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Grade Level: 3-5
Academic Areas: Language Arts
Duration of service: Year-Long
Character Virtues: Giving and Caring
Service Areas: Tutoring and Mentoring
Materials Needed: picture books (enough for the entire year), individual
student journals, paper, pencils, and art supplies
Total Cost of Project: varies greatly depending on whether or not
materials can be donated
Time Needed for Project: 60 – 90 minutes per week
Time Needed for Teacher Preparation: 40 – 60 minutes per week
Experience Needed in CE: limited
Experience Needed in SL: limited
Service Learning Project:
C.A.R.E. (Cross Age Reading Experiences) connects skilled readers
with unskilled (grade 2) and non- (preschool) readers during a year-long
project. Older (grades 3-5) students will be responsible for choosing
literature and designing assessment projects that evaluate literary
elements such as character, setting, and plot. They will meet weekly
during the school day at times determined by their teachers. Through
this project, older students will improve their oral reading skills
and writing skills while serving as a reading role model for younger
students. In addition, older students will assist in coordinating
the school’s “1000 Book Club.” This program allows
preschoolers and their families to borrow bags of books. The goal
is for preschoolers to have 1000 books read to them before they
enter kindergarten. In this part of the project, older students
will read to preschoolers at a fall “1000 Book Club”
kickoff party, help maintain books and records for the program,
and write letters to the preschoolers and include them in the bags
of books. Older students will be expected to maintain a reflection
journal throughout this project.. At the completion of the project,
students will celebrate with an “I C.A.R.E. About Reading
Day” where students will display all their projects and share
them and treats with all involved community partners.
Goals and Objectives
Academic
Learning Goal: Students will listen, speak, read, and write for
social interaction, while helping to develop the love of literature
in younger students.
Standard: ELA #4 Language for Social Interaction
Learning Goal: Analyze literary elements such as character, setting,
and plot.
Standard: Standards #2 and #3
Service
Community need: Poor school performance and low self-esteem resulting
from the lack of literacy skills of primary students
Possible Community Partners: Second grade students, district pre-school
children,local families, PTA, Rensselaer County Even Start staff
Objective: To provide frequent oral reading experiences, on a
one-to-one basis, between 4th graders and 2nd graders, and 4th
graders and preschoolers.
Objective: To provide frequent opportunities to respond to the
literature, on a one-to-one basis, between 4th graders and 2nd
graders.
Objective: To train 2nd grade students to read aloud to younger
students.
Objective: To assist in maintaining books and records for the
preschool “1000 Book Club.”
Character
Virtue: Giving/Caring
Objective: Sharing time and talents with 2nd grade students and
preschoolers, while serving as a reading role model and mentor.
Virtue: Trustworthiness
Objective: To become a dependable reading/writing mentor, while
being accountable for the completion of tasks during the allocated
time. Also, to help maintain records and books for the “1000
Book Club.”
Key Activities
Key Planning Activities
1. Teachers/PTA/school librarian will provide access to a wide
variety of literature for the students in grade 4 to choose from.
2. Grade 4 teacher will review literary elements such as character,
setting, and plot with students.
3. Teachers will guide 4th grade students as they mentor 2nd grade
students.
4. 4th grade students will investigate, contact, and receive guidance
from local community groups working with pre-school children including
The Averill park Pre-School and the Rensselaer County Even Start
Program
Key Service Activities
1. 4th grade students will read literature to 2nd grade children
in the school.
2. 4th grade students will train 2nd grade students to read to
younger children.
3. 4th grade students will read to preschool children at the "1000
BookClub" kick-off party.
4. Students will design a follow-up activity (poster, skit, mobile,
puppet) that allows younger students to identify character, setting,
and plot based on the literature that was shared.
5. Older students will mentor younger children as they cooperatively
complete an instructional presentation project in response to
literary elements.
6. 4th grade students will periodically check “1000 Book
Club” records and books and alert teachers to any problems.
Key Reflection Activities
1. (oral) Generate a chart of oral responses about challenges
that may arise when working with younger children, and how older
students could respond to these challenges in a caring and giving
way
2. (written) Maintain a journal documenting feelings as they work
with youngsters, including questions such as: How does it feel
to have younger students depend on you for developing literary
skills?
3. (performance) Pre-Activity: Students will role play caring
and giving behavior in mentoring younger students. Post-Activity:
Choose their favorite story along with its project to present
to both classes.
4. (performance) 4th grade students will role play younger student
behaviors as they train 2nd graders to read to younger students.
Celebration Activity
1. "1000 Book Club" Kick-off Party - This will be held
in late fall in our school. When preschoolers and their families
attend the yearly kick-off party, 4th grade students will read
to preschoolers while parents learn about the specifics of the
program.
2. " I C.A.R.E. About Reading Day" - Younger and older
students will display all their projects and share them and treats
with all community partners. Principal and/or librarian can present
certificates. Parents, preschoolers, and Even Start staff will
also be invited to attend.
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