Service-learning is a teaching method that combines meaningful service to the community with curriculum-based learning. Students improve their academic skills by applying what they learn in school to the real world; they then reflect on their experience to reinforce the link between their service and their learning.
1.The minimum total number of hours students must engage in service-learning activities before they successfully complete the service-learning graduation requirement. Prince George’s County Public Schools students must engage in a minimum of 75 student service-learning (SSL) hours in order to successfully meet the service-learning graduation requirement. To ensure that students are able to meet this requirement, service-learning has been infused into the science and social studies curricula for grades 5-10 for a total of 51 hours. Social Studies courses provide a total of 28 curriculum-infused hours and Science courses provide a total of 23 curriculum-infused hours. Additionally, students must complete 24 independent hours of service learning.
2. List of courses and/or grade levels that include infused service-learning activities and the number of hours or level of involvement with service-learning in each course.
Infused hours – the service learning hours that students earn while participating in curriculum based activities during classroom instruction; hours that do not require a verification form; hours that are automatically entered into School Max upon passing the science and/or social studies course.
CURRICULUM-INFUSED SERVICE LEARNING
|
GRADE
|
DEPT.
|
COURSE NAME
|
HOURS EARNED
|
5
|
Science
|
Grade 5 Science
|
4
|
6
|
Science
|
Grade 6 Science
|
4
|
6
|
Social Studies
|
World Cultures and Geography I: The Western Hemisphere
|
4
|
7
|
Science
|
Grade 7 Science
|
4
|
7
|
Social Studies
|
World Cultures and Geography II: The Eastern Hemisphere
|
4
|
8
|
Science
|
Grade 8 Science
|
4
|
8
|
Social Studies
|
United States History I: The Revolution to Reconstruction
|
4
|
9
|
Social Studies
|
United States History II: Reconstruction to the Present
|
7
|
9
|
Science
|
Integrating the Sciences
|
7
|
10
|
Social Studies
|
Local, State, and National Government
|
9
|
Total 51 infused hours
3. The chart below lists expected hours earned by grade for independent student service-learning projects.
INDEPENDENT SERVICE-LEARNING HOURS
|
GRADE
|
EXPECTED HOURS
|
6
|
4
|
7
|
4
|
8
|
4
|
9
|
6
|
10
|
6
|
Total 24 hours
Independent hours – the service learning hours that students earn while exclusively participating in local community service learning projects; hours that require students to submit a signed verification form; hours that must be entered into School Max by the SSL school based Coordinator or Principal's designee.
- Graduating Classes of 2010- 2013, students must earn 36 independent hours.
- Graduating Classes of 2014 and beyond, students must earn 24 independent hours.
DEADLINES for submission of the Student Service-Learning Verification Form are as follows:
- October 15 (for any independent hours obtained between July and August 30)
- January 31 (for any independent hours obtained between September 1 and January 31)
- July 15 (for any independent hours obtained between February 1 and June 30)