"Ten Steps to Successful Service Projects" plus hundreds of up-to-date ideas for projects–from simple to large-scale.

This new edition of Free Spirit’s best-selling youth service guide includes a refreshed “Ten Steps to Successful Service Projects” plus hundreds of up-to-date ideas for projects—from simple to large-scale. At a time when U.S. President Barack Obama has called for increased participation in community service, this revitalized book is sure to find a whole new audience of eager young change-makers.

This project-based guide is a blueprint for service learning—from getting started to assessing the experience—and integrates the K–12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice. It provides ideas for incorporating literacy into service learning and suggestions for creating a culture of service. An award-winning treasury of activities, ideas, annotated book recommendations, author interviews, and expert essays—all presented within a curricular context and organized by theme. Digital Content contains all of the planning and tracking forms from the book plus bonus service learning plans, and more.

A beginner’s guide and visual dictionary for young people who want to learn to sew, packed with photos: “Some of the coolest projects we've seen.”—Kiki Magazine With this book by Sophie Kerr—with some help from her parents, Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr of Modern Quilt Studio—kids can learn how to navigate a sewing machine, make smart fabric choices, and use basic sewing tools. Sixteen kid-friendly projects run the gamut from clothes to bags to accessories, while clear, step-by-step instructions walk kids through the creation of each. Throughout the book, tips from Sophie offer design and construction advice from a kid's perspective—and move from simpler to more complex projects as kids’ skills develop. The book "grows" with the sewist, offering more complex project as the reader's skills develop. It also functions as a visual dictionary of tools, materials, and terms that will be a go-to reference for young sewists.

Presents guidelines for organizing one's time on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis and offers tips for finishing unpleasant tasks as easily as possible.

Describes a variety of opportunities for youngsters to participate in successful community service.

Make social emotional learning fun and engaging with 24 ready-to-use lessons about phenomenal plants and astonishing animals. Storytelling is a learning device used by humans for centuries, and for good reason: storytelling is one of the best ways to increase critical thinking skills and social emotional learning (SEL). The award-winning Social Emotional Stories combines storytelling with thought-provoking lessons and activities to help elementary students improve their self-esteem, increase their engagement with school, and give them a sense of empowerment. The book contains 24 individual lessons that include: An SEL objective with specific keywords like “inner strength,” “problem solving,” and “responsibility” An engaging story that focuses on a distinctive quality of either a plant (like the inner strength of bamboo) or an animal (like the courage of a pig) Multiple activities that are quick, easy, and require few supplies to help kids identify and dive deeper into the specific SEL concepts represented Educators can use these lessons individually with students, in small groups, or with an entire class. The lessons are interdisciplinary and flexible, with only minimal prep time required, allowing educators to adapt them for their situation. Extensive digital content supports the lessons with reproducible forms and a full-color photo of each plant and animal.