Are you an educator? Our film was made for a general audience of engaged public television viewers, but it is also well suited for high school and college instruction about key issues in American society today. We offer free lesson plans and reading materials at two academic levels.

First, we are pleased to offer a multi-day, modular course for high school freshmen and general-level academic students. Developed under the supervision of an award-winning teacher, this course draws on our successful experience discussing the film at an engaged public high school in Connecticut—see the video “The Heart of Service” on this page. Detailed lesson plans and teaching materials can be previewed below, where they can also be cut and pasted and freely adapted for your use. Topics include: 1) Why do something for nothing? 2) Building a home through community volunteering; 3) Human connections; 4) The social goods of volunteering (readings from Tocqueville); 5) The democratic personality (readings from Whitman); 6) Why would one save a stranger? (readings from Adam Smith and religious texts); 7) Political community: Friendship and care? Or division and enmity? The course includes reading materials and a final assignment.

In addition, we have lesson plans for AP and introductory-college classes in Civics, English, Philosophy, and Politics. Topics include: “Tocqueville, volunteering, and civil society," “Whitman, solidarity, and democracy," “Adam Smith, sympathy, and helping others," and “Aristotle, friendship, and the origins of political community." The lesson plans can be viewed below, where they can also be cut and pasted and freely adapted for your use. Please reach out to us directly for a zip file that contains both the lesson plans and reading materials.

All reading materials are either in the public domain or are reproduced in brief, excerpted form based on principles of fair use for educational purposes.