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Thanks, Volunteers!

Thanks, Volunteers!

Students will create a certificate to express appreciation for volunteers in their school or community.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Heavy Paper

Steps

  • Step 1

    Volunteers play a valuable role in society, and their services benefit the community in innumerable ways. Ask students to think about the people who volunteer at their school or around the community, perhaps parents who assist with lunch in the school cafeteria, people who reshelf books at the library, a clean-up crew that picks up litter, etc. 

  • Step 2

    Ask students to create a certificate to thank a special volunteer. They can write the volunteer's name and words of appreciation on heavy paper or card stock and embellish it, if they choose, with cut-out shapes and glitter glue. 

  • Step 3

    Have students present the appreciation certificate to the person they chose to honor.

Standards

SEL: Social Awareness: Understand the influences of organizations and systems on behavior. Recognize family, school, and community resources and express gratitude. 

SEL: Social Awareness: Understand the perspectives of and strengths of others. 

Adaptations

Have students perform a volunteer activity. They might offer to walk a neighbor's dog after school, help younger siblings with homework, visit with an elderly neighbor, etc.

Tennessee is known as the "Volunteer State" because of the key role played by volunteers during the War of 1812. Have students learn about how this came about. Ask them to also learn about other volunteers during times of war, such as the Red Cross Hospital and Recreation Corps, whose members were affectionately known as "the gray ladies" because of the gray dresses they wore.