Develop an understanding that you can find poetry everywhere: from lyrics to songs, commercials and rap. Investigate the philanthropic themes are often found in poetry.

In this lesson, youth discuss the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and especially focus on his ethic of service.

Rosa Parks’s acts of philanthropy brought a community of people together for the common good and resulted in major social change in her community and in the nation. Young people identify the relationship between individual rights, justice, equality, and community responsibility.

Children learn that the community has four sectors: business, government, nonprofit, and family. The children may walk through an area in their local community to identify which sector is represented by different places. As an alternative, they may look at a local map. 

Based on the book The Runaway Rice Cake, the group writes a familiar story from a different perspective. The moral of the story is that when the character gives generously and from the heart, the giver is also rewarded in some way.

The learners review the water cycle and come to an understanding about the need to sustain the quality of the world's water for the common good. 

Discuss and evaluate personal beliefs and attitudes about the treatment of animals, especially applied to sports and entertainment. We explore how laws and beliefs concerning animal welfare affect personal responses to animal treatment. 

Small personal actions can be first steps in a life of service and civic engagement. Voting and civic action are small examples of responsible citizenship. Advocating for what we value is a demonstration of a citizen's rights. 

Working in small groups, learners match the classic hero traits to an activist who took social action for the common good.

Learners reflect on simple actions that can make a difference to at least one person, and maybe make a bigger difference as the kindness is passed on.