| Unit Three: Compassion |
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Activity Tasks |
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Students will:
- define compassion.
- learn about compassionate young people who have inspired
Dr. Jane.
- list examples of compassion in the community.
- invite a person from this list to talk to the class about
how he or she is helping the community.
- journal about a problem that stirs compassion in them.
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Dr. Jane’s Lesson |
Dr. Jane has drawn much inspiration
from people who demonstrate compassion, including youth. Students
can read about the people
who have inspired Dr. Jane and learn that young people
can have a significant, positive impact on their communities.
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Duration |
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Materials |
- All required information resource materials are online,
links provided.
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Connecting to the Content |
Compassion turns the knowledge people have gained into the
actions they need to take. Students learn about the actions
of other compassionate people, giving them the inspiration
they need to decide they can also make a difference. Students
search for examples of compassionate leaders in their communities
and invite them to tell their stories to the class. This serves
to develop communication skills and inspire students to action.
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Procedure |
- Have students access Merriam-Webster’s
Online Dictionary and find the definition of compassion.
Is the definition what students expected? For example, did
they know that part of compassion is the desire to stop
another’s distress?
- Have the class learn about some of the compassionate
young people who have inspired Dr. Jane.
- Have students find examples of compassionate works in their community. Depending on the issue or problem students researched, ask them the following questions:
- Land, Water, Air – Are there any groups or individuals
working in your community to help improve the quality
of the water, land, and air? What are some projects
that have been successful?
- Plants – Are there farms or community
gardens in your area? Is there a school or university
in your community that is working to learn about, preserve,
and/or protect native plant species? Are there public
gardens that promote community awareness of issues affecting
plants?
- Animals – Is there a humane society, shelter,
wildlife rehabilitation site, or other animal welfare
organization in your area? How does it operate?
- People – What examples of people helping people
can you find in your community? These can be very small-scale
(one person helping a neighbor, for example) or involve
larger organizations.
- Have students choose one or two compassionate leaders from the community and invite them to the school so students can learn more about the people and their projects.
- Direct students to complete the journal
entry in which students write about a problem that
stirs compassion and calls them to action. They can choose
either their own problem or one presented by a classmate.
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Assessment |
| Have students:
- explain the meaning of the word compassion.
- share their lists of compassionate leaders in the community
and which ones they plan to invite.
- share their knowledge of how community members have had
a positive impact on water, land, air, plants, animals,
and humans.
- demonstrate their knowledge of the community problem they
researched.
- share why a particular problem called them to action more
than another.
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Extensions |
- Students may have compassionate people in their lives
who have inspired them, much like Dr. Jane has been inspired
by others’ compassion. Have students write about how
these compassionate people affected them.
- In the Knowledge section, students had the extension option
to conduct evaluations of their own school by conducting
School
Environmental Surveys. Students could seek compassionate
people who are currently making a difference in their school’s
environment.
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Terms |
- Community Gardens – A piece of
land utilized by the society to produce food and flowers
for the personal use of society members.
- Compassion – Sympathetic consciousness
of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate
it.
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