This secondary lesson explains what the U.S. Census is and why it is important for everyone. Every ten years, we count everyone who is living in the U.S., from babies to the oldest people. This gives our government a clear idea of who is using services and where we have growth or decrease in population. If we know who lives where, we can make sure to provide services, such as education, health care, public services, and food/housing in the needed places. 

The learners explore the building grounds or neighborhood, looking for places that need extra attention and stewardship. When they find a spot to care for, they must find out who the stakeholders are and interview them. Listening to different perspectives before making a plan of action shows respect and inclusiveness.

In response to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s challenge, we explore what it means to be the best with the talents you have. The learners practice listening and responding with respect. Everyone has something to give, and this lesson helps us respect and celebrate the contributions we all can make to peaceful and inclusive communities. Students internalize "I matter in my communities." 

In this lesson, students learn that we all have ideas and talents to make the world a better place. This is an opportunity to demonstrate and feel the impact of kindness, inclusion, and listening on a caring community. Students learn from a community helper about the needs they observe in the community. They make and donate a "calming kit" so the tool may help youth calm themselves. Use this at the beginning of the year to set a tone and learn skills of effective language that are good for all. 

Students learn about the goals of Earth Day and identify areas in town that need clean-up or planting. They plan a day of service.

Teach this one-period lesson plan and follow it with a simple and powerful service project before or on Earth Day. The reflection brings learning and service impact together. 

In civil society, different people come together to form community. While differences may cause conflict, for the sake of the common good, we practice empathy and respect for others. Students respond to scenarios of differences in opinion. They learn to communicate respectfully with someone of a different opinion and to seek common ground or compromise. The lesson concludes with a service project in which the students create posters to teach these methods to the school or community. 

Students learn about the roles of bees in a colony and discuss how that relates to people in community. Bees have an important role in nature as pollinators, but their population numbers have been declining in recent years. Students write a letter or create a flyer to teach others how to help bees by planting native species.