Learners will produce a philanthropy manual of community philanthropic activities during the World War II Era and a list of philanthropic agencies in the community today.

Instructor’s Note: Invite a speaker from a local philanthropic agency to speak to your class about the agency or foundation, its history, goals and community impact. Possible list of speakers: United Way, Girl or Boy Scouts, Big Brother and Sister, Red Cross, private family foundation in the community or state, or faith-based charity.

Anticipatory Set:

Define community (its structure, components, and roles) and how it functions during a crisis, emphasizing behaviors learned from Lessons One and Two: Dairy of Anne Frank and Lesson Three: Warsaw Ghetto.

• Develop the vocabulary of philanthropy with the learners:

• Discuss how each of the vocabulary items relates to identified agencies, foundations.
• Discuss the types of foundations and agencies in their community.
• Visit the Web site: www.learningtogive.org. Click on Resource Room, then on Timeline (Historic and Philanthropic), then "American Timeline"). to obtain the philanthropy timeline for the World War II time span. Copy that timeline for the class. Use that as a basis for having learners research all the grass roots organizations and established foundations and charities during that era in your community and state. Use the local phone books to have learners research current philanthropic organizations in your community.
• Discuss the war bond effort and the status of US savings bonds today.
  Instructor’s Note: You may want to ask a local banker to come in and talk
  about this topic.
• Develop a master list of all philanthropic activities within their community and state during WW II and to 1950. Extend that so that the refugee programs would be covered.
• Have the learners suggest those items that should be covered in their manual. Vote and select the items. Include index, glossary and table of contents.
• Divide the class into peer groups most effective for the size of your class. Three to four is recommended.

• Have the learners decide which elements or sections their group would be responsible for completing and develop the timeline for completion.
• Learners will research and compile their portions of the manual.
• Peer group edit research.
• Bring class together to select final design and vote on cover, layout.
• Learners will present their findings to the group prior to publication.
• Compile and publish their manual.
• Present manual to the school library.

Reflection Activities:

Prior to the activity: Learners write down their expectations and feelings regarding the activity.

During the activity: Keep a daily log of work undertaken, completed, needs and assessment of daily work as an individual within the group and as a group.

After the activity: Final evaluation of the project. Include recommendations for improvement, what needs to be kept, plusses and minuses.

The learners are to survey their extended families to discover activities relating to philanthropy in which they participate. Have them make a list and share it with the class. If they have friends or family members who participated in any activities during WW II, ask them to write those down and share with the class. Examples: some grandmothers may have folded bandages, blood drives, war bonds, food collections, sent cookies to soldiers, etc.