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Lesson 1: Defining Social Activism

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Objectives

I will identify and learn about three individuals who have led social causes

I will identify the characteristics of a leader/social activist

Note: You’ll see the following pencil when a slide is connected with your PoP Student Workbook.

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Vocabulary

Social Activist: An activist is a person that works on a project that he or she is passionate about in order to bring about positive social change.

Global Citizen: A person who is concerned with the peace and human rights of others. This individual also believes that they are

connected with others through history,

the economy, culturally, etc.

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Why are leaders/social activists important for global development?

What charactersistics define a leader/social activist?

When you’re finished, share your thoughts!

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Quick Write

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A Look at 3 Activists: It all started with an idea…

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Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an important figure during the Civil Rights Movement. As a non-violent leader, he fought for the equal rights of the African-American community, led many demonstrations, and advocated for peace and justice. For example, in 1955, he led a great bus boycott that lasted 382 days. Martin Luther King, Jr. became the youngest male to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Retrieved from http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html

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Adam Braun

Adam was a college student backpacking across the globe when he asked a small boy begging on the streets of India what he wanted most in the world. The answer: A pencil. The promise that came in sharing that first pencil led to the distribution of thousands as Adam traveled through 50+ countries. In 2008, Adam founded Pencils of Promise (“PoP”) with just $25 in hopes of building one school; in just two years it has grown into an international movement of over 182,216 supporters leading to 26 sustainable schools in Laos, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.

For more information, visit www.pencilsofpromise.org

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This information is confidential and was prepared by Pencils of Promise, Inc. It shall only be used by the person(s) named and for the purpose(s) intended and is not meant for distribution.

Talia Leman

In 2005, 15 year old Talia began to gather youth to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Her actions set her on the path to create RandomKid, a non-profit that connects youth with assisting and funding social causes. The non-profit has built schools, constructed water pumps, and provided health services for communities.

For more information, visit www.randomkid.org

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Discussion Questions

What surprised you or interested you the most about these individuals?

What characteristics should leaders possess? Which causes do you believe you would be

interested in leading or supporting? Which life experiences do you believe influence

your interest in the cause you stated?

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Independent Work

Create a piece of writing that defines the social cause you are interested in and what factors in your life motivate that interest. You can also add the characteristics and skills you possess that will help you contribute to this social cause.

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Leadership characteristics

These are a few examples of leadership characteristics:

Communication, teamwork, organized, creative, flexible, reflective, research-oriented, passionate, hard-worker, fair, honest, trustworthy

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