Optional: Should the actual implementation of a group’s plan to address (fix) an identified social problem be assigned, each learner will be involved in the project as planned by his/her group and provide the required reflections upon the completion of the assigned project.
 

Anticipatory Set:
Greet each learner that comes into classroom with a smile and a warm welcome. Once everyone is seated ask them how being greeted in this manner made them feel. Ask them to share their thoughts as to why you might have greeted them in this manner (ulterior motivations?). Now ask the learners if anyone, a total stranger perhaps, has ever smiled at them as they were walking along the sidewalk, in a store, at the mall, in a restaurant, etc..  Ask them to share their thoughts as to why a total stranger might have greeted them in this manner (ulterior motivations?) For those who have experienced a “stranger’s smile” ask them if they recall that it had any affected on how they felt the rest of that day? Ask if they recall doing anything differently, perhaps as a result of the unexpected smile? Ask if they returned the smile? If so why if not why not?

 

• Share with the learners that a smile and a warm welcome are two very small and seemingly insignificant acts of kindness. Ask the class to share other acts of kindness they have seen or they have had shown to them by others. Encourage the class to come up with 20 or more such acts of kindness, listing them on the display board as they are being shared.
  
  
• Share with the class that just as there are numerous acts of kindness being shared every day, there also exist numerous social problems. Briefly reviewing prior lesson discussions. Solicit and list on the display board at least ten social problems that they have seen or they have personally experienced (i.e. poverty, homelessness, intolerance, bullying, destruction of private property, drug abuse, hunger/malnutrition, etc.).
  
  
• With both lists now before the learners, announce that, as a class, having identified and discussed any number of social problems they are now asked to think of ways to improve things closer to home utilizing one or more of these acts of kindness.
  
  
• Seek learner input to construct a list of suggestions for the improvement of social conditions close to home.
  
  
• Arrange the class into teams and require each team to identify one social issue, close to home, in need of “fixing”, and utilizing the acts of kindness list, develop a plan that is designed to “fix” the identified social problem.
  
  
• Conclude this lesson by having each group share their proposed plans with each other for the sake of a peer review and revision.
  (Optional: Allow some time for each group to "operationalize" their proposed revised plan of action and report back to the class following the allotted time period designated for this activity as to its impact in “fixing” the identified social issue.)