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Grade Level: 2-5
Academic Areas: Science, Language Arts, Social Studies, Art
Duration of service: Year Long
Character Virtues: Respect, Civic Virtue and Citizenship
Service Areas: Public Safety, Homeland Security
Materials Needed: bus, mural materials, intro and finale celebration
materials
Total Cost of Project: $50 – 500
Time Needed for Project: October – May , 30 – 45 minutes/week
Time Needed for Teacher Preparation: varies
Experience in CE Needed: moderate
Experience in SL Needed: moderate
Service Learning Project:
Adopt-a-Cop program is a year-long program in which a third-grade
classroom forms a relationship with a local police officer to foster
a positive bond. This program will take place within the school
as well as the community. Students will develop an awareness of
the roles and responsibilities of local police officers, state troopers,
sheriff, deputy, NFTA and BMHA authorities. Through the students’
interaction with the police officers, they will develop a trust
and respect for police officers within their community. Students
will write letters of appreciation to their local police officers.
Students will create a mural with the help of a local artist to
develop a positive perception of police officers by all members
of the community. A celebration will be held to donate the mural
to the community.
Goals and Objectives
Academic
Learning Goal: Students will
understand the role of and citizens’ perceptions of police
officers.
Standard: Science, SS 5
Learning Goal: Students will
be able to compare and contrast the roles of deputies, sheriffs,
state troopers, and police officers.
Standard: ELA 3
Service
Community need: Lack of positive
relationships between police officers and youth.
Possible Community Partners: Police Department,
web site developer, local artist
Objective: Students will help foster positive
relationships between police officers and youth in the community
through the creation of a mural.
Objective: Students will demonstrate their increased
awareness of the roles and responsibilities of police officers
by writing letters of appreciation to the police officers with
whom they’ve formed a partnership.
Character
Virtue: Respect
Objective: Students will understand that police
officers are dependable, honorable, and reliable members of the
community.
Virtue: Civic Virtue and Citizenship
Objective: Students will begin questioning and
making sense of the role of police officers in their community.
Key Activities
Key Planning Activities
1. Teachers will meet with police officers to determine scope
and sequence of the project (see example below).
September: Pre Assessment/Intro Celebration
October: Safety
November: Oh Give Thanks!
December: Let’s Celebrate
January: Peace
February: Love
March: Let’s Sing a Song
April: Think Spring
May: Let’s Celebrate – Post Assessment
June: Finale – Appreciation Celebration with Parents and
Community
2. Students will visit local Police Station to develop basic
background knowledge.
Key Service Activities
1. Students will create a mural depicting positive roles of police
officers in their community. The mural will be hung in a highly
visible place in the community
2. Students will write letters of appreciation to their local
police officers.
Key Reflection Activities
1. (oral) There will be a class meeting in which each child shares
one to three words they think best describe their thoughts on
the project.
2. (written – respect) Throughout the project, students
will keep a journal reflecting their perceptions of the roles
and responsibilities of police officers, with a particular emphasis
on beginning and end.
3. (performance – civic virtue and citizenship) Along with
police officer, students will role play specific situations in
which police are involved and discuss how respect and trustworthiness
are evident or missing from both..
Demonstration Activity
Intro: Fellowship with friends
Finale: Appreciation Celebration
Students will host a community celebration to unveil the mural.
Parents and community members will be invited to the unveiling
of the mural.
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