These Learning Links provide ten quick-and-easy, five-minute mini-lessons to promote student thought and dialogue about service and civic engagement. You may use as many of them as you wish, and in whatever order best meets your needs and the interest of your students. The purpose of these mini-lessons is to provide a deeper understanding of philanthropy (the giving of time, talent, and treasure for the common good) and to reinforce the lesson focus. These Learning Links also promote the development of character traits, civic engagement, and student leadership. As appropriate to your grade level, it is recommended that students play an active leadership role in presenting these mini-lessons to their classmates.

Read: These two quotes are about fairness and justice:
"Life is not always fair, but we can always choose to be fair"
"There is no wrong time to do the right thing."

Discuss: Can you think of a time when someone told you that life is not fair? Why would they say that to you? Why would someone choose to be fair and do the right thing if they were not treated fairly to begin with? How might our King Day project be an example of being ‘fair’? Of doing the “right thing”?
 

1. Read: “I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream!” Do you know anyone who doesn’t like ice cream? According to myth, ice cream is well over 2000 years old. A Roman emperor by the name of Nero way back in A.D. 37-68 ordered ice to be brought from the mountains. He combined it with fruit toppings. When Marco Polo explored China it was said that he was the first person to mix ice and milk. At first this mix was called "iced cream". The name was later shortened to "ice cream" the name we call it today. Not long ago a man by the name of Martin Luther King Jr. stood before a large crowd and said, “I have a dream…. you have a dream… we all have a dream for freedom.” I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t like freedom either, do you?
   
   Discuss: Do you ever dream of ice cream? Do you ever dream of what it means to be totally free? Do you think it’s true that everyone likes their freedom? Why or why not? During our King Day project, how are we helping to promote freedom in our school? Our community? Our world? How can we encourage others to join us in this “dream for freedom”?
    
2. Read: When nine year old Samantha saw three children from the high school spray painting the side of a building in the town square, she was not sure what to do. She decided to keep what she saw to herself. The next day the local newspaper reported the incident. It said that if anyone knew anything about the spray painting they should call the police. Samantha decided to talk to her mother about it. Her mother listened to her story. Mother then told Samantha, “Sometimes, doing the right thing is not the easiest thing.”
   
   Discuss: What do you think Samantha’s mother was trying to tell her? What do you think most children would do in this situation? Why do you think that? In what ways might our planned King Day project not be the easiest thing to do but the right thing to do?
    
3. Read: Aaron had been invited to a sleep-over at Dakota’s house. Dakota was his very best friend. They always had a lot of fun together. During their sleep-over, Aaron and Dakota played with their skateboards until it was almost dark. Then they went inside. There they played video games until it was time for bed. Just before having to jump into their sleeping bags for the night, Dakota’s mom brought in a snack. It was two pieces of Dakota’s favorite cake. She handed one piece to Aaron. She then turned to Dakota. She told him that because this was the last piece of cake, he had to share it with his little sister. Then Aaron’s mom did something really interesting. Handing Dakota the knife, she told him to cut the cake into two pieces. Then she said to be fair his sister would be allowed to take the piece that she wanted first.
   
   Discuss: How do you think Dakota went about cutting the cake? Why do you think Dakota’s mother chose this way to divide the cake between Dakota and his sister? Can you think of other situations where this way of dividing things might work? Why is being fair so important? How does our King Day project show fairness?
    
4. Read: When we talk about attributes we are talking about those things that help a person do what they do and do it well. For example muscles are an attribute for a weight lifter. They help the weight lifter lift weights. Balance and grace are attributes of a dancer; they help the dancer to dance. Good eye sight is an attribute of a baseball player, it helps the baseball player make good plays in the field and good swings when at bat. Attributes are important. Heroes and heroines have attributes as well. They typically are selfless which means that they are not selfish. They are often more concerned for others than they are for themselves. And they want to help people.
   
   Discuss: How might being selfless help us to help others? Is it possible that our King Day project might turn us all into heroes or heroines? If so how, if not why not? What other attributes might we have that could help contribute to a successful King Day project?
    
5. Read: Sally Rogers is a song writer. She is best known for her songs about unity and justice. One song that she wrote is entitled “What Can One Little Person Do?” It is a song about unity and justice. It honors four individuals who made a positive difference in our world. It speaks of Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King. All of these people worked to bring people together. All of these people worked to bring freedom and fairness to the world. In the song, the Sally Rogers ask, “What can one little person do to help this world go round? She gives the answer as, “One can help another one, and together they can get the job done”.
   
   Discuss: As we think about and plan for our King Day project can any of us do the job alone? Why do we need each other? In what ways might what we are planning to do help bring people together? In what ways might what we are planning to do help make the world a better place?
    
6. Read: If you’re like most children you love a birthday party. They can be a lot of fun. You get to eat cake and ice cream, play games, and might even get presents.
   
   Kelsey was planning a birthday party for her best friend, Jack. Kelsey wanted to invite all of Jack’s friends to the party. She asked her step-dad to help her make the list of people to invite. Kelsey’s step-dad suggested that she invite all of the children in their class at school. Kelsey wasn’t sure about that. There were children that didn’t like each other because they weren’t the same size. Some children didn’t like each other because they weren’t as smart. Some children didn’t like each other because they dressed funny. And some children didn’t like each other because their skin was a different color and they talked differently. Kelsey wasn’t sure anyone would have fun.
   
   Her step-dad looked puzzled. “What does your teacher do about all the different children in class?” “Does he separate the children into groups that are alike?” He asked.
   
   “Well, no”, said Kelsey. “We work together. Our teacher says that we are more alike than different.”
   
   “I think you have your answer and the invitation list for Jack’s birthday party.” He said.
   
   “Yes”, said Kelsey. “I’ll invite all the children and the teacher too.”
   
   Discuss: How do you think you would feel if you were not invited to a party because you were too big or small. Because you didn’t know many of the things that other children knew. Because your clothes were not new? Because your skin was a different color or your speech was different? Is it fair to keep people from doing things just because you think they are different? How is our King Day project going to help make everyone feel included?
    
7. Read: Toby and his friend Carrillo were arguing one day. Toby said a turtle moved the slowest while Carrillo was convinced that it was the snail. They could see that neither one was about to convince the other. They decided to ask their teacher. They both considered her to be very smart. They were both sure that she would be able to put an end to their argument. But when they asked her their question, they got a strange response. “Why is that so important?” their teacher asked. “As long as they both get to where they want to be. I think they are happy. Do you really think they worry about how slowly they move?” It got both of the boys to thinking about how they often push their way to the front of the line in order to be first getting to where their class is going. And they knew their teacher was right. Everybody gets there about the same time anyway.
   
   Discuss: While Carrillo was correct in thinking that the snail moves slower than the turtle (When it wants to, a turtle can move 15 feet in a minute, while a snail when it decides it wants to move can only move 2 ½ feet in a minute), after talking to their teacher it did not seem to be all that important. Why do you think it’s so important for some people to always be first? If we allowed others to be first, what would we have to lose? To gain? Taking turns is considered “fair play”. What could we do to help promote “fair play” on King Day project? What could we do throughout the school year to help promote fairness?
    
8. Read: When Alec and Kosta go for a bike ride, they often see children playing on the city playground. One day they noticed that a group of older children were stopping the younger children from playing on the slide. The older children said that because they were older they were the only ones who could play on the slide. They told the younger children they had to go to the other side of the park. Alec was seven years old and Kosta was ten years old. They were best friends and wanted to play together. When they got to the playground, however, one of the older children told Alec that he would have to go to the other side to play, but Kosta could stay and play with them. Kosta didn’t like this idea. He told the older children that he wanted Alec to stay and play on the playground with the slide.
   
   Discuss: What would you do if your friend were told to go to the other play area? How do you think you would feel? How do you think your friend would feel? Do you think these older children were being kind? Fair? Why is it important to be kind and to be fair? During our King Day project what are we doing to be kind to others? What are we doing to be fair?
    
9. Read: There is an Aesop’s fable about the sun and the wind. They had a difference of opinion. They were discussing who was strongest. They decided to settle the issue by seeing who could cause a traveler to remove his coat first. The wind went first. The stronger it blew, the more tightly the traveler wrapped his coat around him. After the wind had tired itself out, it was the sun’s turn. When it began to shine, the traveler felt its warmth and quickly removed his coat.
   
   Discuss: How was the Sun able to prove that it was the strongest? The wind tried to settle the issue by being forceful and cold, while the sun just smiled and was warm. Why is it important that we be more like the sun than the wind during our King Day project? Why is it important that we be more like the sun than the wind all year long?

Reflection plays a very important role in promoting student learning. The following suggested activities are ways to help students reflect on their learning after they have participated in a service event.  Choose one or more of the activities most appropriate to the service event and your students.

ACTIVITY ONE: Have the students write a paragraph about their personal King Day project experience using this prompt, or something similar:  “This King Day project was like a chocolate chip cookie and a glass of milk because…”

ACTIVITY TWO: Toss a tennis ball to a student and have that student use one word or phrase to describe or summarize how they felt about their King Day project experience.  After a student has had an opportunity to respond, have him or her toss the ball back to you.  Continue the process until everyone has had an opportunity to respond.  As always, allowing a student to pass (not respond) is permissible.

ACTIVITY THREE: Give each student an 8 ½” x 11”-sheet of multi-colored construction paper, a pair of scissors, a glue stick/paste and a variety of old magazines and newspapers.  Instruct them that they will have a certain amount of time to go through these magazines and newspapers to cut out pictures and/or words that could be used to describe their involvement in the recent King Day project.  Once they have cut out pictures or words, instruct them to place their name somewhere on the construction paper and then glue the pictures and/or words they cut out to the construction paper being careful not to cover up their name.  Display these in the classroom. If time allows, have each student share the contents of his or her collage with the rest of the class.

ACTIVITY FOUR: Provide each student with a sheet of construction paper, preferably of five different colors.  Have the students cut from their sheet of construction paper, five different geometric shapes; namely, a square, a circle, a triangle, a cone, and a rectangle.  Provide each student with a wire coat hanger and pieces of string.  Collect all the squares in one pile; all the triangles in another, and so forth.  Invite the students to select one of each shape from the piles.  On the circle have them draw a face showing how they felt doing the service project on the reverse side have them write a word or two describing how they felt during the King Day project activity.  On one side of a triangle have them draw a picture of what they did during the King Day project and on the reverse side write a brief description.  On the square, have them list what they think were the affects/effects of the King Day project project. On the rectangle have them draw another act of giving or caring they would like to do and on the reverse side ask them to describe what they drew. On the cone have them place their name. Then demonstrate how the students are to attach the strings to each shape and tie the shapes onto the coat hanger to make a mobile.  Display the mobiles in the room. If time permits, ask for student volunteers to explain their mobile.