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

Hundred Shoes for Honduras

  • 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?

Technology: Keyboarding-Veterans Project

  • 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

Supporting Materials

  • Rubric: Level K Rubric-Keyboarding

First Grade

Animals in Need

  • 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

Technology: Keyboarding-Bird Feeders

  • 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

Supporting Materials

  • Rubric: Level 1 Rubric-Keyboarding

Second Grade

Saranac Nature Trail

  • 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

Technology: Keyboarding-Library Projects

  • Lesson Plan 1: Persistence Can Aid in Accomplishment
  • Lesson Plan 2:
  • Lesson Plan 3:
  • Lesson Plan 4:
  • Lesson Plan 5:

Supporting Materials

  • Rubric: Level 2 Rubric-Keyboarding

Third Grade

Natural Resources of Michigan

  • 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

Technology: Keyboarding-Homeless Project

  • 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

Supporting Materials

  • Rubric: Level 3 Rubric-Keyboarding

Fourth Grade

Technology: Keyboarding-Hospital Project

  • 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

Supporting Materials

  • Rubric: Level 4 Rubric-Keyboarding

Helping Struggling Learners

  • 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

Technology: Keyboarding-Blankets for Geriatric Patients

  • 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

Supporting Materials

  • Rubric: Level 5 Rubric-Keyboarding

Middle School (6th-8th)

Hunger – Empty Bowls Dinner

  • 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

Be the Change

  • 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

Using Trash Today Keeps the Landfill Away!

  • 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

Who’ll Stop the Rain?

  • 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)

Social Change

  • 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)

Flowers-Fixed

  • 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

Altruism/ Advocacy for Darfur

  • 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

Disability Awareness Service Learning Project linked to John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men

  • 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?

Learning and Memory

  • 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