[printer friendly (text) page]

Social Studies Service-Learning Project Ideas

Getting students interested in government and social studies can often be a chore! Why not add some service-learning activities to spark their interest?

Neighborhood clean-up
Students in High School or Middle School can assist a Community Development Corporation (CDC) with a neighborhood clean-up. While planning the project with the CDC, the students will learn more about the role of such organizations in local government and help clean-up a community in the process!

Book-drive
Students can hold a book-drive to collect books for the county, state or federal prison nearest their school. Students can examine the criminal justice system as they collect much-need reading materials for inmates. The books can be given to a local organization that serves the prison population and their families.

State and local law
Students can research state and local laws that affect teens. In Pennsylvania, the new driving laws that pertain to teen-age drivers would be a great place to start a class discussion on the law and juveniles. In conjunction with the local police department and the AAA office, students can organize driver safety seminars at the school so that students and parents better understand the new laws about teen-age driving. These seminars would also serve to teach young drivers more about particular situations common to new and inexperienced drivers.

"Good Citizenship" assemblies
Students in Middle School or High School can put together "Good Citizenship" assemblies for elementary schools in their district. These assemblies would serve to teach young children about what it means to be a good citizen, i.e. not littering, being polite to neighbors and people you meet in the community, being nice to animals, and volunteering to lend a hand if you see someone in need of help or assistance.

Grant Opportunities provide additional project ideas >>