2 - E1.0.3: Describe how businesses in the local community meet economic wants of consumers.
Integrated GLCEs
R.NT.02.02: Identify and describe the basic elements and purpose of a variety of narrative genre including poetry, fantasy, legends, and drama. (English Language Arts)
R.NT.02.03: Identify and describe characters’ actions and motivations, setting (time and place), problem/solution, and sequence of events. (English Language Arts)
Key Concepts:
basic needs
businesses
family
human characteristics of place
physical characteristics of place
Lesson Sequence:
Lesson 1: What is a Family?
Lesson 3: Why Do People Live in Communities?
Lesson 4: Comparing Different Kinds of Communities
Lesson 5: My Local Community
I Can Statements:
I can explain what a family is.
I can describe what a community is.
I can compare and contrast two or more communities and describe their physical and human characteristics.
I can describe why my community is special.
Overhead Projector or Document Camera and Projector
Student Resources:
Caseley, Judith. On the Town: A Community Adventure. Greenwillow Books, 2002
Chesanow, Neil. Where Do I Live? Barron's Educational Series, 1995
Costa-Pau, Rosa. The City. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House Publishers, 1995
DK Publishing. A Life Like Mine. DK Publishing, 2005
Geisert, Bonnie and Arthur. Desert Town. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2001
- - -. Mountain Town. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2000
- - -. Prairie Town. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1998
- - -. River Town. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1999
Harris, Nancy. What's a City Council? New York: Heinemann Library, 2007
Hartman, Gail. As the Crow Flies: A First Book of Maps. Aladdin Books, 1993
Leedy, Loreen. Mapping Penny's World. Owlet Paperbacks, 2003
Luciani, Brigitte. How Will We Get to the Beach? North-South Books, 2003
Morris, Ann. Houses and Homes (Around the World Series). New York: Harper Collins, 1995
Simon, Norma. All Kinds of Families. New York: Albert Whitman and Company, 1976 Soentpiet, Chris K. Around Town. New York: HarperCollins, 1994
Sweeney, Joan. Me on the Map. Dragonfly Books, 1998
Sweeney, Joan & Cable, Annette. Me and My Family Tree. Dragonfly Books, 2000Takabayashi. Mari. I Live in Brooklyn. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2004
Treays, Rebecca. My Town. Tulsa, OK: Usborne Publishing, 1998
White Pellegrino, Marjorie. My Grandma's the Mayor: A story for children about community spirit and pride. New York: Magination Press, 1999
Draze, Dianne. Our Town-A Guide for Studying Any Community. Dandy Lion Publications, 1988
Hoberman, Mary Ann. Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers: A Collection of Family Poems. New York: Scholastic, 1991
Hollenbeck, Kathleen. Exploring Our World: Neighborhoods and Communities. New York: Scholastic, 1999.
Hollenbeck, Kathleen. Neighborhood and Community (20 manipulative Mini-books). New York: Scholastic, 2004.
Norris, Jill. My Community: A Complete Thematic Unit. Evan-Moor Educational Publishers, 1996
Tamblyn, Catherine. Neighborhood & Community Write and Read Books: 15 reproducible non-fiction books on Homes, Community Helpers, Transportation and More That Your Students Help Write. New York: Scholastic 2006.
How Communities Are Different. 3 July 2008 <http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSCommunityDifferencesVenn3.htm>.
Kids and Community . 3 July 2008 <http://www.planning.org/kidsandcommunity/>.
Norris, Jill. My Community, A Complete Thematic Unit. Monterey, CA: Evan-Moor Educational Publishers, 1996.
National Council for the Social Studies. 3 July 2008 <http://www.ncss.org/>.
Social Studies Lesson Plans and Resources. 3 July 2008 <http://www.csun.edu/~hcedu013/>.
Strategies for Teaching Social Studies. 3 July 2008 <http://www.udel.edu/dssep/strategies.htm>.
Teaching Social Studies. 3 July 2008 < http://www.proteacher.org/c/185_Teaching_Social_Studies.html>.
Lesson 1: What is a Family?
Lesson 1 Supplemental Materials:
Content Expectations:
This lesson serves as a foundational lesson to connect the context of first grade social studies (Families) to the context for second grade of communities. The lesson activates prior knowledge about families meeting each others’ basic needs.
Integrated GLCEs:
R.NT.02.02: Identify and describe the basic elements and purpose of a variety of narrative genre including poetry, fantasy, legends, and drama. (English Language Arts)
Key Concepts:
basic needs, family
Abstract: In this lesson students review what they learned about families in grade one. The lesson begins with a brainstorming session in which students work together to answer the question: “What is a Family?” Next students use the poem “What is a Family?” from Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers: A Collection of Family Poems or a similar piece of literature to add to their brainstormed list. Finally, students review basic needs of people including food, clothing and shelter. Using a large 3-column chart the teacher guides students in listing ways families meet their basic needs in the local community.
Lesson 2: What is a Community?
Lesson 2 Supplemental Materials:
Content Expectations:
1 - G2.0.1: Distinguish between physical (e.g., clouds, trees, weather) and human (e.g.,buildings, playgrounds, sidewalks) characteristics of places.
2 - G4.0.2: Describe the means people create for moving people, goods, and ideas within the local community.
Integrated GLCEs:
R.NT.02.03: Identify and describe characters’ actions and motivations, setting (time and place), problem/solution, and sequence of events. (English Language Arts)
Key Concepts:
community, human characteristics of place, location, physical characteristics of
place, transportation
Abstract: In this lesson students explore common characteristics of communities. After brainstorming what makes a community, the teacher reads a book such as I Live in Brooklyn and students identify the characteristics of the community described in the book. The class then compares the list from the book to the list they generated. In a categorization activity, the teacher guides students in grouping together the identified characteristics from both lists, using labels such as natural characteristics, buildings, transportation, etc. Finally, students complete a graphic organizer illustrating common characteristics of communities.
Content Expectations:
2 - C1.0.1: Explain why people form governments.
Key Concepts:
Abstract:This lesson connects to Lesson One and the discussion of how people meet the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, and a sense of belonging with their family and community. Students identify other needs that people have such as water, fun, love, etc. Students begin to understand that people live in communities because communities help them meet these needs. The teacher then guides students in identifying another human need: the need to feel safe. Using a simple story, the teacher guides students in identifying specific ways in which a community can keep people safe. Students are then introduced to the term “government” and understand that a major purpose of community government is to keep people safe. This serves as a brief introduction to the concept which will covered in a later unit. As a culminating activity, students create a short book illustrating in words and pictures why people live in communities.
Lesson 4: Comparing Different Kinds of Communities
Lesson 4 Supplemental Materials:
2-G2.0.1: Compare the physical and human characteristics of the local community with those of another community.
Integrated GLCE’s
R.NT.02.05: Respond to individual and multiple texts by finding evidence, discussing, illustrating, and/or writing to reflect, make connections, take a position, and/or show understanding. (English Language Arts)
Key Concepts:
community, human characteristics of place, physical characteristics of place
Abstract: In this lesson students explore different kinds of communities. Students begin by classifying their own local community as a small town, a big city or a suburban community. Using photographs and illustrations from picture books, students identify human and physical characteristics of these three types of communities. Students are then introduced to a Venn Diagram and how it is used to make comparisons with a teacher demonstration. Then, with teacher guidance, students work with a partner to complete a Venn Diagram comparing two communities from the picture books the class has explored.
Content Expectations:
2 - G2.0.1: Compare the physical and human characteristics of the local community with those of another community.
Integrated GLCE’s
W.GN.02.03:
Write an informational piece including a magazine feature article using an organizational pattern such as description, enumeration, sequence, or compare/contrast that may include graphs, diagrams, or charts to enhance the understanding of central and key ideas. (English Language Arts)
Key Concepts:
community, human characteristics of place, physical characteristics of place
Abstract: The lesson begins with an introduction to the students’ own local community by accessing students’ prior knowledge about their community. As a class, students brainstorm a list of characteristics of their community that make it special. As a homework assignment, students interview at least two family members or family friends by asking them the question, “What is special about our community?” Students share the information they gathered in a class discussion and create a class chart entitled “What Makes Our Community Special?” Independently they write and illustrate a short, descriptive informational piece about a favorite place in their community.
About the Community Helpers Lesson
Summary
Introduction to the various types of community helpers and the importance of the work they do.
Objectives
• Student will be able to name several community helpers and describe the work they do and why it is important.
Suggested Grades
1st Grade
2nd Grade
Excerpt
Everywhere you look, you can see people doing jobs that help others. We call those people community helpers. Let?s take a walk through a town and meet some of the people who work hard to help us every day.
First, we pass a police station. Police officers are community helpers because they keep us safe. They drive in cars with sirens. They protect people. Police officers make sure everyone follows the law.
Continued...
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