Monthly Teacher Feature
Helping Hounds: A Mini-Grant Story (Read more stories here)
Ms. Eisenson is a 1st grade teacher who said, "by doing community service in school, students can then transfer new skills and ideologies independently outside the classroom."
After employing the Learning to Give lesson
Pets Have Needs too, students participated in the project Helping Hounds. The lesson helped to motivate Ms. Eisenson's students to want to help animals in their community.
To complete their service-learning project the classroom partnered with a local nonprofit dog shelter. Students created posters to ask people for donations to help the shelter and then used the funds to donate and also purchase supplies to make fleece blankets, socks to make tug-toys, and pvc pipe and other materials to make enrichment toys.
"I noticed that my class was more aware of those less fortunate in our community after this project," reflected Ms. Eisenson. "They would come into class in the morning and talk about what they could do for homeless people and many also became more responsible at home with their own pets."
One student said, "I learned that dogs have needs like people." Another said, "I liked that we got to choose what to do for them. I want to help all dogs find homes not just the cute puppies but older dogs, too."
The Learning to Give mini-grant allowed the students to be creative and meet the needs of their local dog shelter. In the end, the students became more aware of just how many dogs need support and that their help and love can make a difference.
Getting Started with the Blue Sky Activity
Are you looking for a way to help your students think outside of the box? To consider community? To put others needs before their own?
Blue Sky is a visioning exercise that guides participants in identifying what they care about and imagining a better world. This activity is perfect for any K-12 classroom because participants are asked to take a look at their group, neighborhood, community, state, nation, and/or the world. How does it work? After a bit of thought, participants reflect on the way it is and then imagine the way they would like it to be. This activity encourages empathy, compassion, and self-expression. It also helps participants learn to react to a negative situation with a positive action. Try it out in your classroom today!
Join the Blue Sky conversation on Twitter and Facebook
@LearningtoGive using #LTGBlueSky #Teach1
Curriculum Planning Has Never Been So Simple!
Hot off the press!
These 2017-18 Learning to Give calendars inspire giving all year with mini-challenges for service and kindness, lesson ideas, TeachOne support, inspirational quotes, and more!
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