Kindergarteners Help Childhood Cancer: Kayla Pohl and Susan Wells

Planning for Service Learning

Kayla Pohl and Susan Wells—Kindergarten Dames Ferry Elementary

Grade level: Kindergarten

Content-learning about: writing letters/cards, money/giving, character education, health, community helpers

Service Need: Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer of children ages 0-20 in America, yet research for pediatric cancer is under-funded up to $30 million a year. Childhood cancer is different than adult cancer and thus requires different research. Many children going through cancer treatment need encouragement and support from children their own age. The Rally Foundation is a national non-profit organization that raises money for childhood cancer research and also supports specific children going through cancer treatment.

Service Idea: Students will write and make “thinking of you” cards for Rally children going through cancer treatment. They also will help raise money for the Rally Foundation to support childhood cancer research by participating in a program 4 Quarters 4 Research.

Preparation: Students will learn about childhood cancer and how to help support those going through it. We will have class discussions and read books about helping others in need.

Action: Students will make the encouragement “thinking of you” cards for specific Rally Children. They will take a 4 Quarters 4 Research bag home to raise money for childhood cancer research.

Reflection: We will graph the amount of money that comes in between the two kindergarten classes to see how much we raise over the period of 2 weeks. We also will have a group discussion on how the service learning has affected the students in our classrooms.

Demonstration: Students will be making “thinking of you” cards for the children, raising money, graphing their progress

Youth Voice and Choice:The students are the ones earning the money by taking the baggies home to their families. They will also be the ones making the “thinking of you” cards.

Curricular Connections:

English/Language Arts:

ELAKR6 The student gains meaning from orally presented text. The student
a. Listens to and reads a variety of literary (e.g., short stories, poems) and informational texts and materials to gain knowledge and for pleasure.

ELAKW1 The student begins to understand the principles of writing. The student
a. Writes or dictates to describe familiar persons, places, objects, or experiences.
b. Uses drawings, letters, and phonetically spelled words to create meaning.
c. Accurately prints name, all uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet, and teacher-selected words.
d. Uses left-to-right pattern of writing.
e. Begins to use capitalization at the beginning of sentences and punctuation (periods and question marks) at the end of sentences.
The student produces a persuasive piece that:
a. States an opinion.
b. May use words, illustrations, or graphics to support an opinion.
c. Begins to use formats appropriate to the genre (letter, poster).
d. May include describing words.

Mathematics: Graph the progress as the students earn money and learn the coin values.
MKN1. Students will connect numerals to the quantities they represent.

h. Identify coins by name and value (penny, nickel, dime, and quarter).
i. Count out pennies to buy items that together cost less than 30 cents.
j. Make fair trades using combinations involving pennies and nickels and pennies and dimes.

MKD1. Students will pose information questions, collect data, organize, and
display results using objects, pictures, and picture graphs.

Science: health

Social Studies: Character Education, Community Helpers

SSKCG2 The student will retell stories that illustrate positive character traits and will explain how the people in the stories show the qualities of honesty, patriotism, loyalty, courtesy, respect, truth, pride, self-control, moderation, and accomplishment.

SSKE1 The student will describe the work that people do (police officer, fire fighter, soldier, mail carrier, baker, farmer, doctor, and teacher).

Skill and Development: counting money, graphing, writing a letter

Books: Can I Catch Cancer? By Cristine Thomas
Chemo Girl by Christina Richmond
H is for Hair Fairy by Kim Martin
Butterfly kisses and Wishes on Wings by Ellen McVicker

Community contacts: The Rally Foundation