Learning to Give, Philanthropy education resources that teach giving and civic engagement
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Unit Purpose:
For learners to be good stewards of the Earth they need to know how to help take care of the environment. “What’s All the Commotion in the Ocean?” is a unit to enhance children’s learning about ocean animals, pollution and how children can make a difference by being good stewards of the Earth’s water resources. The children will learn about ocean animals, the ocean environment and how to take care of the ocean environment. They will develop possible answers to the question: What can we do to help the ocean environment? These discussions will lead to a culminating writing activity. The children will write a letter to an organization to find out how to help clean up our oceans. While learning about taking care of the ocean environment they will learn that they are acting responsibly for the common good.
Focus Question: What can we do to help the ocean environment?
Unit Objectives:
The learner will:
- define philanthropy as the giving and sharing of time, talent, or treasure intended for the common good.
- define stewardship as the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to a person’s care.
- understand that the way people live affects the environment.
- define pollution as causing harm to an area of the natural environment.
- understand some types of pollution.
- classify living and non-living things.
- understand all living things have life requirements,
- understand living things use materials from their surroundings to survive
- identify air, water, nutrients and lights as basic needs,
- use reading for multiple purposes, such as enjoyment, gathering information and learning new procedures
- compare and contrast what they like and dislike about the oceans.
- help develop a class letter to an organization or ocean expert asking how they can help keep the oceans clean.
- demonstrate an understanding of stewardship for the Earth through the letter.
Service Experience:
The learners will create a diorama demonstrating what they have learned about the ocean environment. They will share their creations with another class and “teach” them about pollution and ways to help keep the oceans clean. They will also write letters to various agencies telling them what they have learned and asking what else they can do to help take care of the ocean environment.
Unit Assessment:
Learners will write in their journals daily, reflecting what they have learned from each lesson. They will create Ocean Dioramas, Mystery Ocean Animal Riddle books and write class letters to environmental protection agencies telling what they have learned and asking what more they can do. The teacher will use observations of the students work, as well as use a rubric to evaluate the Ocean Diorama.
School/Home Connection:
- “Copy-and-Paste” Class/School Newsletter Information Insert:
What’s all the Commotion? Unit is created to help students understand the positive and negative effects that humans have on the environment and how we can make a difference. The children will learn about the ocean, the animals in the ocean, pollution and how to help clean up the environment. - Interactive Parent / Student Homework:
Attachment One, Lesson Two: Do Fish Clean the Ocean?
Children will make Ocean Dioramas at home and bring in on the last day to share with the class.
Notes for Teaching:
This is a long unit, but do not feel pressured to do the entire unit. It is designed for you to pick a lesson or two to help students understand the positive and negative effects humans have on the environment and how we can make a difference.
These web sites have helpful background information for the teacher. Some of them also have web pages especially for children.Cetacean Society International
P.O. Box 9145;
Wethersfield, CT 06109
http://csiwhalesalive.org/
Cousteau Society
Greenbriar Tower II
870 Greenbriar Circle, Suite 402
Chesapeake, VA 23320
http://www.cousteau.org/en/ Kid’s Corner
Defenders of Wildlife; http://www.kidsplanet.org/
A list of individual State Environmental Agencies
http://www.epa.gov/epahome/state.htm
This site gives general information about oceans and protection of the environment. There is a free poster available, as well as samples of letters from first graders
http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/regulatory/mprsa/ Oceans and Coasts for Children, Students & Teachers
Oceans and Coastal Protection Division (4504T) http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
202/566-1200
Office of Ecosystem Protection (CWQ) http://www.epa.gov/ne/about/oepchart.html
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1
1 Congress Street, Suite 1100
Boston, MA 02114
617/918-1620
State Curriculum and Philanthropy Theme Frameworks:
See individual lessons for benchmark detail.
Lessons Developed By:
Caryn Yarnot
Mona Shores Public Schools
Ross Park Elementary
121 Randall Road
Muskegon, MI 49441
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely use this information for nonprofit (noncommercial), educational purposes only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.
