Adopt-A-Soldier

Service Learning Project:

A local veteran will be brought into the school to discuss his/her experiences with the students. Following this introductory activity, students will formulate interview questions about being involved in the military and use these questions to interview veterans at a luncheon honoring local veterans. A letter-writing activity will also be initiated involving active duty service personnel, who will be partnered with a student throughout the course of the year via letters, pictures, e-mail, etc. (depending upon the school’s available technology). Students will also organize, collect, and mail “care packages” to active soldiers from the entire student body. They will hold fundraisers (ice pop sales) to buy personal items to send in the packages. They will also hold a Memorial Day Book Drive to get books to send both to Iraqi children and to servicepersons. A major component to growing through reflection will be for students to maintain a weekly reflection journal. At the completion of the project, the students will share will their newly acquired information with the student body, administration, and community members through presentations, final celebrations, etc.

Goals and Objectives

Academic

Learning Goal: Students will be able to correctly format and write a friendly letter.

Standard: ELA #4

Learning Goal: Students will learn the roles soldiers fill during times of war and peace, and also how a soldier’s role is one method of active citizenship.

Standard: Social Studies #5

Service

Community need: Students do not relate to the role service persons play in the community. Also, many service persons do not receive any correspondence while in training or at war.

Possible Community Partners: local service-affiliated organizations, postal office, local armed forces recruiters, local veterans associations

Objective: Students will boost morale by interacting with service personnel via e-mail, letters, pictures, and care packages.

Objective: Students will interview veterans and publish a book/pamphlet/etc. on local efforts during wartime.

Character

Virtue: Respect

Objective: At the completion the project, the students will have an awareness and appreciation for those persons who choose to serve their nation in the armed forces.

Virtue: Civic Virtue and Citizenship

Objective: Students will improve the community’s appreciation of service people by sharing information with fellow classmates, teachers, administrators, and community members.

Key Activities

Key Planning Activities

1. A local veteran or serviceman will be invited to speak with the students. Prior to the speaker’s visit, the students will learn effective interview techniques so that during the speaker’s visit they can ask informed and appropriate questions.
2. A luncheon will be provided on Nov. 11 for veterans. It will be served by teachers and used to introduce the students to area veterans.
3. Teachers will contact local service-oriented organizations to seek current soldiers to pen-pal with students.
4. The local American Legion or veterans’ group will be contacted for a Flag Day ceremony.
5. If possible, a parent of base liaison will be contacted to provide insight and possible assistance.

Key Service Activities

1. The students will communicate by e-mail, letters, and pictures to pre-selected service personnel stationed outside the United States.
2. Students sponsor a school-wide drive for non-perishable items to send to overseas sailors. They will collect and organize materials and will make cards, pictures, drawings, etc.
3. Students will interview local veterans and publish a brochure/pamphlet about their community’s efforts during times of war.
4. Students will conduct a Memorial Day Book Drive for gently used books. Children’s picture books can be collected for Iraqi children and fiction/non-fiction books can be collected for the soldiers. Students will tally, sort, pack, and weigh boxes of books. They will ship the books through the US Post Office if they are mailing to a US APO.
5. Students will hold a “School Ice Pop Sale” or “Cool off for a Cause” where they sell ice pops after school or at lunch to raise money to buy personal items for soldiers.
6. If possible, when the pen pal troops return, the students will interview them on their experience in the military operation.

Key Reflection Activities

1. (oral – civic virtue and citizenship) Students and local servicepersons will gather together to share their thoughts on the project. Each person will add one to three words about the project to a chalkboard, and group discussion will be based upon these words.
2. (written – respect) Students will maintain weekly journals, commenting throughout on weekly activities relating to the service project and including how they feel about contributing to our local service personnel.
3. (performance – civic virtue and citizenship) Students will develop and present a program (Power Point or traditional) showing information learned and demonstrating a consciousness of civic virtue. Students will devote a portion of the presentation to how the project has impacted themselves, the veterans, soldiers, and/or school, by including citations of journal entries, interview questions/answers, and letters from the servicepersons.

Demonstration Activity

Students and teachers will plan a luncheon involving students, parents, and local veterans. Students’ Power Point presentations and boards with pictures and letters from throughout the year will be displayed in a Wall of Honor saluting the veterans. Recognition will be given to all (veterans, soldiers, students, parents, etc.) who participated in the year’s project by certificate, ceremony, and/or awards. Parents, administration, and community members will carry on discussions with students about the project at the final celebration. Teachers will prepare interactive activities to get parents and community members involved in the day.