Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What does “community service” mean to you? Have you ever done volunteer work through an organization or with your friends or family? Why do you believe people perform community service? What kinds of people do you think do community service?

Teaching Suggestion: This question asks students to consider their own definition of community service before thinking about the broader spectrum and impact of community service. You may want to prompt students by asking what community means and discussing the definition of community in the context of community service. As a follow-up, you can discuss the varying reasons people do community service. After that, the second link will allow you to search for local volunteer opportunities, so your students can view the kinds of community service opportunities that are available in their own area.

• This article defines community service and discusses the reasons people perform community services.
• This website allows you to search your area for volunteer opportunities.  

2. Is competition always healthy? What might be more important: competition or cooperation? Consider the different situations where one would be better than the other.