Learning to Give, Curriculum Division of The LEAGUE
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Unit Purpose:
Students will learn basic terms and vocabulary related to the Great Depression. After listening to A Year Down Yonder, by Richard Peck, students will understand how small acts of philanthropy were possible, even during these difficult times. They will learn about government philanthropy through the work of the C.C.C. and the W.P.A. during the Great Depression. As a final project, the students will plant some tree seedlings in their community.
This unit focuses upon the volunteer efforts and revitalization of our country, which surfaced during the Great Depression under the leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt, entitled the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Unit Objectives:
The learner will:
- define vocabulary and terms used during the Great Depression.
- identify and share at least one example of philanthropy from the novel, A Year Down Yonder, by Richard Peck.
- analyze the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps.
- create visual presentations detailing the daily life on a C.C.C. camp.
- create a planting map and plant trees in the area.
Service Experience:
Students will create a visual presentation of a C.C.C. camp in their classroom. As a service learning project, students will plant trees in their community.
Unit Assessment:
The assessments used with this unit are varied to take into account the varying styles of student learning. It will include teacher observation, creation of graphs, completion of a Venn diagram and a planting-area map, listing key points of the C.C.C. in your state, and class participation.
School/Home Connection:
- "Copy-and-Paste" Class/School Newsletter Information Insert:
The Great Depression was a difficult time in the history of the United States. Work was scarce and families struggled to find work, feed their families, and preserve their pride. Even in these tough times, people found ways to help each other. Many people who lived during the depression of the 30's say that it was a positive experience because of the way that people worked together. It was also a time in which families learned what they valued most in life. The students will study some of the philanthropic aspects of the depression. We will be reading a Newberry-Award-Winning novel, A Year Down Yonder, that is set in the depression. We will also be studying some of the programs that Roosevelt introduced to help people through the depression.
- Interactive Parent / Student Homework:
In Lesson One: A Year Down Yonder-Giving During the Depression, students look for examples of philanthropy at home. (See Attachment Four: Philanthropy in Action-Homework Assignment from Lesson One: A Year Down Yonder-Giving During the Depression.) In Lesson Two: No Food, No Money, No Job-What to Do?, students collect items related to the functions of trees. The items may either be actual or representational. After a week they share, compare and discuss what they collected.
Notes for Teaching:
Lesson One: A Year Down Yonder-Giving During the Depression, the award-winning book, A Year Down Yonder, contains some mature themes. You should review the text before reading it to your students. In the chapter "Away in the Manger," a teenage mother attempts to get rid of her unwanted baby by placing it in the manger at the Christmas play, thinking that no one will know whose it is. The issue is handled subtly and with humor. Also, students will be preparing presentations at the end of this lesson. One presentation option is to use computer presentation software. You may wish to teach your students to use this software before beginning this lesson. In the final lesson, the students will plant tree seedlings in the community. You may wish to order the seedlings at the beginning of the unit to be sure they arrive in time for the final lesson. Contact the Arbor Foundation at their Web site. See Bibliographical References, Lesson Four: Planting Trees.<http://www.arborday.org/trees/membershiptrees/> Teachers are encouraged to research and reflect with their students the effect of the Depression on populations in the United a States and world wide.
State Curriculum and Philanthropy Theme Frameworks:
See individual lessons for benchmark detail.
Lessons Developed and Piloted By:
David Hales
Farmington Public Schools
Hillside Elementary
36801 West 11-Mile Rd
Farmington Hills, MI 48335
Heather Bias
Southgate Community Schools
Chormann Elementary
15500 Howard
Southgate, MI 48195
Jennifer Dick Montgomery
Southfield Public Schools
MacArthur Elementary
24501 Frederick
Southfield, MI 48034
Kimberly Fox
Albion Public Schools
Albion Open School
401 E Michigan Ave
Albion, MI 49224
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