Roots & Shoots: Building Little Free Libraries
A Service Learning Social Science Course
Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” The Roots & Shoots program was designed by Dr. Jane Goodall, who has fought to preserve habitats for chimpanzees in Africa. This service learning course aims to teach compassionate leadership skills and show young people that they can make a change at the local level, in their communities. Roots & Shoots has three focal areas: people, animals, and the environment. In this unit we will build little free libraries as part of a service learning project that helps "people," and communities!.
Little Free Library Project
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Our BRANCH Little Free Library Project will be listed on the Roots & Shoots Website. We'll log our project during the first day of class. Have a look at what other groups of young people have done to help people, animals and the environment: https://www.rootsandshoots.org/projects-landing/
Roots & Shoots Website
The Roots & Shoots program has three service learning focus areas: people, animals and the environment. Our class will focus on the topics of learning about and helping animals. You can learn more about Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots program from her website.
Compassionate Leaders
A compassionate leader is someone who considers how a decision will impact all creatures and our planet, and works to improve the lives of others.Are you a compassionate leader? Click on the image of Jane to learn more about compassionate leadership.
Mini-Campaigns: Take Action!
You can take small steps to make a difference in the world. Visit the Roots & Shoots 1-Click Campaign site and pledge to take action on a cause that interests you. Sign up for a chimpanzee art contest, pledge to reduce your waste or recycle more, collect food for a homeless shelter, or even design your own campaign!
Virtual Tour of Gombe
Do you want to see Gombe National Park for yourself? Take a virtual tour of Dr. Jane's "community!" Click on the image to the left to step inside Dr. Jane's world.
What is Roots & Shoots?
Jane Goodall: A Snapshot
Jane Goodall's Biography
Jane Goodall was born on April 3, 1934 in London, England. Her father was a businessman and her mother an author. Growing up, Jane loved animals. She dreamt of someday going to Africa in order to see some of her favorite animals in the wild. She particularly liked chimpanzees. One of her favorite toys as a child was a toy chimpanzee which she loved to play with. [Read More]
Art Activity
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Taking time to reflect will be important throughout your campaign. Use this "Drawing Quotes" activity to illustrate favorite quotations from famous leaders.
