What’s your Boxing Gym?

Trustee: Barney Flores
Subject: Civic Education, Government, Language Arts
Topic: Civic Responsibility
Grade Level: 9-12
Time: 45 minutes

View how this lesson plan fits state standards

View Barney Flores' video or read the transcript

Materials:

• Computer with internet access, external speakers, and a LCD projector OR access to a computer lab with Internet access and headphones for each student
• Updated Media Player recommended. The Player can be downloaded for free at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/
• Art supplies to create a poster or brochure (markers, paper, magazines to cut up)
• Many Post-it Notes or Chalkboard
• Student Worksheets (MS Word, PDF)
• Download Lesson Plan (MS Word, PDF)

Learning Objectives:

Students will
1. identify and address community problems by employing their own talents and skills;
2. evaluate the importance of voluntary individual participation in a democratic society; and
3. design marketing materials for an organization.

INTRODUCTION & VIEWING (15 minutes)

1. Before showing the video to the class, have a brief discussion to answer the following questions:

• Do you know anyone at school who has started an organization?

• What were their motivations?

• Why would someone start a nonprofit or a club?
(additional questions welcomed)

2. As a class, watch the brief Barney Flores video about how he started a boxing gym as way to help young people stay off the streets. The video can be accessed online at www.americantrusteesproject.org. If you have difficulties accessing the videos, please visit our Media Help page.

APPLICATION

Brainstorming (20 minutes)

1. Introduce the activity: Capitalizing on their skills and talents, students will be working to develop a profile of a mock organization.

2. Designate two places in the classroom to stick Post-it Notes for the students to stick their brainstorming ideas (or use board paper posted on opposite walls of the classroom).

3. Break up a package of Post-it Notes and provide each student with a small stack. Ask each student to brainstorm community needs. What are the issues plaguing their communities (For example, problems with obesity, underage drinking, low voter turnout, etc). Remind students to be specific. Instead of saying “the environment,” they should cite rainforest eradication, ozone depletion, or mass consumption. Write only one activity/talent on each Post-it Note.

4. After the students have jotted down a couple of their talents they can walk up to the designated area (chalkboard, poster paper, wall space, etc.) and stick up their Post-it Notes.

5. After the students have jotted down a couple of community needs, they can walk up to the designated area and stick them up. Allow five to seven minutes to complete the brainstorming.

NOTE: Alternatively, you can designate a class recorder and have students call out their ideas and document them on the chalkboard, instead of using Post-it Notes.

Presenting Ideas (10 minutes)

1. Pass out the worksheet.

2. Read the array of Post-it Notes under the rubric of community needs aloud (you may have to ferret out repeats and unrealistic suggestions). As you read the list aloud, each student should select a community need that they are interested in addressing and note it on the worksheet. For instance, a student might make a note of homelessness, illiteracy, or ozone depletion. You may have to read the list more than once.

3. Next, you will ask the class to think about what talents, hobbies, or skills they have that might help to alleviate or assist with the community needs. Give the students a couple of minutes to brainstorm some of their talents individually. They can note the ideas on their WORKSHEET.

4. Ask students to answer the following question in writing:

How can I apply one of my talents to improve my community?

Homework

Students will take the WORKSHEET home and complete the remainder of the tasks. The student WORKSHEET asks them to develop a mock organization based on their in-class writing activity.

OPTIONAL EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

1. Design a Poster or Brochure: Instruct students that they will use their completed WORKSHEET to design a poster or brochure for their hypothetical organization. All of the answers to Step 2 (Questions 1-6) from their homework assignment will be used on the poster or brochure—name of the organization, who is served, motto, mission statement, who the partner organizations might be, and quotes from the organization’s founder. Let students cut pictures from magazines, use markers and other art supplies to create their posters or brochures. This can be done as an individual assignment or in pairs, with each student pair picking one organization to design the poster or brochure.

2. Plan of Action: Have students map a plan of action for their mock organization. Plan of Action includes additional details, such as researched introduction, objectives, goals, targets, specific actions required to accomplish each goal, follow-up and evaluation, and next steps. Search the internet to find more specific templates.

ASSESSMENT

Students may be assessed on:

1. in-class writing skills;

2. completion of the WORKSHEET; and

3. extension activity.

AND if desired,
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