Participants discuss the attributes and benefits of local water resources and ecosystems. They identify the interrelatedness of humans and the environment in the book A River Ran Wild, and discuss how the way we treat the water impacts our lives.
Introduce the philanthropic behavior of Native Americans through the speech attributed to Chief Seattle, using the book Brother Eagle, Sister Sky: The Words of Chief Seattle.
Benjamin Franklin's work was in service to making a better world, and he influenced the nonprofit sector. His book, Poor Richards Almanack, makes connections to the common good through personal virtue and actions. The participants choose quotes to create posters that communicate their commitment to the common good.
We look at the Society of Friends/Quakers and describe how this group promoted the common good. The Quakers pushed for religious freedom and freedom of choice, which are Core Democratic Values. As a group, they formed organizations to promote social change in the areas of slavery, prison conditions, poverty, Native American affairs and other social causes.
We learn how different groups coming together for the good of all established the Mayflower Compact. This brief agreement was the first document of its kind designed to bring a community together to focus on the common good. This may be a model for a group agreement written by the participants.
Young people demonstrate that gifts do not need to be purchased with money. The best gifts are things we do with our time and talent for someone else. They brainstorm "kindness" types of gifts, such as a service or a homemade creation. They make a gift of kindness certificates.
This experiential lesson involves building the garden and inviting people to enjoy and participate.
Young people convince others to take care of the beach or protect the Earth. They write an essay or make an advocacy poster.
This lesson is a reflection on the beach clean-up experience.
With guidance from a local environmental agency, prepare the youth in advance of volunteering their time to clean up a lake or river for the common good. Arrange a field trip that includes picking up trash and recording the data.