Lesson Plan

Helping Hands, Happy Hearts Lesson Plan

Students will be able to define community service and identify examples of how they can contribute to their local community.

Understanding community service helps students develop empathy, civic responsibility, and a sense of belonging. It empowers them to make a positive impact on the world around them.

Audience

3rd Grade

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion and visual examples.

Materials

Community Service Slide Deck, - Community Warm-Up, and - Community Cool-Down

Prep

Review Materials

5 minutes

Review the Community Service Slide Deck, Community Warm-Up, and Community Cool-Down and familiarize yourself with the content.

Step 1

Warm-Up: Community Thoughts

3 minutes

Start the class with the Community Warm-Up activity. Ask students to think about their favorite place in their neighborhood and share what makes it special. This helps activate prior knowledge about community.

Step 2

Introduction: What is Community?

3 minutes

Begin by asking students what they think a 'community' is.
Use Community Service Slide Deck - Slide 1 and 2 to guide the discussion.

Step 3

Introducing Community Service

5 minutes

Introduce the term 'community service'. Explain that it's about helping others without expecting anything in return.
Use Community Service Slide Deck - Slide 3 and 4 to explain and show examples.

Step 4

Brainstorming Ideas

2 minutes

Facilitate a short brainstorming session. Ask students: 'What are some ways we can help our community?'
Encourage them to think about simple actions they can take at home, school, or in their neighborhood.
Use Community Service Slide Deck - Slide 5 for brainstorming and discussion.

Step 5

Cool-Down: Reflection

2 minutes

Conclude the lesson with the Community Cool-Down activity. Ask students to reflect on one thing they learned and one way they can help their community this week.
Use Community Service Slide Deck - Slide 6 to conclude.

Slide Deck

What is a Community?

Where do we belong?

Your family
Your school
Your neighborhood
Your town or city

A community is a group of people who live together or share something in common!

Think about all the groups you are a part of! Those are your communities!

Greet students and start by asking them what comes to mind when they hear the word 'community'. Encourage various responses. Transition to the definition of a community as a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.

What is Community Service?

Helping others, making a difference!

Community service means doing good things for people and places around us, just because it's the right thing to do!

It's about being helpful.
It's about being kind.
It's about making our community a better place for everyone.

Introduce the idea that just like we benefit from our communities, we can also help them. Explain that community service is about helping others without expecting anything in return. Emphasize that it's about being kind and making our shared spaces better.

Examples of Community Service

Little acts, big impact!

Helping a neighbor with their garden
Picking up trash at the park
Donating old toys or clothes to those in need
Visiting elderly people in a nursing home
Volunteering at a food bank
Being kind and welcoming to new students

Present simple, age-appropriate examples of community service. Ask students if they have done anything like this before. Reinforce that even small actions count.

How Can We Help?

Your turn to be a community hero!

Think about:

How can you help your family?
How can you help your school?
How can you help your neighborhood?
What makes you happy to help with?

Let's share our ideas!

Engage students in a brainstorming activity. Ask them to think of ways they can do community service. Guide them with prompts like 'How can you help at home?', 'How can you help at school?', 'How can you help in your neighborhood?'.

Be a Helping Hand!

Every little bit helps!

Community service is about caring for others.
Even small actions can make a big difference.
You have the power to make your community a better place!

What one thing will you do this week to help your community?

Conclude the lesson by reinforcing the main message: everyone can make a difference, no matter how small their action seems. Encourage them to look for opportunities to help.

Warm Up

Community Warm-Up

Think about your favorite place in your neighborhood.

What makes it special? What do you like to do there?

Share your ideas with a partner or the class!

Cool Down

Community Cool-Down

One thing I learned about community service today is:

One way I can help my community this week is:

Helping Hands, Happy Hearts

Jennifer Cattnach