Learning to Give, Philanthropy education resources that teach giving and civic engagement
generationOn
Purpose:
The purpose of this lesson is for the learners to reflect on how philanthropy, enlightened self-interest, and caring are related and to determine why and how they will "care" in the future.
Duration:
One 20-minute lesson
Objectives:
The learner will:
- recall or learn the definition of philanthropy and relate it to caring.
- reflect on a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. about caring.
Service Experience:
Learn more about the stages of service-learning.
This character education mini-lesson is not intended to be a service learning lesson or to meet the K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice. The character education units will be most effective when taught in conjunction with a student-designed service project that provides a real world setting in which students can develop and practice good character and leadership skills. For ideas and suggestions for organizing service events go to www.generationon.org.
Instructional Procedure(s):
Anticipatory Set:
Display the definintion of philanthropy as "giving time, talent, and treasure, and taking action for the common good." If the learners have experience with service-learning and being philanthropists, ask them to relate what this definition means to them in light of that service. If philanthropy is a new word to the learners, give them some examples of everyday philanthropists from the local community and ask them to name the time, talent, or treasure they might have to give for the common good as a way of "caring."
- Ask the learners to discuss if and how philanthropy might be considered enlightened self-interest [sacrificing time and resources to the benefit of the whole, which, in turn, benefits self].
- Display the following quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the creative light of altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. This is the judgment. Life's persistent and most urgent question is, What are you doing for others?"
- After a brief discussion of the quote, ask the learners to respond to the quote in writing in their journals by answering Dr. Kings' question -- What are you doing for others? -- and writing about how what they are doing could be considered enlightened self-interest.
Lesson Developed By:
Betsy FlikkemaAssociate Director
Learning to Give
Barbara Dillbeck
Director
Learning to Give
Handouts:
Unit Contents:
Overview:Character Education: Caring (Grade 8) Summary
Lessons:
- 1.
- Stick Your Neck Out
- 2.
- Defining Caring
- 3.
- What Type of Caring?
- 4.
- The Rewards of Caring
- 5.
- Caring and Self-Interest
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely use this information for nonprofit (noncommercial), educational purposes only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.
