9‐12
 Civic
Engagement/Service
Learning


CULMINATING ACTIVITY: SERVICE-LEARNING A C T I O N PLAN

(Time varies)

PART ONE: IDENTIFY AREAS FOR SERVICE

(50-60 minutes)

OBJECTIVE Step 3: Use the Move to the Problem Activity

Students list problems facing their community to select problems or needs to work on.
and choose an area for service. ✔ Assign an area in the classroom for each
problem (Example: The left side of the
MATERIALS classroom is for Voter Apathy).
No materials are necessary for this part of ✔ Ask students to move to the problem they feel
the activity. is the most important. Encourage students to
talk among themselves while they are deciding
GET READY where to move.
✔ Become familiar with the Move to the Problem ✔ When all the students have chosen a problem,
Activity, described below. ask them to share why they made their decision.

INSTRUCTIONS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Step 1: Generate a list of problems and needs ★ How did you feel when you made your decision?
for service. ★ Was your decision based on the issue or a friend?
✔ Have students brainstorm a list of needs and ★ Was it difficult to choose?
problems facing their community. Write these ★ How is decision-making an important skill for
needs and problems on the board. Possible all of us?
problems may include: voter apathy,
pollution, etc. Step 4: Narrow the Focus
✔ Have students work together to determine how
Step 2: Identify cause/effect for each need many of the problems to address. Explain that
and problem. the class will continue to address these problems.
✔ Next to each problem or need write the
cause/effect. This will help students determine
ideas for action.

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Engagement/Service
Learning 1




 
 
 
 

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 CULMINATING ACTIVITY: SERVICE-LEARNING ACTION PLAN
(continued)

PART TWO: DETERMINE SERVICE SOLUTIONS

OBJECTIVE their own. They should record these ideas

Students work in groups to determine service on the large sheet of paper you gave them.
activities to solve problems identified in Part One. ✔ After 10 minutes, ask each group member
to vote for their favorite three service ideas.
MATERIALS They should assign 25 points to their first
Kids Voting Service-learning Menu handout; choice, 15 points to their second choice,
Service Solutions Process handout; large paper and five points to their third choice.
and markers (See Service Solutions Process handout.)
GET READY ✔ Have each group total the points for each
✔ Make copies of Kids Voting Service-learning idea and then read their top three service
Menu and Service Solutions Process (one copy ideas to the class. Make sure that each
per group). idea is well-defined and oriented towards
✔ Gather large sheets of paper and markers for the problem(s) identified in Part One.
each group. ✔ Student Directions (also found on Service
Solutions Process handout)
INSTRUCTIONS ✔ For 10 minutes, brainstorm what you
✔ Divide your students into small groups. and your fellow students can do about
✔ Ask students to consider solutions to the the problem. Have one person record all
previously identified problem(s) (See Part One). ideas on your large paper.
✔ Brainstorm solutions using the Service ✔ VOTE – Each person selects their top
Solutions Process which follows. three choices with an assignment of
points (1st choice = 25 points; 2nd
Service Solution Process (Adapted from Tribes choice = 15 points; 3rd choice = 5 points).
A New Way of Learning and Being Together ✔ Add up the total points for each idea.
by Jeanne Gibbs.) ✔ Present the top three solutions to the class.
✔ Teacher Directions
✔ Have students meet in small groups of DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
three to five students. ★ How did the process of voting work for your
✔ Distribute a large sheet of paper, group?
markers, and one copy of the Kids Voting ★ Share one positive thing about your group
Service-learning Menu to each group. working together.
✔ Give each group 10 minutes to determine ★ Can all of your solutions be applied in your
at least three service ideas. They may write group?
ideas from the Kids Voting Service-
learning Menu handout and/or ideas of

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reserved. 9‐12

 Civic
Engagement/Service
Learning 2



 
 
 
 

 CULMINATING ACTIVITY: SERVICE-LEARNING ACTION PLAN
(continued)

PART THREE: PLAN AND TAKE ACTION

OBJECTIVE Step 2: Complete Service-learning Action Plan

Students work together to develop and handout
implement a plan of service. ✔ Give each group a copy of the Service-learning
Action Plan handout.
MATERIALS ✔ Encourage students to think about each step
Service-learning Action Plan handout; necessary for completing the plan. It may be
envelopes, stamps, lined paper, phone books necessary to discuss task analysis in order for
students to understand how to break the
GET READY solution into steps.
✔ Make copies of Service-learning Action Plan ✔ Assist groups in beginning their action plans.
(2–3 copies per group)
✔ Gather envelopes and stamps Step 3: Implement Action Plans
✔ Gather phone books ✔ Allow students ample time to work on their
✔ Obtain Internet access (optional) plan. Some supplies/resources to have on hand
to assist them are: extra copies of the Service-
INSTRUCTIONS learning Action Plan handout, paper,
Step 1: Explain Action Plans envelopes, stamps, phone books, internet access.
✔ Explain what an action plan is, if necessary: ✔ Encourage the groups to share their plans and
An Action Plan designates tasks, persons progress throughout the project.
responsible for each task, and expected time
for completion. The action plan should be
posted, reviewed daily and revised and added
to as necessary. An action plan is a group
contract which reminds people of their
accountability to one another.

©2005 Kids Voting USA, Inc. – All rights

reserved.
9‐12

 Civic
Engagement/Service
Learning 3



 
 
 
 

 CULMINATING ACTIVITY: SERVICE-LEARNING ACTION PLAN
(continued)

PART FOUR: CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS

OBJECTIVE ✔ Ideas for recognizing students’ work:

Students evaluate their success and are ✔ School newspapers and school
recognized for their efforts. announcements
✔ Broadcast media
MATERIALS ✔ Newspapers
Student Evaluation Form handout ✔ Letters to businesses in your community
✔ Write Kids Voting USA. We may be able
GET READY to use your story in the future in one of
✔ Copy the Student Evaluation Form handout our newsletters.
for each of your students. Kids Voting USA
3933 South McClintock Drive
INSTRUCTIONS Suite 505
Step 1: Have Students Evaluate Their Work Tempe, Arizona 85282
✔ Give each student the Student Evaluation Attn: Education Specialist
Form. Ask them to evaluate their work.

Step 2: Recognize and Reinforce Students’ Work

✔ One way to recognize the service projects is to
ensure that students receive publicity.

©2005 Kids Voting USA, Inc. – All rights

reserved.

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Engagement/Service
Learning 4




 
 
 

 SERVICE-LEARNING A C T I O N PLAN

KIDS VOTING SERVICE-LEARNING MENU

Many of these ideas are from Kids Voting Programs. You may want to incorporate some of these ideas
into your Service Solutions.

KIDS VOTING ARIZONA

• Students at Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix, Arizona create a newspaper-voting guide
every two years and distribute it to over 10,000 readers in the community. Students earn over
$1200 through the sale of advertising space on its pages.

KV NORTH ALASKA
• Students from West Valley High School produced a short video encouraging t h e i r fellow students
to vote that was shown to all classes. The school’s government class researched and produced
pamphlets, listing position statement for state candidates, which were available to all students.

KV COLORADO
• High school students from all five Mesa County Valley School District 51 high schools lead a
candidate forum for two state house races. Students attended a training session and then
hosted the entire event including moderating, asking questions of the candidates, timekeeping
and greeting candidates when they arrived.

KV CENTRAL OHIO
• Columbus-area high school students attended a U.S. Naturalization ceremony, after which they
registered U.S. citizens to vote.

KV SOUTHWEST OHIO
• The White House or Bust Election Exhibit at the Mercer Museum was created by two high
school students as their graduation project. The exhibit received national mention in the Wall
Street Journal regarding innovative election-related exhibits around the country.

MORE IDEAS:
• Book Share: select books about the voting process and read to a younger child.
• Volunteer at a candidate’s headquarters.
• Volunteer at your local Kids Voting USA affiliate.
• Help younger kids learn about democracy by being a guest speaker in an elementary classroom.

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Engagement/Service
Learning 5



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 SERVICE-LEARNING A C T I O N PLAN

SERVICE SOLUTIONS PROCESS

• Brainstorm what you and your fellow students can do about the problem
for 10 minutes. (See Guidelines for Brainstorming.)

• VOTE – Each person selects three top choices with an assignment of points
(1st choice = 25 points; 2nd choice = 15 points; 3rd choice = 5 points).

• Add up the total points for each idea.

• Present the top three solutions to the class.

GUIDELINES FOR BRAINSTORMING

• Appoint one group member as recorder. The recorder writes down all ideas.

• No criticism of any idea is acceptable.

• “Free-wheeling” is welcome. The wilder the idea the better. It is easier to

tame down than to think up.

• Quantity is the key. The more ideas, the more likelihood of real winners in
the group.

• Combining ideas and improving ideas is encouraged.

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 Civic
Engagement/Service
Learning 6



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reserved. 
 
 
 

 SERVICE-LEARNING A C T I O N PLAN

SERVICE-LEARNING ACTION PLAN

Problem:

Service Solution:

Names of all group members:

What? Who? By When?

9‐12

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Engagement/Service
Learning 7



©2005 Kids Voting USA, Inc. – All rights
reserved. 
 
 
 
 

 SERVICE-LEARNING A C T I O N PLAN

STUDENT EVALUATION FORM

Describe your service project.

Explain how your project was or was not successful.

What was the most successful part of this project?

What was the biggest challenge?

If you were to work on this project again what would you do differently?

List at least three important things you learned from working on this project.

How did your group work together?

What are some things your group could work on to improve the group?

9‐12

 Civic
Engagement/Service
Learning 8



©2005 Kids Voting USA, Inc. – All rights
reserved.