Social Studies Resource Unit

Social Studies Resource Unit Laura Scherack Shanon Vance

Introduction: Topic: Community Helpers Grade Level: 2nd grade Theme: Community Helpers Day: November 1, 2007 Theme will include lessons for a total of 10 days

Content: Summary: This lesson will contain many different community helpers past and present. Students will have many opportunities to explore how people’s jobs affect our community. Vocabulary: Bank- A business that keeps money for individuals or companies, exchanges currencies, makes loans, and offers other financial services. Community- Body of people living in the same place. Currency-a system of money, or the bills and coins themselves, used in a particular country. Dentist- One who cares for and repairs teeth. Doctor- Person who heals others. Farm- Land used to raise crops or animals. Farmer- Person who raises crops or animals. Firefighter- One who fights fires for a living. Fire Engine- A truck equipped for firefighting. Grocer- Someone who owns or runs a store selling food and other household goods. Grocery Store- Store that sells food and other household goods. Hospital- An institution where people receive medial treatment. Janitor- One who takes care of a building. Library- Collection of books or a place for it. Mail Carrier- Person who delivers mail. Nurse- One trained to care for the sick, helps doctors. Police- Member of the Police Force that controls the community. Police Station- Department of City, for keeping law and order. Postage- Amount charged for mailing a letter. Post Master- A person in charge of a Post Office. Post Office- Place where mail is sorted. Veterinarian- Someone trained and qualified in the medical treatment of animals.

Objectives: 1. Students will be able to describe the jobs of different community helpers. 2. Students will be able to distinguish community helpers according to their uniforms. 3. Students will be able to recognize community buildings such as, police station, fire station, hospital, etc. 4. Students will be able to identify the work that people performed to make a living in the past and explain how jobs in the past are similar and/or different from those of today. 5. Students will be able to recognize that most people work in jobs in which they produce a few special goods or services.

Activities: Introduction: Have different pictures and books of community helpers for the students to explore and discuss. Developmental Activities: All the developmental activities should be accompanied with a book from the list to help students become familiar with all the different community helpers. 1. Have the children choose a community helper to write 3 ways they benefit a community and draw a picture of the community helper. 2. The students will discuss as a class what a postal worker does for their community. Once the brainstorming and discussion is over. The students will write letters to their parents. They will also write letters to their postal workers to tell them thank you for delivering their letters and finally mail their letters from the local post office. 3. Take the students to the local fire station for a tour given by the local fire fighters. When students return to the school, they will do a writing activity about their experience. 4. Play a game where they act and use props for certain community helper jobs discussed this week. Other children will have to guess what their job is. 5. Take a walk through the community with the students and discuss the community buildings you see. The students will then draw a map of where the community helper buildings are and where to go when in need of help (fire station, police station, post office, hospital). 6. Students will use a Venn diagram to compare past and present community helpers. 7. Have a farmer come in and tell how their resources benefit a community and explain how these resources can be used in various ways. 8. Make a grocery store that is set up so some students are buying the products and some are selling the products. 9. Give the students a real life problem a community helper would have to solve, and have the students come up with ways to solve the problem. 10. Use a graphic organizer to create a list of responsibilities of community helpers and citizens. Culminating: Students will write and present a speech on their community helper to parents. They will be required to dress up as their favorite community helper and play the role. Audio Visual Resources: 1. Digital Kids Club, http://www.adobe.com 2. Ricky’s Room: Community Helpers “The people who make your neighborhood great.” (2003). DVD 3. Ricky’s Room: Community Helpers (Region 1) (2003). DVD 4. I Want To Be A…..Firefighter (2005). DVD 5. Amazing Heroes: Spend a day with firefighters (2003). DVD 6. The first Farmers (2006). DVD 7. Jr. Series Positive Role Models For Kids: Jr. Vets, Jr. Doctors, Jr. Scientists, Jr. Firefighters, Jr. Architects, Jr. Fashion Designers, Jr. Astronauts, Jr. Lawyers.- Software (Windows 3.1) 8. How Things Work in Busy Town- Software (Windows 3.1) 9. Amazing Heroes: Spend a Day with Police Officers~ Lauree Dash. DVD 10. Hard Hat Harry: Rescue Adventures and Police Cars~ Hard Hat Harry (2005). DVD 11. Pinatta’s View- A Trip to The Dentist~ Pinatta (2004). DVD 12. Alphabet Road: “F” is for Farm- Do You Know Where Milk Comes From? ~ Dennis McGeady (2006). DVD 13. Why People Work~ Schlessinger Media (2006). DVD 14. Family Doctor~ Schlessinger Media (2006). DVD 15. Recycling Coordinator~ Schlessinger Media (2006). DVD 16. Community Rules and Laws~ Schlessinger Media (2006). DVD 17. What is a Community? ~ Schlessinger Media (2006). DVD 18. Post Office~ Schlessinger Media (2006). DVD 19. Local Businesses~ Schlessinger Media (2006). DVD 20. My Community DVD Series~ Schlessinger Media (2006). DVD

Student Resources: 1. When I Grow Up- by Lucia Kemp Henry 2. Emergency Workers on the Way- by Bobbie Kalman 3. Firefighters to the Rescue- by Bobbie Kalman 4. Hospital Workers are on the Way- by Bobbie Kalman 5. Veterinarians Help Keep Animals Healthy- by Bobbie Kalman 6. I’m Going to be a Police Officer- by Edith Kunhardt 7. I’m Going to be a Farmer- by Edith Kunhardt 8. What’s it Like to be a Grocer?- by Shelly Wilks 9. What’s it Like to be a Truck Driver?- by Shelly Wilks 10. Whose Hat is That?- by Ron Roy

Teacher Resources: 1. Unit book- Integrating Social Studies with Reading Instruction “Our Community” (Creative Teaching Press). 2. Highreach Learning- Community Helpers. teachersparadise.com 3. http://www.teacherlink.usu.edu 4. http://www.eduplace.com/ss/act/web.html