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volunteerism: activity ideas
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- Service Learning
Grade Level: 3-5
Subject: Professional DevelopmentService Learning is a powerful teaching method that incorporates meaningful service projects and academic ties to help young people learn new skills and develop a sense of civic awareness. It provides an opportunity to motivate and fully engage students in the process of learning.
Youth voice, through brainstorming, allows students to take ownership. They are involved and engaged in assessing needs, planning, implementing, evaluating, reflecting, and celebrating a service-learning project. Student knowledge and involvement in connecting curriculum ties and standards, as an integral part of their learning experience can become an important aspect of the service project. Young people learn to accept and appreciate individual differences, teamwork, social and leadership skills, citizenship, and to assume responsibility for one another through Service Learning. Students learn to appreciate academics through application of their basic skills and the development of critical thinking, decision making, analytical, and evaluation skills. Students see real life connections that motivate and enhance their desire to learn.
The primary goal of service learning is to help young people develop as responsible citizens, improve their academic skills, and develop as individuals through doing service. Studies show that ISTEP scores improved along with attitudes toward school and work due to Service Learning. It provides young people with opportunities to use academic skills in real life situations and enhances what is taught in the school by extending student learning into the community. Other benefits of the program were increased teacher enthusiasm, parental involvement, and community partners.
Service Learning empowers youth and views them as potential leaders and responsible volunteers in the community. As one fifth grader from Indiana stated, "Don't underestimate the power of kids."
Online Resources
ZOOM!: Service Learning:
http://pbskids.org/zoom/grownups/action/educators.html#whatisNational Service-Learning Clearinghouse:
http://www.servicelearning.org/National Service-Learning Partnership:
http://www.service-learningpartnership.org/Learning In Deed:
http://learningindeed.org/index.htmlGood Character: Character Education:
http://www.goodcharacter.com/SERVICE/service.htmlPrint Resources
Schools and Communities: Creating Places of Learning by Robert Shumar
More Recommended Resources
- Fighting Hunger
Grade Level: 4-8
Subject: Reading & Language Arts; Social Studies; Math; Science & Technology; Health & FitnessAs a class, brainstorm the needs of your area and local food bank. Be sure to discuss who needs to be contacted in the community and at school concerning permission, materials necessary for collection, public relations needs, and any possible connection to an existing school event.
Read about the homeless, job loss, or natural disasters and discuss the difficulties one faces when their circumstances change for the worse. Talk about the different community organizations and city departments that provide assistance in times of need. Students may decide to hold a silent auction to generate cash for the service agency.
Break up into small groups for specific writing tasks such as creating flyers, posters, school and local newspaper articles, radio announcements, a play to educate other classes and advertise the event, thank you letters for auction items.
Students could use estimation, multiplication, addition subtraction, ratios, tallying, charting for math curriculum ties in a number of ways for this project. It is easy to incorporate health education, checking labels for fat, salt, and sugar content. By sorting these items, math skills could once again be used.
A lesson and lively discussions about economics can ensue when students try to "live" on $1100 a month. With amounts assessed to each basic necessity (and a few luxuries), students in a small group need to work within a budget. They begin to understand the need for food banks and how important volunteers are to a community.
Online Resources
Zoom Into Action: Hunger and Homelessness:
http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/action/way02.htmlNOW with Bill Moyers: Hunger Resource Map:
http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/hungermap.htmlHungerWeb:
http://nutrition.tufts.edu/academic/hungerweb/America's Second Harvest:
http://www.secondharvest.org/Kid to Kid:
http://www.kidtokid.org/Print Resources
The Kid's Guide to Service Projects by Barbara Lewis
More Recommended Resources
- Protecting the Environment
Grade Levels: 4-8
Subjects: Social Studies; Math; Reading & Language Arts; Science & Technology; The ArtsRead environmental books such as The Great Trash Bash, A River Runs Wild or Love Earth. Discuss the impact humans have on the environment. Recycling, alternative energy, rainforests, loss of habitat, and a host of social issues can be studied.
With a goal in mind, have students brainstorm necessary contact people (principle, school district permission, county commissioner or parks department), supplies and donations needed, safety issues, possible public relations needs, transportation and the celebration. Who do they want to participate (with a county road site, parent involvement is a must) and how will they get the word out. Allow students to make phone calls and write letters.
Allow each family to choose what area to clean and chart it on a county map. Weigh and count bags of trash and create computer generated flyers and letters inviting public officials. Write articles for the school newspaper or start a "green column" to educate students about the environment. A student photographer can provide pictures for a later reflection activity.
Break up the team into groups and let them choose an area of interest to create displays, artwork, demonstrations, or other creative ideas to share information with other classes in your school. You may also ask students to create art from recycled items.
Online Resources
P.O.V. Borders: Environment:
http://www.pbs.org/pov/borders/2004/index_flash.htmlNOVA: "World in the Balance" (Role Plays):
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/roleplay/Zoom Into Action: Help the Environment:
http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/action/way04.htmlOne World.net:
http://www.oneworld.net/article/frontpage/338/3933Print Resources
A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History by Lynne Cherry
More Recommended Resources
The Great Trash Bash by Loren Leedy
I Want to Be An Environmentalist by Stephanie Maze
- A Caring Chain
Grade Level: 3-5
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts;, MathDiscuss with your class how performing one act of kindness can affect another person. How do you feel after helping someone else? Can your kindness be passed on and create a chain effect? Brainstorm people you can help, such as family, friends, neighbors, or even a stranger. What are some of the good deeds one could do for this project? Small things, like holding a door open or a kind word, can make a difference.
Have students write their acts of kindness on colorful strips of construction paper. A great school wide project is to do enough acts of kindness to create a chain that would reach clear around the entire school! Estimate the number of links needed to go around your classroom, in a foot, a meter. Students can multiply, figure perimeter and area, square foot and other math related activities.
Be sure to brainstorm celebration ideas. Students can reflect on their various acts of kindness by writing essays about how they spread kindness to others by word or deed and the feelings involved. Teams of older students can create a "caring book" to share with kindergartens and 1st grade.
Online Resources
B.E.S.T. program -- Tamarac Elementary:
http://www.brittonkill.k12.ny.us/esweb/best/index.htmNational Service-Learning Clearinghouse:
http://www.servicelearning.org/article/archive/41Print Resources
Kid's Random Acts of Kindness by Rosslyn Carter
More Recommended Resources
- Read-a-Thon
Grade Level: 3-5
Subjects: Reading & Language ArtsBrainstorm literary areas that may need extra funding such as the school library, children's puzzles for a public library, books and materials for an open or "trading" library at school, or an abuse shelter library. Some agencies may accept gently used books.
Students should decide on a reading goal and create a letter about the project including who, what, why, where, and when before meeting with administrators to explain their project. Sleeping overnight at school makes reading a lot more fun! Pledge sheets can be distributed to the class for those choosing to participate.
Between the independent reading times, interesting activities can be included. Small groups presenting familiar fairy tales with a new twist or different characters, add a line stories, add an adjective story, problem solving activities with solutions presented to the group, gym time, snack time and prize drawings all make for a successful project.
Online Resources
Book Buddy Program:
http://www.yscal.org/resources/assets/grantapps.docInstant Challenges:
http://www.destinationimagination.orgPrint Resources
Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair by Patricia Polacco
More Recommended Resources
On Stage by Lisa Bany-Winters
- Physical Education for Everyone
Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12
Subjects: Health & FitnessAs a class or group of students organize a "dog jog." All participants are required to donate $5 (suggested) or pet food. Create a short route around the school grounds and allow pets to participate. Donate the money/food collected to a local animal shelter. Another idea is for students to donate their time to a local humane society by assisting with clean up or maintenance of the facility. Host a mobile adoption unit at your school.
It is important that all students have an opportunity to participate in athletics. Special Olympics provide opportunities for children and adults with special needs to train and participate in a variety of athletic events from aquatics to equestrian to track and field.
Coaches and teachers can work with their student-athletes organize and run a Special Olympics event at their school. Students who participate in that sport at in the varsity, junior varsity or intramural programs can work as officials and competition staff. For example, track and field: equipment manager, running field events, timers, and water and snack people.
Coaches/teachers can organize opportunities for their students to participate in the Special Olympics Training Program for coaching athletes with special needs. Devote one practice session (or portion of) per week to working with the special needs athletes.
Often, children grow out of their athletic equipment before they can wear it out. This is a great opportunity to share the joy of sports with children who may not have safe and appropriate equipment to play. Prior to the start of your season, children should try on their uniforms and equipment from the previous year. All the materials that no longer fit but are still in good condition can be collected. Athletes can sell the equipment to younger athletes or donate the gently used equipment to a sports charity/youth sports program.
Online Resources
Humane Society of the United States:
http://www.hsus.org/ace/12198Special Olympics:
More Recommended Resources
http://www.specialolympics.com/ ...
- Get Active in Government
Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12
Subjects: Social StudiesAs citizens of the United States we are given the right to vote. This is a right not given in all countries and is viewed as a privilege by many people around the global. However, voter registration and turn out are low, especially among the 18-25 years old age group.
Many schools and community centers are used as community polling places. Students can man polling places or help set-up and break down the polling locations at their school. Contact your local voting official at your city, township or county offices.
Hold a Voter Registration Drive: Contact Rock the Vote, they will send materials to not only register people to vote but also provide voter education materials to people who register. Or, students can set up a voter education center in the school media center. Students can log on to Rock the Vote and register themselves online.
Tutor for the Immigration Test: Every year thousands of immigrants prepare to take their citizenship exams and get swan in as new United States citizens. Invite local immigrant organization to your U.S. History or Government classes. Allow students to work with these members of the community to 1) prepare them for the citizenship exam, 2) provide an opportunity for students to see the lengths by which individuals will go to become U.S. citizens, and 3) provide opportunities for a cross-cultural exchange in your classroom.
Online Resources
By the People:
http://www.pbs.org/elections/kidsBig Apple History: Business and Politics
http://pbskids.org/bigapplehistory/business/index-flash.htmlClose Up Foundation:
http://www.closeup.orgProject Vote Smart:
http://www.vote-smart.org/Rock the Vote:
http://www.rockthevote.com/home.phpPrint Resources
Teen Power Politics by Sara Jane Boyers
More Recommended Resources
Nonvoters : America's No-Shows by Jack C. Doppelt and Ellen Shearer
- Volunteerism Begins at Home
Grade Level: 6-8
Subjects: Social StudiesCreating student awareness is the first step in promoting community involvement and volunteerism. Help your students organize a Global or Local Volunteerism Fair. The goal of the fair should be to explain and promote the reasons and needs for global/local volunteerism and the programs they represent.
Invite representatives from various organizations that are involved in community service at a global/local level. These may include the local humane society, hospital, homeless shelter, soup kitchen, bookmobile, etc. Once these representatives have helped motivate your students, ask your class to first turn their attention to what needs to be done in their schools or neighborhoods. You may want to set aside a school or weekend day to promote the beautification of your school or another public building. Activities could include weeding; planting of bulbs and flowers, painting and general pick-up on the grounds around the building.
Online Resources
Big Apple History: Volunteerism Primer:
http://pbskids.org/bigapplehistory/parentsteachers/volunteerism.htmlBig Apple History: Engineer a Solution:
http://pbskids.org/bigapplehistory/activities/a_early/activity7/index.htmlNOW with Bill Moyers: Volunteering for Beginners:
More Recommended Resources
http://www.pbs.org/now/society/volunteer.html
Published: June 2004