Youth analyze personal reasons for taking action and compare them to the researched motivations for giving. 

Stretching imagination and vocabulary, youth brainstorm words that demonstrate kindness and generosity. Being playful with their postures and shadows, youth work cooperatively with one or two others to act out their ideas and form alphabet letters. 

Students examine the intent and reality of the orphan train and discuss whether it was an effective solution to child homelessness. They write and speak about the traits of someone who takes action for others and civil society. 

Young people perform their puppet plays in order to teach others about environmental issues. They reflect on this project by writing an answer to some essential questions of the unit: What does it mean to be a philanthropist? What does it mean to be an environmentalist?

To introduce students to Andrew Carnegie as one of the outstanding early philanthropists of the United States.    

We define civic virtue and give examples of ways to exhibit civic virtue for the common good. 

Using Guidestar as a source, young people identify three nonprofits and their mission statements. 

Through a fable, learners discuss how generosity improves the quality of life in their communities.

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.

Using the inspiration of Amanda Gorman’s poem “Earthrise,” participants consider what it means to act in ways that honor the Earth. Individuals identify and publicly commit to take action that works to help humans and nature flourish together.