information.

Assign the completion of Attachment Three: Doing Well and Doing Good as a response to their reading/research. Lead the learners in a discussion that gives information about each of these men and makes comparisons of their decision-making models.
Teacher Note: Aaron Feuerstein and Malden Mills both offer a decision-making model that demonstrates how one can succeed at doing “well” while also showing concern for the common “good” and applying the teachings of Jewish tradition to the exercise of leadership.

Conclude this lesson by distributing copies of the Attachment Four: Portrait of a Modern Master and instruct the learners to read this article and respond in writing to this reflection question, “Taking into consideration all that they learned and discussed in this lesson(s), I define success as…”

Assessment:

Learners will be assessed based on their group discussions and small group work, their research readings as well as the seriousness and depth of understanding reflected in their response to the lesson concluding prompt, “Taking into consideration all that they learned and discussed in this lesson(s), I define success as…”

Bibliographical References:

Internet Resources: Aaron Feuerstein and Malden
The Mensch of Malden Mills
http://www.CBSnews.com/stories/
2003/07/03/60minutes/main561656.shtml .

Ethics is the bottom line; To Aaron Feuerstein, good Judaism makes good business sense.
http://www.jewishaz.com/jewishnews/970131/ethics.html

A CEO Who Lives by What’s Right.
http://www.torah.org/features/firstperson/ceo.html

Malden Mills: A Study in Leadership: The role of conviction, communication and courage in corporate leadership.
http://www.opi-inc.com/malden.htm

Bayar, Steven Rabbi. TO FIX THE WORLD – STICK YOUR NECK
OUT. Self-published 1998. (For more information see also : ZIV.org)

Lesson Developed and Piloted by:

Cynthia Asiala
Kaleva Norman Dickson Schools
Brethren High School
Brethren, MI 49619

Handouts:

Handout 1Print Handout 1

Portrait of a Master

Jeremiah 9: 22-23

Thus said the Lord:
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom;
Let not the strong man glory in his strength;
Let not the rich man glory in his riches.
But only in this should one glory:
In his earnest devotion to Me.
For I the Lord act with kindness,
Justice, and equity in the world;
For in these I delight- declares the Lord.

What is the Prophet Jeremiah’s point of view regarding wisdom, strength or riches?
When do people who possess wisdom, strength and riches "go wrong" regarding those blessings and possessions?
According to the text, how can we behave in a way that is G-dly?
How do those G-dly qualities compare to the qualities that were listed as those that were admired in contemporary American culture? What are the similarities? What are the differences? What is the role of values in each?

Handout 2Print Handout 2

Internet Resources: Aaron Feuerstein and Malden Mills

The Mensch of Malden Mills.
http://www.CBSnews.com/stories/2003/07/03/
60minutes/main561656.shtml

Ethics is the bottom line; To Aaron Feuerstein, good Judaism makes good business sense.
http://www.jewishaz.com/jewishnews/970131/ethics.html

A CEO Who Lives by What’s Right.
http://www.torah.org/features/firstperson/ceo.html

Malden Mills: A Study in Leadership: The role of conviction, communication and courage in corporate leadership
http://www.opi-inc.com/malden.htm

Handout 3Print Handout 3

Doing Well and Doing Good

Complete the following:

An individual does well when:

An individual does good when:

Select either man…

(Aaron Feuerstein) ( Malden Mills) does both good and well by
(Aaron Feuerstein) ( Malden Mills)does both good and well when
What do you think either man would say about a person’s rights and responsibilities in the world?
The quality for which I find (Aaron Feuerstein) ( Malden Mills) most admirable is

Handout 4Print Handout 4

Portrait of a Modern Master

When Andy Lipkis was just a kid growing up in Los Angeles, his camp counselor told him that by the time he was an adult, the hills of surrounding Los Angeles would be brown, the trees having been killed by the smog in the air.

By the time he was 18, Andy had 20 camps willing to help replant those hills.

He found out the State of California had 20,000 smog-resistant tree seedlings available for planting.

BUT, they were available for purchase – for purchase for $600.00 that Andy didn’t have.
SO, Andy contacted the state and asked if he could have them for free. He was told that he had a week to raise the money or the trees would be turned under because it was illegal for the state to give them to him for free.

BUT, Andy contacted some lawmakers and a newspaper reporter.
SO, the state decided Andy could have the trees.

BUT, the 8,000 trees that were left needed to be kept cool.
SO, Andy contacted the food service at the college he was attending and a local ice cream store and got temporary cool housing for his baby trees.

BUT, the trees needed to be planted in individual containers before they could be planted outdoors.
SO, Andy contacted a local dairy that donated the containers and got volunteers to help plant 8,000 baby trees into 8,000 milk containers.

Moving the trees to the hillsides and getting them planted was the easy part!

Andy Lipkis, and his helpers, got the name ‘the tree people.’ You can read all about them and the organization that grew – and grew – and grew from one kid at camp learning about trees at www.treepeople.org.

Adapted from TO FIX THE WORLD – STICK YOUR NECK OUT, Rabbi Steven Bayar

Academic Standards:

State:

Philanthropy Framework:

Unit Contents:

Overview:We Are Guardians of the Earth (Stewardship) (Private-Religious) Summary

Lessons:

1.: Learning to Master: Some Ideas from Tradition (Private-Religious)
2.: Our Ethics Show: Learning to Master (Private-Religious)
3.: Models of Mastery (Private-Religious)