Learners will select a community site to volunteer of their time and talent as a result of identifying a community need through their surveys. (Teachers should contact are nonprofits well in advance to discover what opportunities may be available for the student.)

Anticipatory Set:

For the introduction to this lesson each student should be provided with a sheet of paper. Ask learners to write about one challenge that their family has endured and one experience that has brought their family greater joy. (Be sure to caution the students to write about something that they know their families would not mind them sharing with classmates.) When everyone is done writing, ask learners to pick a partner with whom to share these experiences. Provide approximately ten minutes for this activity.

Explain to the students that they are about to read a "children's book" for the effective way it deals with values and prejudice in a community. Tell them that the innocence of literature directed at young children can be used to clarify issues. They will be listening to this story for its message and content. Ask them to recall books they read as young children that "taught" them important concepts like sharing or understanding of others. Read Uncle Jed's Barber Shop written by Margaree King Mitchell. Lead a classroom discussion that focuses on Jed's sacrifices made in good times and in bad. Focus on how the family deals with hard times without becoming cynical and disconnected to their community.

• A large chest or box symbolizing a community treasure chest will be brought into the classroom for the second day of this lesson. Ask learners to individually brainstorm an artifact, object, or picture that symbolizes a family's or extended family's community need. With the time remaining in this first lesson, learners should write a brief description of this artifact. They should address what the artifact symbolizes and what community need or service it represents. They can take this written portion home and bring it back with the artifact for the second lesson.
• Day Two: Begin the class by allowing the learners to place their artifacts in the chest anonymously. Learners will come up one at a time and pick an item from the chest. They will read the item's description out loud. Select a student to list on the board the artifacts pulled from the chest. When all items have been listed ask the class to categorize the artifacts into groups according to common community needs. In groups of four, have the learners generate a "Neighborhood Needs Diagram or Map."
• The remainder of the class period will be spent having the groups research different sources to find at least one community volunteer site that deals with each community need. Sources to research could include Web sites, the yellow pages, county service agencies, and religious organizations.
• Instructor's Notes: Helpful Web sites for community service agencies or service clubs are:

  www.guidestar.com Search engine for foundations
  www.learningtogive.org County-based community agencies (Michigan), click on Resource Room, then Michigan Map of Resources
  www.cns.gov Corporation for National Service
  www.unitedway.com National United Way

  The zip code search is also helpful.
  Instructor may also provide one copy per group of the local yellow pages. Additionally, the local Chamber of Commerce or Junior Chamber of Commerce will provide service opportunities.

• Day Three: Each group will be given a poster-board to map out the community service organizations they discovered through their research. One member from each group will present to the class their "Community Asset Poster." The posters will be displayed in the room so that they are visible for one of the reflection activities.
• To reinforce concepts, a classroom game is played in which the instructor explains a community need and learners are asked to place a sticker on the poster next to the appropriate community site that would best service this need.
• To end this lesson, learners will write a reflective essay that addresses the following topics: "Reflect back to your own personal values/value systems. Did your values change as a result of the classroom discussions? How are your values reflected in the community at large?" Finally, rank in order of preference the service or service organizations for which you would most like to be a volunteer worker, explaining how you could contribute.

The learner composes a letter to the parent/guardian asking them to participate with them in their service activity or explaining the service activity and the goals of the activity. See Extension.

Mitchell, Margaree King. Uncle Jed's Barber Shop. Aladdin Paperbacks, 1998. ISBN: 0689819137