Hooked on Helping

Grade Level: 3-8

Academic Areas: Language Arts, Social Studies, Home and Careers, Art

Duration of service: Semester Long

Character Virtues: Caring, Respect

Service Areas: Human Services

 

 

Service Learning Project:

Students will crochet afghans to show the "warmth" of appreciation to those who served our country in the military. Seniors from the community will teach/help the students to crochet the red, white, and blue afghans for local veterans. When the students deliver the afghans, they will also interview the veterans at the VA Hospital. Culmination of the celebrated project will be student reflections, including communications to all who were involved. This could include a Power Point presentation and letters of appreciation. Through participation in this intergenerational project, students will develop empathy for veterans and senior citizens.

 

Goals and Objectives

Academic

Learning Goal: To design and construct afghans, scarves, and other crocheted items to satisfy the human need for warmth/clothing among local veterans.

Standard: MST #5, Art #2

Learning Goal: To understand the roles, rights and responsibilities we as citizens have to those who preserved our country’s freedom.

Standard: Social Studies #5

Learning Goal: Students will use social communications to enrich their understanding of people and their views,

Standard: ELA #4

Service

Community need: Veterans are often a forgotten part of the community. Seniors are often not valued by younger generations. Creating afghans will utilize the skills of seniors as well as support student appreciation for veterans and will promote intergenerational projects.

Possible Community Partners: Veteran Hospitals, Senior Citizen Centers, Students, Staff, Local craft or community businesses

Objective: Students will make and distribute afghans in partnership with local seniors, businesses, and veterans.

Character

Virtue: Caring

Objective: To offer an afghan as a compassionate act of support to veteran members of the community.

Virtue: Respect

Objective: To respect those who served our country to preserve our basic rights. To appreciate the sacrifices and challenges incurred by the veterans.

Key Activities

Key Planning Activities

  1. Students will brainstorm, list, and contact local businesses that would be able to support this project with red, white, and blue yarn and crochet hooks or monetary funds. Students will also call senior centers and veterans hospitals to establish partnerships.
  2. Teacher will facilitate student research as to the importance of the establishment of a Veterans Administration Hospital. Students will learn about threats and violence in schools.

 Key Service Activities

  1. Community seniors will help teach the students how to crochet the afghans and will help them make them.
  2. Students will personally deliver the afghans to the Veteran Hospitals.

 Key Reflection Activities

  1. (oral – respect) When afghans are delivered, students will interview the Veterans to acquire an appreciation for their war experiences. In a round-table format, students will discuss their positive experiences and challenges during this project. (Light Bulb experience from A Pocket Guide to Reflection, West Virginia Department of Education)
  2. (written – caring) Students will write thank-you notes to all parties involved ( seniors, businesses, veteran groups) expressing how they felt throughout the experience.
  3. (performance) Students will develop a Power Point presentation for future participants.

 Celebration Activity

Students will present their Power Point production at a school board meeting. Students will invite all parties involved, including local media, seniors, businesses, and veteran groups, as well as family and friends.