Social Awareness
Family Resources on Better Community Better Me
Lesson Topic
Students will learn about value of volunteering for community services projects and create an initial plan for starting a project in their community.
Essential Question
What are some of the needs in my community and what actions can I take to make my community better?
Better Community Better Me – Ben
If this lesson was used in the classroom: Students learned about involvement in a community service project. In class students discussed how volunteering can be fulfilling and can help develop vocational skills. In small groups students developed an idea and a plan for a possible service-learning project within their school or in small groups they brainstormed the vocational skills someone can develop by participating in community service projects at their school.
Getting Ready for the Conversation
The video for this module features a youth named Ben who is a construction volunteer at Habitat for Humanity. Ben tells about his experiences as a volunteer, the misconceptions he had and the greater understanding of the world around him that he has gained as a result of his volunteer work.
Conversation Starters and Practice at Home
The first item is for follow-up after viewing the lesson video and participating in class activities.
What did your group discuss in class? Why did your group choose the ideas you had?
Why is it important to find ways to help others in the community or neighborhood?
Does our family do a good job of helping others in the community as best as we can? Why or why not?
What are some of the needs you see in our community? Are there ways we could help improve those needs? Why or why not?
School to Home Resources on Better Community Better Me
Lesson Plan
Interactive Reflection > Open/Download Complete PDF Lesson
Different expectation
Ben says, “I had a closed mind about it, I thought it would be a bunch of dorks doing a sloppy job of what a professional could easily do”. Tell about a time that you expected something to be boring or uninteresting only to find out you were wrong. Why did you think that parents or other adults often have to compel teenagers to do something in order for the teenager to find out that it actually is enjoyable?
What you really learn
Ben says, “You learn a lot more than how to hammer and put up sheetrock… you can realize other people’s needs and give back to the community”. What do you think Ben gains from his volunteer work? Why is it important to be involved in serving the community?
What are other teens doing?
Visit the website dosomething.org and choose a project that you find interesting on the website. What would be required for you and some of your friends to participate? Who would this project help? Why would this be interesting to do?
Exploring volunteering in my community
Learn more about what people are currently doing in your community. Visit the website for the Corporation for National and Community Service. On this page you can enter your ZIP code and find opportunities in your community. What opportunities are currently available in your community? Choose an opportunity. What do you know about the organization? Who could you help by volunteering? What job skills could you learn by volunteering with this group? Why would this volunteer opportunity be fulfilling for you?
Additional Reflection Questions > Open/Download PDF
