Introduction to Units
High quality service-learning begins with careful identification and analysis of learning goals. Students should participate in engaging, challenging, curriculum that is congruent with state standards or in our case with grade level content expectations.
It is important that teachers are clear with where students are going when using service-learning as an instructional strategy. It is particularly important for student engagement and retention to identify big ideas, essential understandings, generalizations, etc of a learning experience. Teachers using service-learning should strive to be clear about what they want students to KNOW, UNDERSTAND and BE ABLE TO DO as a result of the learning experience.
The service-learning units were created by K-12 teachers during a summer workshop that examined the K-12 Quality Standards for Service-Learning, standard-based curriculum, instruction and formative and summative assessment in the service-learning experience.
A lesson plan template was adapted from the work of Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in Backward by Design. You find below examples from every grade level K-12 below.
Kindergarten
Lesson Plan 1: Living Things Have Needs
Lesson Plan 2: What Do All Living Things Need?
Lesson Plan 3: How Do People Use the Environment to Meet their Needs?
Lesson Plan 4: How Can We Help to Meet the Needs of Others?
Lesson Plan 1: Everybody Needs Somebody
Lesson Plan 2: Steps to Keyboard and Steps to Create Valentines
Lesson Plan 3: Space Bar is Special!
Lesson Plan 4: Insertion Point learns to be Friends with Other Letters
Lesson Plan 5: Very Cool Valentines for Veterans
Rubric: Level K Rubric-Keyboarding
First Grade
Lesson 1: The Beautiful Basics
Lesson 2: Everybody Needs a Home
Lesson 3: Crunch & Munch dog Biscuits
Lesson 4: Catnip Toy
Lesson 5: ‘Adopt Me’ Bandanas
Lesson Plan 1: Berry Birdie Benefit
Lesson Plan 2: We Each Have Our Own place in 'Society's Keyboard'
Lesson Plan 3: Function of the Keyboard
Lesson Plan 4: Keyboarding Connections: File→New→Close
Lesson Plan 5: Steps to Keyboarding & Birdfeeders
Rubric: Level 1 Rubric-Keyboarding
Second Grade
Lesson Plan 1: What is a Nature Trail?
Lesson Plan 2: History & Its Place in the Community
Lesson Plan 3: Chronological Order on a Timeline
Lesson Plan 4: Read & Understand a Map
Lesson Plan 5: Benefits of a Nature Trail
Lesson Plan 1: Persistence Can Aid in Accomplishment
Lesson Plan 2:
Lesson Plan 3:
Lesson Plan 4:
Lesson Plan 5:
Rubric: Level 2 Rubric-Keyboarding
Third Grade
Lesson Plan 1: Meet Michigan
Lesson Plan 2: Natural Resources
Lesson Plan 3: Michigan’s Native Americans
Lesson Plan 4: Fur Traders
Lesson Plan 5: Settlers
Lesson Plan 6: Michigan & Its Use of Natural Resources
Lesson Plan 7: Heifer International
Lesson Plan 1: Being a True Friend
Lesson Plan 2: Appreciating Diversity & Embracing Change
Lesson Plan 3: Farm Life
Lesson Plan 4: Reach Out to Others
Lesson Plan 5: Reaching Out
Rubric: Level 3 Rubric-Keyboarding
Fourth Grade
Lesson Plan 1: Freedom & Responsibility
Lesson Plan 2: Through the Eyes of Others
Lesson Plan 3: The Fact & Fiction of Flicka
Lesson Plan 4: Working Together for the Common Good
Lesson Plan 5: The Service Project
Rubric: Level 4 Rubric-Keyboarding
Lesson Plan 1: How Do You Make a Difference?
Lesson Plan 2: How Can We Use Data to Solve a Problem?
Lesson Plan 3: Brainstorming & Planning
Lesson Plan 4: What Will Go into Each Bag to Make It Effective?
Lesson Plan 5: Internet Research
Fifth Grade
Lesson Plan 1: Prince Caspian: Becoming a Leader
Lesson Plan 2: Teamwork
Lesson Plan 3: Patience
Lesson Plan 4: Strength and Determination
Lesson Plan 5: Reaching Your Goal
Rubric: Level 5 Rubric-Keyboarding
Middle School (6th-8th)
Lesson Plan 1: Finding Solutions to Hunger
Lesson Plan 2: One Person Making a Difference
Lesson Plan 3: How Does the U.S. Impact Others?
Lesson Plan 4: How Can We Make a Difference?
Lesson Plan 5: Using Quotes to Understand Certain Concepts
Lesson Plan 6: Non-Profit Organizations Impact Hunger & Poverty
Supporting Materials
Hunger 101 Quotes
Persuasive Essay Rubric
Lesson Plan 1: Identifying World Issues
Lesson Plan 2: Research
Lesson Plan 3: Persuasive Writing
Lesson Plan 4: Choosing a Service Project
Lesson Plan 5: Presentation Skills
Lesson Plan 1: Paper vs. Plastic
Lesson Plan 2: What is an Ecosystem?
Lesson Plan 3: Non-Renewable Resources
Lesson Plan 4: Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Resources-Journal Writing
Lesson Plan 5: Creation of Service-Learning Projects
Lesson Plan 1: Ecosystem
Lesson Plan 2: Erosion
Lesson Plan 3: Watersheds
Lesson Plan 4: How Can We Stop Storm Water?
High School (9th-12th)
Lesson Plan 1: Stereotypes
Lesson Plan 2: What Words do People Use to Stereotype?
Lesson Plan 3: How Have People with Disabilities Shaped our Society?
Lesson Plan 4: Helping to Improve Society (Part 1)
Lesson Plan 5: Helping to Improve Society (Part 2)
Lesson Plan 6: Changing Perceptions
Lesson Plan 7: The Service Project (Part 1)
Lesson Plan 8: The Service Project (Part 2)
Lesson Plan 1: What to Do with All These Flowers?
Lesson Plan 2: What are the Parts of a Flower?
Lesson Plan 3: What is Classification and Why is it Used?
Lesson Plan 4: How is a Successful Floral Arrangement Made?
Supporting Materials
Plants Parts & Their Functions PPT
Parts of a Plant
Parts of Plan Packet
Plant Classification PPT
Plant Classification Lab
Plant Classification
Plant Classification Quiz
Plant Lab 2
Flower PPT
Flower Dissection
Flower Arranging Ideas
Flower Designing PPT
Lesson Plan 1: History of Altruism and Service-Learning
Lesson Plan 2: Advocate against Genocide
Lesson Plan 3: Advocacy & Service
Lesson Plan 4: What is going on in Darfur TODAY?
Lesson Plan 5: What Did We Learn?
Supporting Materials
Altruism Portfolio
Altruism Project
Altruism Reflection
Fundraising IHS
Altruism Nightly Log
Altruism Unit
Darfur Organization Letter
Humanities Studies Curriculum Map
Altruism Weekly Log
Fundraiser Questionnaire
Service-Learning PPT
Altruism Project Rubric
Altruism PPT
Fundraising Community
Letter & Set Up
Lesson Plan 1: John Steinbeck & the Great Depression
Lesson Plan 2: What is a Disability?
Lesson Plan 3: What is a Migrant?
Lesson Plan 4: What is Friendship to You?
Lesson Plan 5: What is the American Dream?
Lesson Plan 1: What is Classical Conditioning?
Lesson Plan 2: What is Operant Conditioning?
Lesson Plan 3: Bell Ringer Assignment
Lesson Plan 4: What are the Three Parts of the Memory Process?
Lesson Plan 5: Accurate Observation
