Learners get inspiration from the work and words of Mother Teresa about performing small acts of kindness. They make a plan for carrying out a small act of kindness.

Learners define caring through discussion of examples and writing an acrostic.

In this lesson, the learners write a story about philanthropists, modeled after the documentary The Gift of All. They research or interview a local philanthropist. Each learner writes a biography telling the story of the philanthropist. They share the completed biography with an elementary student, teaching that student about philanthropy and the value of giving to the community. 

In this lesson, learners explore their personal responsibility to the community. They recognize that everyone has something to give, and that includes them. The learners brainstorm local philanthropists and positive traits of their own communities. They assess local needs and make a plan to address one need through volunteering or advocacy at a later date.

This beautiful documentary The Gift of All: a Community of Givers shares the motivations and attributes of the generous people interviewed. In response, the learners create their own short biographies of philanthropists in their community.

Students learn effective techniques and complete prewriting activities for writing a persuasive essay. As a culmination of the unit, students choose one of the three styles of writing--news article, personal narrative, or persuasive essay--to write, edit, and publish about their experience with giving time, talent, or treasure for the common good. 

Students learn about the characteristics of an effective personal narrative and compare those to a news article. They do prewriting activities and practice writing details to show rather than tell about an experience.

Students become familiar with the structure of the newspaper and the purpose of the different types of articles as they explore "stories" about acts of giving and sharing time, talent, and treasure for the common good. Students recognize the types of voices and articles in the newspaper. They analyze the components of news articles and complete pre-writing for a news article about their own acts of philanthropy. 

Youth raise awareness of ways to advocate for justice and kindness and bring positive change in their school, community, and world.

In this lesson, we explore the role of youth in the advancement of human and civil rights. Young people share ideas about how they can promote the common good and lead positive social changes.