The learners will:

• describe how family values are demonstrated through community or school-based celebrations of American democracy.
  
• explain the use of celebrating Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, Pearl Harbor Day and connect it to family values.
  
• define ethics, ethical conduct and values, both personal and community.
  
• identify ethical conduct and personalize how s/he has behaved ethically.
  
• identify ways that s/he has practiced philanthropy in his/her family or with friends.
  
• write a personal essay describing philanthropic experiences, using whole writing strategies in writing pods.
  
• identify role models for philanthropy.
  
• collect and explore data through constructing surveys reflecting the frequency of philanthropic actions, within the family or with friends, directed to the community.
  
• organize data in bar graph.
  
• analyze data from bar graph, explain the source of data and what the data represents.
  
• draw conclusions and make recommendations based on data collected.
  
• participate in activities that involve parents/guardians or significant adults as partners in acts of philanthropy.
  
• create a portfolio of events or activities, shared with parents, to present to class.
  
• invite parents to share in verbal presentation of an activity in class.
  
• produce a collage of activities that can be done for the common good of the community with parents.
  
• define "community capital" and assess its existence in the community during the unit project.

Instructor observations, personal essays, bar graphs, reflection journals, reflection pieces other than journals, oral presentations, instructor-constructed quizzes and tests on content.

The focus of the unit is certainly philanthropy; however, a critical component is the writing of an essay using writing pods and meeting all expectations of ELA Frameworks, content standards and benchmarks. Additionally, content in social studies is specific so that learning applicable to American involvement in international conflict is woven directly into service learning opportunities.