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...

After learning about the delicate balance and benefits of lakes and rivers, participants raise awareness of the need for responsible citizenship to maintain local water ecosystems.

The youth read the book Seedfolks and discuss the diverse characters and their individual contributions to a community garden. While learning about the thirteen individuals in the story, they identify their character, heritage, motivations, and contributions to nourishing...

Although the problems of the environment seem overwhelming, if each person does a little, the problems can be reduced.  Even small contributions make an impact on the environment. Students choose ways they can make an impact through their small...

Students brainstorm simple acts of kindness and design a bookmark as a reminder.

Using the radio broadcast "This I Believe" as a model, learners create visual or audio statements of their beliefs about volunteering and serving. Each presentation communicates the culture, experiences, and motivations that influence the learner's attitude about service. After presenting...

Students organize and implement a school-based recycling plan based on research and interests of the group.

This adaptable one-period lesson plan includes a simple and powerful service project for Earth Day. The ...

Young people gain awareness of the negative effects of air pollution, especially asthma. They research and identify some of the sources of air pollution in the school and community and possible ways to improve air quality in these areas.

All cultures have practices and customs regarding hospitality, or how we treat guests. In these folktales, we learn about different expectations and degrees of these customs and how travelers test the limits of hospitality and feel the effects of their host's generosity. 

Young people explore what it means to be an environmentalist. They work in small groups to research the facts and possible solultions related to an environmental issue. The ultimate goal of the unit is to empower young people to share their knowledge (talent) and make others aware of...