...Holly Hilboldt Swain; Meagan Roberts Chapman Purpose The purpose of this paper is to allow students to explore the role of volunteerism in their communities as they become community helpers through a service learning project to engage in action within their local areas. This lesson introduces...

..., the inquiry process that unfolded in one fifth grade classroom, and the lessons that were learned by all involved. The project suggests that if students are to become active citizens for the future, then they must be guided through discussion, research, and service learning experiences. Most importantly...

... to assure that future teachers had personally experienced and evaluated a civic service learning activity. A goal was to motivate these pre-service teachers to include such experiences in their future teaching with middle or high school students. The pre-service teachers established their own way of being...

...) facilitated student-led instruction in a democratic classroom, 3) increased effective communication and built partnerships beyond the classroom, and 4) used structured reflections as a tool for growth and evaluation. Key words: civic education, service learning, social action, social studies, teacher...