Paw Prints to Learning
Teach young people about animal welfare and how they CAN make a difference in animals' lives.
Activity
At-a-Glance
Time:
55 Minutes
Materials:
-
Many 2 x 8 strips of different colors of paper
- Chart paper
- Tape, Glue or stapler
- Pens or Markers Clues from Attachment One cut into individual strips
Physical Setting:
Room large enough to allow participants space to move
Sequence:
-
15 minutes for discussing responsibility
- 5 minutes to list responsibilities
- 15 minutes to answer clues
- 15 minutes to create community chain
- 5 minutes for processing
Age:
- 7-11
Philanthropy is:
- Sharing time, talent, and treasure, and taking action for the common good.
Purpose:
- Participants will learn about their rights and responsibilities as citizens. The participants will see that all citizens can work together to make our community, nation and world better.
Objectives:
The young person will:- define the word “responsibility” as a positive action.
- explore core democratic values.
- identify actions that are responsibilities as citizens.
Activity Theme:
“Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”
~ President John F. Kennedy, 1961 Inaugural Address
The purpose of this activity is to look at responsibilities each of us have in community and explore how we are “able to respond” as philanthropists who share and care in community.
Write the word “responsible” on the chart paper. Write the words “respond” and “able” under “responsible” for all participants to see. Ask the group the following questions about these words: What does it mean to “respond?” (respond means to answer a question, or take action) What does “able” mean? (able means you can do something) List answers given by the participants. Explain that if you are “able” to respond, you are “able” to take action, you are responsible. What responsibilities do you have at home? Where are you able to respond at home? List answers on the chart paper, pointing out how the participants are able to take action. (Possible answers may include: feed a pet, clean room, pick up toys.)
Activity Steps:
- Introduce the next section of the activity by explaining to the group that as people living in the United States of America we have to be able to respond (refer to the words respond and able on the board again) to the duties of being a citizen.
- Explain that the participants will now try to identify a list of the responsibilities that citizens have in this country. Remind the group that these are the responsibilities of every citizen in the United States.
- Distribute the cut apart scenarios from the Responsible Citizens Clues (Attachment One) to the group. Cut the clues so that there is only one clue on each strip of paper. Ask for volunteers from the group to read one clue aloud to the entire group. After the clue is read, the group guesses what responsibility is being described. As they identify the answers, record them onto the flip chart.
- Now tell the group that they are going to make a community chain. Explain that one of the ways a community is held together is by citizens doing their best to uphold their responsibilities. Ask participants what the community would be like if people were not responsible. Let them respond.
- Explain the idea of a chain - chains are made of links. When links are attached to each other, they make a chain. A chain is strong and hard to break. Responsible citizens linking together like a chain form a community. Everyone does his or her part.
- Pass out three or four strips of different colors of paper to each participant. Instruct them to write on each strip one activity they can do to help the community. When the students finish writing on their strips, instruct them to work together to make a chain. Allow students time to write and attach their links to make one long community chain. Have extra strips available so students can write as many responsibility links as they like.
- In closing, point out to the group that everyone worked together to make the chain very long. If each individual had made their own chain, it would have taken a much longer time. Our community, just like the chain, is greater when everyone works together. If possible, display the community chain in the room.
Processing Questions:
- What did you learn about responsibility?
- What did you learn through our chain about each other? About yourself?
- Were you surprised at how quickly our community chain grew?
- What do you think would happen to the chain if one link breaks?
- We listed a lot of duties and responsibilities. Did you think of them as “responsibilities” before, or was it something you did naturally? What do we do in community that just comes naturally?
- How does it make you feel to know that our community chain relies on everyone doing their part?
Variation:
Ask participants to write or draw how they are “able to take action” in the community on a 3 x 5 card without any one seeing what they are writing. Collect the cards. Read each card and have the group guess the “responsible” person who wrote what is on the card. Ask participants how they are sharing their time, talent or treasures by doing each action.Supplemental Activity:
Ask participants to watch the local or national news over the next week and record examples of citizens or groups acting responsibly as they are sharing and caring in the community.Activity Source:
Learning to Give Lesson (K-2) “Community Chain”
Unit “Citizenship”
Additional Resources:
Rights
Learning to Give Lesson (3-5) “Just a Spoonful of Rights Makes the Responsibility Go 'Round,
Part I”
Unit “Laws, What are They Good For?”
Bill of Rights
Learning to Give Lesson (6-8) “Rights and Responsibilities Making the Connection”
Unit “Rights and Responsibilities”
Citizenship
Learning to Give Lesson (9-12) “Charting the Course”
Unit “Launching Your Ship with Citizenship”
Attachment One
Responsible Citizens Clues
Cut the clues into individual strips. Distribute clues to participants and ask them to read the clue aloud. Instruct the total group to guess what responsibility of citizenship is being described in the clue. Encourage the participants to brainstorm their own clues and have the group guess what they are describing.
| Clue #1 | What are your mom and dad doing when they stop at stop lights and drive within the speed limit? |
| Clue #2 | What are you doing when you do not open someone else’s mail or read their diary? |
| Clue #3 | What do you do when you see something that is not good, like a playground full of litter and you help clean it up? Or you give money to help save the rain forest? |
| Clue #4 | What do you call it when you are a part of a group in a court trial that helps decide if someone is guilty or not? |
| Clue #5 | What do we pay to the government to help fund our nation’s schools, the military and many other things? |
| Clue #6 | What do you call it when you pick the person you want to be president of United States or to be mayor of your city? |
| Clue #7 | What are doing when you don’t let the water run a long time while you are brushing your teeth? Or when you help clean up litter? |
| Clue #8 | What are you when you volunteer in the community or contribute money to some worthy cause? |
| Clue #9 | What are you doing when you put in your name to be elected to a public office like Mayor or Governor? |
| Clue #10 | What are you doing when you plant trees or recycle paper? |
Answer Key
| Clue #1 | Obeying laws |
| Clue #2 | Respecting privacy of others |
| Clue #3 | Protecting the environment |
| Clue #4 | Serving on a jury or jury duty |
| Clue #5 | Paying taxes |
| Clue #6 | Voting |
| Clue #7 | Protecting the environment, conserving
our natural resources |
| Clue #8 | You are philanthropist or a good citizen |
| Clue #9 | Running for office, entering a political race, becoming a political candidate |
| Clue #10 | Protecting the environment |
Philanthropy Theme Framework :
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