PREPARING STUDENTS FOR SERVICE LEARNING AND CIVIC
EFFICACY PROJECTS
By Jerry J. Morris, Ph.D.
Learning to Give Teacher-Consultant, University of Detroit Mercy
Service learning requires students to give of their time, talent and (possibly)
treasure to advance the common good. The service learning project usually
addresses some community problem that is of concern to the student. After the
service learning project is completed there is an evaluation of the experience,
reflection and usually a celebration. If this is what we accomplish through service
learning it is enough because it builds a positive sense of self, the spirit of altruism
and caring for one's fellow man. As the nation responded to the tragedy of
September 11 we revalidated that these qualities of character, of civic virtue are
fundamentally what are most important.
Service learning, however, can be much more. If we are to maximize its benefits,
students need to learn about more than service. Students need to learn about the
public policy issues that underscore the problem that the service project addresses.
Collecting blankets for the homeless or serving food at a shelter is worthy.
Understanding the public policy issue of housing and welfare and examining its
history; hearing the competing voices that explain causes and prescribe solutions;
and giving voice to one's own convictions in an informed and reasoned way—now
these are important, too.
A service learning project, therefore, needs to go beyond service. But it also needs to
go beyond an academic connection. It needs to connect to civic
engagement/activism. Students need to learn to make informed and reasoned
decisions and act responsibly on their knowledge and convictions. This is the work of
citizens.
This connection to civic engagement/activism is needed because students feel
disconnected from the body politic and think "politics" is a "four letter word." They
think politics are to be avoided, when they are in fact a logical extension of the civic
virtue of giving (which, ironically, students value). If civic engagement-activism
follows service learning, students will see that political action is primarily the job of
the citizen, a job that fulfills one's self-interest and builds on one's capabilities in
pursuit of the common good. Hopefully, politics will not be perceived as the
corrupted skill and sole province of government officials. Hopefully, the importance
of civic engagement will not be forgotten upon graduation.
Getting students to the point of civic engagement/activism is no easy task. It will
take time, but it will be time well invested. I think service should precede civic
engagement/activism and the academic learning should be introduced as the project
unfolds. I think that before students even begin to think about a service-learning
project, they need to be prepared to understand themselves and their community.
How to prepare the student for that understanding is the focus of this paper.
Why is it Important to Prepare the Student for Service Learning?
Service learning in a community-based project that leads to civic engagementactivism should evolve over time through six phases: (1) Self Knowledge, (2)
Community Knowledge, (3) Identification of Challenge or Opportunity, (4) Decision
to Act, (5) Service-Reflection-Celebration and (6) Evaluation. If the first two phases
of service learning are skipped, the student may not make the emotional and
personal connection that lies at the heart of learning. They will not be able to sustain
a commitment.
Before one enters the community to serve, one needs to know themselves; know
their strengths and assets; believe they can make a difference; see their community
as a positive place to live and believe the opportunities for involvement are
meaningful to themselves and their community. If we skip the first two phases of
preparing students for service learning and, instead, start with examining the
community as a collection of problems, we may paint an image that is too powerfully
negative thus demoralizing students and fostering a sense of helplessness and
cynicism (1). This caution is of particular import for urban youth whose immediate
communities are often portrayed in the media as someplace one is better off leaving.
"Why," they might wonder," should I care about improving a place that has little
going for itself?" Urban youth need to understand that their community and culture
is different, not deprived. They need to see themselves as able and resilient rather
than "at-risk." They need to focus on recognizing personal abilities and developing
their potential (2).
How we approach service learning is very much like the way a journalist approaches
a story and decides whose voice and perspective is included (3). If we view the
learner and the community as deficient, the discussion that follows will be "framed"
by a sense of negativity. If we view the learner and the community as an asset, the
discussion that follows will be "framed" by a sense of hope. We need to instill in
young people the hope that comes not only from knowledge and skills but also from
a belief in their own capabilities and the legitimacy of their own interests.
The instructional activities that follow are meant to prepare the student for "Self
Knowledge" and "Community Knowledge" phases of service learning. These two
phases will help create the personal vision, confidence, commitment and common
unity within the classroom upon which a service learning project can be built. These
instructional activities will also sustain the student during the civic engagementactivism that will follow.
Phase One: Self-Knowledge
Identity Plaque (4)
The purpose of this instructional activity is to identify the student's interests and
abilities. The Identity Plaque consists of a colored piece of paper divided into the
following categories: "Words that describe me," "What I care about," "Topics I would
like to talk about," and "Something I could explain or show how to do." Have each
student complete an individual Identity Plaque. In the center of the paper is a space
for a picture of the student. Take a Polaroid picture of the student while they are
completing the Identity Plaque and paste it on their plaque.
In teams of four, students will present their individual Identity Plaques to each other.
At the end of each presentation, the students will tell the presenter something
positive that was learned. Post the Identity Plaques in the room. An extension of the
Identity Plaque could be to set up a barter system ("Skill-Exchange") for students to
swap skills based on what is on their respective Identity Plaques.
Know Yourself
The purpose of this instructional activity is to help students know themselves. It will
help develop the skills of observation and inference. This instructional activity has
been called "shoe-box" history.
Ask students to bring to class a shoe-box filled with artifacts that represent
themselves. Place the shoeboxes around the classroom and give each student time
to examine each and make notes to write a profile (only positives) of the person
represented by the artifacts. Leave these interpretations at each shoebox. The owner
of the shoebox will collect, read, report back to the whole class the interpretations,
and explain the meaning behind the artifacts.
Acts of Kindness (4)
The purpose of this instructional activity is for the students to realize that giving is
good for us individually and collectively and that we do not "go it alone" in this life.
In teams of two, have the students explain to their partner about a time when they
did something kind (giving of their time, talent or treasure) for someone or when
someone (or an organization) did something kind for them or their family. They
could include a kindness toward animals or things as well as people. Combine two
groups into a group of four and have each person tell the story of their original
partner. As a whole class, talk about how performing an act of kindness made one
feel; how receiving an act of kindness made one feel. Make an "Acts of Kindness"
bulletin board out of pictures, words, dates, and artifacts. Promote and document
acts of kindness in class, school and community.
Happy World, Sad World (4)
The purpose of this instructional activity is for the students to begin thinking about
the world around them and how they are connected to this world. Each student has a
sheet of paper titled "Happy World-Sad World." The paper is organized by a "Tchart." One side of the chart is labeled "What is happening in the world that makes
me happy." The other side of the chart is labeled "What is happening in the world
that makes me sad." Ask the students to think about and then record their ideas in
the "happy" section of the paper. Then ask the students to think about and record
their ideas in the "sad" section of the paper. Draw a picture to represent a "Happy
World, Sad World." Collect and post. Let students examine, reflect and write about
generalizations they see. (Signing one's name is optional).
Magic Lamp
Ask students, "If you could change one thing in this world, what would it be?" "If you
found a magic lamp containing a powerful genie who could grant three wishes to
make this wish come true, what would be the three wishes?" Have students share
their ideas and wishes. Talk about whether making a "wish" will solve a problem.
Follow-up questions might include: "What knowledge and skills are needed?" "What
knowledge and skills do we already have?" "How does this issue touch you
personally?" "What could you personally do about the issue?"
The Many Hats We Wear
The purpose of this instructional activity is to get students to realize that they are
members of different groups; that in each situation they utilize the virtues and skills
of citizenship; that they make decisions and adjust their interests for the welfare of
the group (common good).
Have students list the different roles they play and the groups in which they take
part. (e.g., student in class-school; child in family; athlete on team). What are their
rights and responsibilities in each? Who has the authority/ Have they ever had to set
aside private or personal interest for the good of the group? Use this discussion as a
bridge to citizenship and civic duty. Make a mobile that illustrates the various facets
of the different groups.
Citizen Simile
The purpose of this instructional activity is to examine prior understandings and
misunderstandings about being a citizen. Have students write a simile by completing
this phrase, "A citizen is like a ___ because ___. Then have the students draw
pictures of the similes. Each student then presents the simile through the picture to
the whole class. Explore with the student if there is any negative connotation
associated with their similes.
Civic Super-Heroes
The purpose of this instructional activity is to have students consider the qualities
that a person should have in order to make a positive difference in the life of their
neighborhood or community.
Assign students to watch a TV super-hero show or read a comic strip that features a
super-hero. What can the super-hero do? How does the super-hero use his/her
power? To what end? If you had super-hero powers that could be used to solve
community problems (or make this a better world) what would they be like? For
example, our super- hero might have super hearing to listen to the people. Have
students draw and name their civic super-hero. Present them to classmates. Display
them in the class. Send them to the local newspaper or mayor with an introductory
letter by the students.
Role Model
The purpose of this instructional activity is to illustrate to students that "average"
citizens make a positive difference in the life of the community and that they do not
have to look far or look to history to find examples. It can be a follow-up to "Civic
Super Heroes" or "Neighborhood Scan." Ask the students to consider, "Who are
these people?" "What do they look like?" "What are their stories?" These questions
lead to letter writing, correspondence and interviews. Have students invite
community role models to class to share and explore their stories.
Have students make a role-model portrait gallery. Include the student's own picture
in the gallery including a narrative about how they want to be remembered.
Civic Balance Sheet
The purpose of this instructional activity is to have students monitor their individual
growth in the civic virtue of giving. Have students keep a record of their civic giving
as credits and debits. Each student will start with $10,000. The class will have
decided on what is a credit and what is a debit. Each student will decide the value of
his or her own entry. For example, students might think in terms of instances when
they personally contributed their time, talent or treasure to advance the "common
good" or when they performed a random act of kindness toward another person or
thing or when they made a decision to follow the law. The aforementioned would be
example of credits. Debits could be a time when a decision was made to break the
law (could civil disobedience be a credit?) or when one laughed at an inappropriate
joke or when one did not speak out against an injustice or did not take advantage of
an opportunity to help someone or something in need. For each entry write a
corresponding reflection in a journal. The "Civic Balance Sheet" might be
formatted as follows:
Phase Two: Community Knowledge
Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty
The purpose of this instructional activity is to prompt students to think about their
community and realize that they have a point of view and that there are advantages
to having a positive point of view. There are also disadvantages to having a negative
point of view.
Demonstrate a half-filled glass of water. Ask the students to write a description of
what they see and then discuss using a pair-share strategy. Hear, record and then
discuss their ideas. "Is the glass half-full?" "How many agree?" "Is the glass halfempty?" "How many agree?" "What is a half-full glass (assets, strengths of
individuals and community) filled with?" "How does looking first at strengths effect
how we approach a project?" "What is a half-empty glass filled with?"
Neighborhood Scan
The purpose of this instructional activity is to build on the asset-model view of
community and individual and to create a talent pool that permits us to work
together and find common ground. Have the students conduct an inventory of their
neighborhood citing local institutions, citizen associations, clubs, informal social
groups and talents of individuals. Use this information to paint a positive, resourcerich view of the neighborhood and as a way to match students to community
resources for forthcoming projects (5).
Asset Landscape or Cityscape
The purpose of this instructional activity is to build on the asset-model view of
communities and for the students to visually depict their community as a landscape
or cityscape. For example, a lake made of faces representing individual talents
becomes "Lake Talent." A valley representing religions becomes the "Valley of Faith."
The class could be organized into teams representing the different sectors used for
the "Neighborhood Scan" instructional activity and each team given a section of a
mural to design and paint.
A variation on this instructional activity is to have students think of positive words
that describe their community like "caring, brave, trustworthy, vibrant" and paint an
emotional landscape or cityscapes of these qualities.
Know Your Community
The purpose of this instructional activity is for the students to begin thinking about
their community. This instructional activity is similar to "Know Yourself" but with the
purpose being for students to know their community. Ask six students to bring to
class a shoebox filled with artifacts that represent their community. These are placed
around the room. Working in teams of five (the creators of the shoe-box are silent
when examining their own), each team examines and writes a profile of the
community represented by the artifacts in the shoe-box, raise questions that need to
be answered, and answers to questions prompted by the teacher such as: "What
have we learned about this community?" "What is the evidence to support our
conclusion?" "Do we have a complete picture of this community?" Each group reports
its conclusions to the whole class.
Change Agent
The purpose of this instructional activity is to convince students that each person is
capable of change and can effect change; that change can happen when we work
together and when we have the knowledge, time, interest and resources to do the
job.
Take out a dollar bill and ask the class if any one of them can "change" it. Ask, "Was
it difficult to change?" "Why?" Ask, "Can any one of them change a $100 dollar bill?"
"Could we do it if we combined resources?" Why would you be willing to contribute
your money to change the $100 bill?"
Ask students, "Can you change a tire? "Can you change a light bulb?" "What made it
easy or difficult to change a tire or a light bulb or a one dollar bill compared to a
hundred dollar bill?" Now ask the students to think about "changing" a situation or
problem to make it better, to solve it. What does it take? Lead the class in a
discussion to consider the feasibility of their ideas; to seek clarity; to test conclusions
by applying them to different situations; and to construct generalizations that relate
to being an agent of change.
Emerald City
The purpose of this instructional activity is to have students consider what we need
as citizens on life's journey. For example empathy, caring, knowledge, skills to make
decisions, compromise, consensus building, perseverance, courage, etc.
Read an abbreviated version of the " Wizard of Oz. " Tell the students that we are all
"Dorothy" trying to find our way. Ask them, "What does the Wizard represent?"
"What do the Tin Man, the Lion and the Scarecrow need?" "Do we as citizens need
these qualities too?" "How can these things be gained?"
Problem to Overcome
The purpose of this instructional activity is for the students to realize that they
already know how to solve problems and that there are many resources available to
help solve problems. Have each student interview a family member, friend or
neighbor about a time they had a problem to overcome. Write and practice the
interview in class. Using fictitious names, write a one-page story focusing on how
problems were solved. Print these stories and use them to identify community
resources used to solve the problems.
Conclusion
Giving of one's "time, talent and treasure" to serve the community and advance the
common good is enlightened self-interest. It is also a civic virtue that serves the
national interest. It is the cornerstone of a civil society and an integral thread in the
fabric of the American experience (6). School shares a responsibility to advance this
civic virtue of giving, and one method to this end is service learning (7). We need,
however, to go beyond the altruism and academic connection of service learning. We
need to connect service learning with civic engagement-activism so students see the
connection between self-interest, problems, public policy issues, service and politics
(8). So they can see reasons for understanding how government works.
We all want to believe that we matter and what concerns us should concern others.
Young people are defining themselves and their relationship with ever widening
communities, are serious about social issues and want to be taken seriously. Their
skills and talents and interests need to be recognized. They need to know their
community has value. The time spent developing their readiness for service learning
will be time well spent because personal efficacy and civic efficacy are closely
related.
End Notes
1. Paul Rogat Loeb, Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time (New
York: St. Martin's Press, 1999).
2. Belinda Williams, ed., Closing the Achievement Gap: A Vision For Changing Beliefs
and Practice (Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development,
1996).
3. Heath Meriwether, "Young People Bust Through Stereotypes," Detroit Free Press
(March 18, 2001)
4. Barbara L. Dentin, "My Voice An Advocacy Approach to Service Learning,"
Educational Leadership 57, no. 4 (December 1999/January 2000): 34-37.
5. John P. Kretzmann and John L. McKnight, Building Communities From the Inside
Out. A Path toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community's Assets (Chicago: ACTA
Publications, 1993)
6. Brian O'Connell, Civil Society (Hanover: University Press of New England, 1999).
7. Rahima C. Wade, ed., Building Bridges Connecting Classroom and Community
Through Service-Learning in Social Studies (Washington, DC: National Council for the
Social Studies, 2000).
8. Richard C., Handbook of Basic Citizenship Competencies (Alexandria: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1980).
This paper was developed by a Learning to Give Teacher-Consultant.
It is offered by Learning To Give of the Council of Michigan Foundations
and Teacher-Consultant Jerry Morris, Ph.D.
This page may be reproduced for educational, noncommercial uses only, all other
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