Financial Literacy Resources
Creative lessons and resources teaching financial literacy to youth K-12.
Paw Prints to Learning
Teach young people about animal welfare and how they CAN make a difference in animals' lives.
Activity
At-a-Glance
Time:
60 Minutes
Materials:
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Copies of stories to read
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Newsprint with definition of philanthropy displayed
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Paper and pencils
Physical Setting:
Large room with space to get comfortable, areas for quiet reflection for their story (inside or out), soft music
Sequence:
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15 minutes for storytelling
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15 minutes to process
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20 minutes to review definitions and stories
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10 minutes to begin their own story
from Community Partnerships with Youth, Inc., adapted from a story by
Marian Duselis, age 15, for y-Press/The Sunday Indianapolis Star
Objectives:
- To demonstrate that some ordinary habits can become extraordinary habits
- To illustrate how an idea among a few can become a service project in which many can be involved
Activity Theme:
“Post-recess hot chocolate is impetus for a project proving that helping others warms the heart.”
~ Marian Duselis, age 15, reporter for the y-Press/The Sunday Indianapolis Star
The facilitator explains that the participants will hear a story about a group of fifth graders who learned how to practice philanthropy from a simple habit that they had formed after recess. Participants will discuss other simple habits they have that can become acts of philanthropy. The story is available on the internet at: http://www.ypress.org/news/postrecess_hot_chocolate_is_impetus_for_a_project_proving_that____helping_others_warms_the_heart.
Activity:
The facilitator reads the article from the y-Press. He/she asks participants to think about a habit that they have that might be turned into a service project. These should be posted on newsprint. Examples might be:
“Every Saturday I treat myself to a new comic book. If I treated myself every other week I could take the money saved and contribute to cancer research in memory of my grandfather who died of cancer. Maybe the store would donate to the fund and I might be able to get others who are there on Saturday to contribute.”
“Next week is Halloween. Sometimes I trick-or-treat for UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Fund) but this year why don’t we all agree to trick-or-treat for the Community Food Basket? If everyone in the training today would decide to do this, we would contribute lots of food to the Food Bank.”
“Hey, I like that idea. Let’s take it to our classroom and see if everyone there will trick-or-treat for the Community Food Basket.”
The facilitator should just let the ideas flow from the participants. When there is a nice assortment of ideas listed, divide the group into small groups of 4-5. Ask each group to take one of the ideas and start from the ordinary (simple) to the extraordinary (remarkable). Give each group the Hot Chocolate from the Heart handout and have the team fill it out. After about 20 minutes, the facilitator brings the groups back together. Each group will present their “heart” project.
Processing the Story:
- How did you feel when you realized that you have the ability to turn an ordinary habit into an extraordinary habit?
- Were there some of the ideas that you would like to see happen and would help to make happen? What were some of these?
- Ordinary means simple, extraordinary means remarkable. Have you seen or heard of other remarkable people? Who are they? What did they do?
Application:
Talk to your family about the discussion today. Ask each one of them to think of something that they do everyday that might be turned into an extraordinary event, which involves the neighborhood or their place of work. While they are having the discussion, consider serving them a cup of hot chocolate as a thank you for their good thinking.
