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Grade Level: 9-12
Academic Areas: Language Arts
Duration of service: 1-2 Months - Semester long
Character Virtues: Caring, Civic Virtue and Citizenship
Service Areas: Human Services, Education/Tutoring
Service Learning Project:
During a literature unit including young adult books by Eve Bunting,
High school students will be paired with elementary school students
and will be broken into three groups. Each group reads a different
children’s book by Eve Bunting (i.e. Fly Away Home, Smokey
Nights, and Wednesday Surprise). Students then begin a project
based on one of the three social issues of homelessness, literacy
needs, and gang involvement that she discusses in her children’s
books. Each group of elementary and high school students will
work together to address the civic issue through a community-based
project. For example, the Fly Away Home group could serve at a
community meals site, do a clothing drive at school, or they could
create posters to be displayed throughout the schools educated
other students on homelessness. The Smokey Nights group could
design a presentation to inform other students/community members
about the importance of conflict resolution and/or the value of
individuality; a former gang member could be invited to take part
in this presentation. The Wednesday Surprise group could prepare
a presentation informing the community of the challenge of literacy
needs, bringing in someone who works with individuals with literacy
needs; or create alphabet books for emergent readers.
Goals and Objectives
Academic
Learning Goal: Students will recognize and describe common and
differentiating literary elements used by the author
Standard: ELA 1 and 3
Learning Goal: Students will communicate their observations of
author’s techniques as well as express their views on social
issues presented through the author’s work.
Standard: ELA 1, 2, and 4
Service
Community need: Elementary and high school students and community
members lack an understanding of the following community issues:
homelessness, literacy needs, and gang involvement
Possible Community Partners: human service agencies/organizations
addressing social issues in the geographical area
Objective: Students address social issues through a variety of
means.
Objective: Students educate their peers on civic issues addressed
through literature.
Character
Virtue: civic virtue and citizenship
Objective: At the completion of the project, students will have
a feeling of belonging and ownership as a result of their dedication
and hard work.
Virtue: caring
Objective: Students will gain compassion for the homeless, people
with literacy needs, people involved in gangs.
Key Activities
Key Planning Activities
1. Teachers will establish a relationship with an elementary
school teacher and classroom willing to partner with the high
school students and study the suggested children’s books.
2. High school students will break into three separate groups,
each reading a different young adult book by Eve Bunting and a
different children’s book by Eve Bunting. They will take
part in a literary analysis of the works. Each group’s literature
will address a different social issue.
3. Students will research the social issue that was presented
through the children’s book (Fly Away Home - homelessness,
The Wednesday Surprise - literacy needs, and Smokey Nights - gang
involvement). High school students will adapt their research findings
to a presentation appropriate to the elementary participants.
4. High school students will establish a relationship with a community-based
organization that addresses the civic issue presented in the children’s
book.
Key Service Activities
1. The three groups of high school students will meet with three
groups of elementary school students to read their children’s
books and present their adapted research on the civic issue presented
through the work.
2. Each group of elementary and high school students will work
together to address the civic issue through a community-based
project. For example, the Fly Away Home group could serve at a
community meals site, do a clothing drive at school, or they could
create posters to be displayed throughout the schools educated
other students on homelessness. The Smokey Nights group could
design a presentation to inform other students/community members
about the importance of conflict resolution and/or the value of
individuality; a former gang member could be invited to take part
in this presentation. The Wednesday Surprise group could prepare
a presentation informing the community of the challenge of literacy
needs, bringing in someone who works with individuals with literacy
needs; or create alphabet books for emergent readers.
Key Reflection Activities
1. (written) Each HS student will complete a written response
to the “What? So What? Now What?” questions: What
happened? What was learned? What difference were they able to
make through their actions? How will they think or act in the
future as a result of this experience? This response could be
in the form of a poem, essay, teacher-generated handout, outline,
etc. caring/civic virtue and citizenship
2. (oral) Students will meet in their three separate groups to
discuss the “What? So What? Now What?” questions.
caring/civic virtue and citizenship
3. (performance) Students will prepare a presentation of the “What?
So What? Now What?” questions to present to the other groups
to which the public is invited. If any product was created during
the service learning activity, it should be shared at this time.
caring/civic virtue and citizenship
Demonstration Activity
The author, Eve Bunting, will be invited to the school (this
could be in the form of a breakfast, a presentation, or community
gathering) to see the results of this project. In turn, Bunting
will share her inspiration for writing about civic issues. If
Bunting is unable to attend she might possibly send a letter which
could be read during the celebration. Local politicians and/or
people in charge of agencies that were aided may participate in
the celebration. Parents and community members will be invited
to take part in and help host this event.
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