A Standing Ovation for Service

For 4th and 5th graders involved in their school's production of " Annie," the musical was about much more than an orphan and her dog.  It was a window into a past era and an opportunity to improve their own time.

Students divided into groups: speaking, dancing, singing, scenery production, publicity, service, and technology.  They studied Depression Era speech, dress, architecture, and music, and created an authentic representation of the times in their production.  The students in the service group researched their community's needs and made connections between the issues of poverty in Annie's time to their own.  They worked with a local charity to organize a food and supply drive. The admission for the play was a food item, toy, or other type of good needed in the community.

Through service and art, these students added a unique depth to history and community.

Adapted from "Route to Reform: K-8 service-learning Curriculum Ideas," © 1994-95 National Youth Leadership Council.