Why does this project fit the description for Service Learning?
Students are situated at a school that is next-door to a senior living facility and are interested in learning from the residents. At present, our Unit centers on love with the anchor text of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare. We have incorporated six components of service learning into our project, titled Lanterns of Love.
Component 1: Investigation
During Semester 1, students have built their interview skills in order to gather information from the community. They will leverage these skills in this unit, bringing in their own interests and talents to connect with their assigned resident. The students will also gather information about their resident’s experiences of love in order to respond with artwork that is fitting to the stories
Component 2: Preparation
Students learn about different cultural traditions of love, including partnership customs like arranged marriages and romantic love. Students organize a plan and designate roles, responsibilities and time lines for their field visit to the senior living center.
Component 3: Action
Based on the information they receive, students will carry out direct service by designing a four-sided wooden lantern to be displayed and subsequently gifted to the senior citizen. The plans for this product will be presented and agreed upon between the student group and their senior.
Component 4: Reflection
Students will participate in short, whole-class debriefs in order to make connections after each field visit. Reflection will guide students in next steps.
Component 5: Demonstration
Students will invite their interviewees to an evening of public exhibition and performance in which the process of learning is unpacked and displayed. The community of learners will come together to celebrate what has been accomplished.
Component 6: Evaluation
Students will be assessed based on two dimensions: work ethic throughout the project and content. Content includes the quality of the preparation documents, designs and execution for the lantern product, and completion of guided reading homework.