This unit will review the ways citizens can become active participants in their communities, through or outside of the political process. Learners will also experience philanthropy by bringing life to the concept that volunteerism is not a chore but a civic responsibility. They will use fables to see how characters reveal their values through their actions and will analyze what a lifetime of giving can mean to a community and a family tradition of philanthropy. Learners will use economic reasoning to make sound choices in allocating their scarce resources for community service and prepare a personal plan for volunteering.

The learner will:

• compare and contrast the work of political parties and interest groups.
• describe how citizens can become active participants in their community, working to improve the common good.
• use the vocabulary of philanthropy when giving examples of experienced philanthropic acts.
• identify needs and service opportunities in the community.
• describe how philanthropy is exhibited by the characters in a fable.
• recognize family and personal traditions of giving.
• analyze the implications for a community of a lifespan of philanthropic giving.
• describe how scarcity forces consumers and producers to make choices for allocating their resources.
• give examples of opportunity costs and tradeoffs that accompany decision-making on the use of scarce resources.
• evaluate the impact of philanthropic service on the common good of the community.
• give examples of types of business organizations, including for profit and not for profit.
• identify functions of the agriculture-related nonprofit sector and analyze the impact of non-profits on the community.
• compare and contrast foundations and cooperatives.
• design a plan of action to become a volunteer.

Learning will be assessed through worksheets, a survey of community needs, quilt block sketches, small group reports, research findings, summary discussions and a visual presentation.

This unit was developed with a strong cross-curricular framework. It is intended to extend service learning and the study of philanthropy across the curriculum. This unit will serve as a basis for projects for "Make A Difference Day" which is held the last Saturday in October, "National Volunteer Week" in April or "Join Hands across America Day" in June.