Teaching Resilience and Service: A Lesson Plan on Roger Grein’s Story
How do you teach resilience, perseverance, and the joy of serving others to young people? One powerful way is through the story of Roger Grein, Founder of Magnified Giving. Roger’s life has been marked by obstacles that he turned into opportunities—and by a steadfast commitment to lifting others through philanthropy. His story, captured in the documentary Roger Grein: An Empowering Philanthropist, offers a moving lesson for youth about grit, humility, and the impact one person can have on their community.
This classroom lesson plan is designed for grades 4–8 and uses the documentary as a tool for reflection, discussion, and growth. Questions can also be modified to accommodate youth in grades 9-12. By chunking the film into sections and pairing it with guided questions, students can engage deeply with themes of perseverance, leadership, empathy, and service.
Educators can download the printable worksheet with questions and activity prompts here: Worksheet: Teaching Resilience and Service.
The full documentary is available to stream for free at RogerGrein.Live or at the bottom of this page.
Lesson Overview
Purpose: To help students reflect on resilience, the importance of helping others, and the meaning of philanthropy through Roger Grein’s story.
Format: Watch the 38-minute documentary in segments of 10–20 minutes, followed by guided questions.
Materials Needed: Projector or screen for the video, printed worksheets, pens or pencils.
Process: After each film segment, pause for discussion or written reflection. Encourage students to share their thoughts and connect Roger’s experiences with their own lives.
Sample Reflection Questions Include:
Why is it important to treat everyone equally, despite their differences?
Why are relationships with other people so important?
What is philanthropy, and why does it matter in your community?
What did you learn from this documentary, and what is one thing you can do to make a difference?
(For the complete set of questions, use the worksheet.)
Roger Grein’s story shows students that even in the face of adversity, they can choose generosity, perseverance, and service. This activity helps youth see that they too can become changemakers in their communities by using their time, talent, and treasure to help others.
At Magnified Giving, we believe stories like Roger’s are stepping stones to a lifetime of giving. If you’d like to bring more resources like this into your classroom and empower your students through philanthropy education, we invite you to explore our Youth Philanthropy Program: www.magnifiedgiving.org/youth-philanthropy-program.