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Nonprofits in our Community and World (3-5)

Grades: 
3, 4, 5
Subjects: 
Language Arts
Philanthropy
Keywords & Concepts: 
Career Opportunities
For-Profit
Interview
Nonprofit
November
Questioning
Research
Students will examine the role and impact of nonprofit organizations within their community and prepare to interview representatives.
Duration 
PrintOne Fifty-Minute Class Period
Objectives 
The learner will:
  • identify and develop questions to ask representatives of local nonprofit organizations, based on their previous research,.
  • prepare to conduct an interview with representatives of nonprofit organizations.
Materials 
Information Recording Sheet (Attachment Two) from Lesson Two: What Does a Nonprofit Do, and for Whom?
Related Resources 

Instructions

Print

  1. Anticipatory Set:

    Tell students that tomorrow they will be visited by representatives of the organizations they researched. Ask them to brainstorm what kinds of preparations should be made to make sure they get the answers to all the questions they may have about their organizations.

  2. Pair students in the same work groups as in the previous lesson. Instruct students to spend five minutes reviewing the information they gathered and presented in the previous lesson.
  3. Guide students' thinking by asking probing questions, such as:
    • What did you learn from doing research yesterday?
    • What more would you like to know about the nonprofit you studied? Ask students to think on their own regarding these questions for a few minutes. After this time, take suggestions from the class regarding interesting questions to ask the representatives. Questions can be general or specific, but hopefully will be largely centered around working in a nonprofit organization. Possible questions can include:
    • What does an average day in your job look like?
    • How did you become interested in working for your organization?
    • What makes you feel successful in your job?
    • When are you not successful?
    • How does that feel?
    • Do you really feel like you are making a difference in the lives of other people?
    • If you could change one aspect of your job, what would it be?
    • If you could change one aspect of your organization, what would it be?The teacher should record all suggestions on the board, chart paper, or the overhead.
  4. Let students return to their groups, come up with the specific questions they would like to ask, and figure out the order for asking the questions. The teacher can monitor the room, helping groups with all aspects of organizing the interview.
Assessment 
At the end of the hour, groups will be expected to turn in a paper listing the questions and the specific order of the questions. The interviews will last approximately twenty minutes.

Philanthropy Framework

  1. Strand PHIL.II Philanthropy and Civil Society
    1. Standard PCS 04. Philanthropy and Geography
      1. Benchmark E.1 Name examples of civil society organizations in the community.
      2. Benchmark E.2 Identify and describe how civil society organizations help the community.