Title of Project: Bedtime Bundles

Grade Level: 4th grade

Time Frame: February-March

Contributed by: Erika Zerzeck, Sharon Kleymeyer and Lori Frommeyer; R. C. Hinsdale; Kenton County Schools

Overview/Description of Project: As a part of their Economics lesson, the fourth graders focus on homelessness and other societal issues surrounding poverty. They will also be reading “Fly Away Home” to help them grasp the concept of homelessness. To incorporate their lesson with service learning they will be raising money through bake sales and donations to create Bedtime Bundles. These bundles will be donated to women at the Welcome House in Covington and will include general hygiene supplies, etc. Students will also create posters about poverty and homelessness to teach others in their school.

Goals:

- To help students understand Economics, poverty, and homelessness.

- Develop better communication skills.

- To develop cooperative classroom behaviors.

- To help students learn the importance of using what they have learned to teach others and to provide a service

Core Content Areas:

-RD-E 1.2: Read informational text on poverty and homelessness in the area

-W-E 1.11: Reflective writing on service learning project throughout

-W-E 1.11: Transactive writing by creating letters about why they

-M-E 1.5-1.9: Using basic mathematic skills for the bake sale and to buy supplies and how to distribute items

-M-E 1.5-1.9: Using math concepts to reflect upon the Service Learning project to understand the timeline necessary and to meet deadlines for the distribution of supplies

-SS-E 2.16, 2.17: Learning about different problems in society and the values of helping the homeless

-SS-E 2.18: Using economics to understand income and monetary value

-A&H-E 1.13, 2.22, 2.23, 2.24: Visual art through the posters created for the school.

-PL/VS-E 2.30: Understanding consumerism through buying and budgeting money

-PL/VS-E 2.29: Practical application knowledge through giving to the shelter and seeing that there are people in need so close to where they live.

Step 1: Preparation/Planning

-Students have been going over lessons about literature and will use a related book to understand homelessness.

-Students will discuss Economics and the results of poverty.

-Students will be going over mathematics lessons to understand how to create and manage a successful bake sale.

-Students will decide what supplies are more important to include in order to create the bundles.

-Students will have a lesson on what Service Learning is, why and how to do it, and understanding how their project is service learning.

Step 2: Action

-Students will raise money from the bake sale to buy the items.

-Students will donate the bundles to the Welcome House in Covington.

Step 3: Reflection

-Throughout the project, students will be responsible for journal entries and/or group discussions including what they’ve learned, how the project has benefited them, how future projects can be implemented smoothly, etc. These will be shared with peers, teachers, and facilitators.

-Posting informational posters around the school to inform others of poverty and homelessness.

Step 4: Celebration

-Students will be recognized over the school intercom in the morning for their contribution and hard work towards promoting diversity.