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Grade Level: 2nd and 4th
Academic Areas: English Language Arts, Social Studies
Duration of service: 7 months
Character Virtues: Respect, Civic Virtue and Citizenship , Caring
and Giving
Service Areas: Homeland Security, Human Services
Materials Needed: journals, fundraising materials, paper, pencils,
tape recorders
Total Cost of Project: startup costs for fundraiser
Time Needed for Project: 40-50 hours of class time
Time Needed for Teacher Preparation: 20 hours
Experience Needed in CE: none
Experience Needed in SL: none
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. In addition to sending letters,
students might hold fundraisers (popcorn sales) to raise money
to purchase materials needed by the soldiers. 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: The students will listen to recorded interviews
and create a written essay from it.
Standard: ELA 1,2,3,4
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
Learning Goal: Students will be able to locate on a map the designated
area of war.
Standard: Social Studies
Learning Goal: Students will compare and contrast the lives of
the children in the designated areas with their lives.
Standard: ELA
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.
Objective: Students will raise funds to buy materials soldiers
need through holding a popcorn sale.
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.
Virtue: Caring and Giving
Objective: The students will hold fundraisers to purchase personal
necessities for the soldiers.
Virtue: Empathy
Objective: The students will show empathy towards people who are
less fortunate than they are.
Key Activities
Key Planning Activities
1. A local veteran 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.
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 (2nd and 4th grade partners) will interview local
veterans together and publish a brochure/pamphlet about their
community’s efforts during times of war. Interviews will
also be tape recorded for use as listening comprehension activities.
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 their school, by including citations of journal entries,
interview questions/answers, and letters from the servicepersons
4. (performance) Prior to the luncheon celebration, the students
will honor the veterans with a performance with the whole school
in attendance.
Demonstration Activity
Students and teachers will plan a luncheon involving students,
parents, and local veterans. Students’ Power Points 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.
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