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Denise Standbridge

Title: Amish Communities

Grade Level: 2^nd-3^rd

Length of Lesson: 45 minutes

Performance Expectation(s): After a lesson about Amish Communities, students will write a paragraph describing similarities and differences between the two communities.

Materials: Just Plain Fancy by Patricia Polacco; overhead projector, transparency, and markers; writing paper with lines and space for a drawing

Procedures:

1. Introduction

Read Just Plain Fancy to the students.

1. Development

Amish live in communities. You also live in a community. A community is a place where people can get the things they need and want. Communities have places where people live and work. {Begin a list on overhead transparency (left hand column) and title it Our Community}. Ask students "Where do people live and work in out community?" List answers (see example list). From the pictures of the story we read, "Where do Amish people live and work?" {Begin a list in the right hand column of overhead transparency and title it Amish Community (see example list; re-open book and show pictures to students again)} Continue with the following questions: "How do people get from place to place in our community?; How do people get from place to place in an Amish Community?; Do people dress exactly alike in our community?; What about in an Amish Community?'; Continue listing, using background information to formulate questions for discussion.

Ex: Our Community Amish Community

houses houses

families families

do various jobs primarily farm

cars, trucks, buses horses, buggies

wear different clothes wear same type of clothing

church buildings have church meeting in homes

school school (until 8^th grade)

buy our food and clothes raise most of their food and

from stores make their clothes

electricity, diesel power windmills

tvs, vcrs, phones no tvs, vcrs, or phones in the home

electric lights lanterns

speak English (Spanish) speak English and German

1. Closure:

Today we have talked about what a community is and we compared our community to an Amish community. "Were there any similarities between the two communities?" (Both have houses, families, and schools) "What were differences between the communities?" (various answers from list)

Pass out paper to students. Have them write a paragraph about similarities and differences between their community and an Amish community. Teacher can assist in their writing by providing a mode. (My community is similar to an Amish community because… and my community is different from an Amish community because…) Students may draw a picture when they are finished writing the paragraph.

Assessment: Use checklist for student participation in discussion. Teacher can check each student's paragraph for a similarity and difference as they are writing them or papers can be collected as an exit slip.

Adaptation/Consideration: Create stations where students can try on Amish style clothing and hats; sample Amish food items; listen to and sing an Amish Children's song; and look at other books about the Amish.

Watch a video about Amish communities.

References:

Social studies communities. (1991) Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Faber, D. (1991) The Amish. NewYork: Doubleday.

Hartman, J. (1997) Rural sociology. Lecture. Columbia: University of Missouri.

Polacco, P. (1990). Just plain fancy. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group.