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From Welfare to Role Model


Brenda Mims, New York

Video Synopsis:
At one time dependent on the city and food pantries to feed herself and her children, Brenda Mims now works full time at the Samaritan Center, feeding those who need its services. Be inspired by this video of a woman who loves what she does and is passionate about helping the people the Samaritan Center serves.

Suggested for: Traditional schools, alternative programs, youth groups, community centers

Suggested grade use: 5-12

Quick Start

Pre-video Discussion points: Time: 10 min
21st Century skills used: LIS-CT, LIS-CI, CS-CL
  • How would you describe community?
  • Who is part of your community?
  • Have you ever been to a soup kitchen?
  • What comes to your mind when you think about the people who eat at soup kitchens?
  • Do you think it is your community’s responsibility to help people who have no food? Is it your responsibility?
  • What do you know about New York? Is your state similar to New York? Do you have soup kitchens in your community?

Video Link: Please scroll down to view the video here, or click on the link below.
http://www.50in52journey.com/states/newyork3.asp Time: 4:24 min

Post-video Discussion points: Time: 20 min +
21st Century skills: LIS-CT, LIS-CI, CS-HL

  • What do you think about Brenda?
  • How did Brenda get motivated to move off of public assistance?
  • How do you think Brenda’s children impacted her decisions?
  • Do you think Brenda is making a difference for the people of the Samaritan House? Why does Brenda have such a special place in her heart for these people?
  • What do you think of Brenda helping the woman on the street? Was it Brenda’s responsibility?
  • What would you have done differently?
  • What problems do you feel Brenda is solving?
  • Would you consider Brenda’s actions Kind actions? Why/Why not?
  • What is Brenda’s community, who is in it?

Action: Time: 40 min 21st Century Skills: CS-CL, LIS-CT, LIS-CI,

  • Define as a group what your community is and who is in it
  • Explore things that could be improved in your community.
    • Tip, this is accomplished best as a brainstorming session. One suggested method: Give each student a post-it-note pad and a pen. Depending on attention span provide 1-5 minutes for the students to write one idea on each sheet, not fleshed out, just concept. Encourage student to write as many ideas as come into their head. At 5 minutes, or when they stop writing, collect all of the notes and begin grouping them by sticking them on the wall. Create a separate line for each similar idea/category/theme. Have the group determine which line has the most suggestions and choose that as the area your group will explore to provide a solution.
  • After agreement has been reached discuss an activity/program/project the students can create to work on that problem.
  • Develop groups to tackle the different sections that need to be researched, designed, developed. Be sure to utilize all possible new media tools in the project design as appropriate.

Crea te Kindness based community action: 40 min 21st Century Skills: LCS, LIS-CT, LIS-CI, IMT-ML, IMT-T

  • Breakout into groups to do the groundwork for the class chosen activity.

ACTIVITY: Time determined by class

Post-activity: Time: 60 min 21st Century Skills: LCS, IMT

  • Be sure to capture a video or photographs of the students in action and have the students develop a blog entry utilizing video and photos to report their results and how the project made them feel. Submit to RAK!

Life lessons explored:

  • Overcoming obstacles
  • Personal drive
  • Personal passion
  • Connection to community

Community lessons explored:

  • Determining a need
  • Building from the ground up
  • Finding support
  • Building a team
  • Service to others

Kindness lessons explored:

  • Care for another
  • Doing over and above the expected for another
  • Living with awareness of all in your community

21st Century Skills Explored:
Life and Career Skills (LCS)

  • Initiative and Self Direction - Manage goals and time
  • Social and Cross-Cultural skills - work effectively in diverse teams, work w/people in a range of social and cultural backgrounds
  • Productivity and Accountability, manage projects, produce results
  • Leadership and Responsibility - guide and lead others, be responsible to others

Learning and Innovation Skills (LIS)

  • Critical thinking (LIS - CT)
    • Systems thinking - analyze how each part interacts to create the outcome
    • Make judgments through analysis, interpretation, reflection
    • problem solving
  • Creativity and Innovation (LIS - CI)
    • use a wide range of ideas
    • create new ideas
    • be open and responsive to new ideas
    • understand the real world limits of adopting new ideas

 

Information, Media and Technology Skills (IMT)

  • Media Literacy (IMT - ML)
    • Create media products using appropriate tools and effectively communicate to a diverse audience
  • Technology (IMT - T)
    • Use technology as a tool to research, organize, communicate


Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes (CS)

  • Civic literacy (CS - CL)
    • Civic engagement as defined "Individual and collective action designed to identify and address issues of public concern." "Civic engagement", American Psychological Association. Retrieved 11/26/07

 


Suggested Materials:

  • Video projection
  • Internet
  • Basic video editing software
  • flip cameras or other basic video camera
  • Additional materials as required by students for their impact/kindness project

Time:
Video watching: 5 min
Discussion time: 40 min
Group break-out: 60 min
Community/Kindness project: Time determined by group and action chosen
Report creation: 60 min



®2010, The Random Acts Of Kindness Foundation
1727 Tremont Place, Denver, CO 80202 • Phone: 800-660-2811 • Fax: 303-297-2919
www.randomactsofkindness.org

Guiding principles of 21st Century Skills from Partnership for 21st Century Skills: www.p21.org
Videos courtesy of 50 in 52 Journey (c) 2009

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