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Samantha Williams

Kidtown, U.S.A

Grade Level: 2

Length: 1 Day

Performance Objectives:

Students will know where important buildings in their community

are located (police station, fire station, and hospital).

Students will be able to make maps of their community.

Students will have an understanding of the importance of everyone

in their community.

Materials:

Construction paper

Markers

Crayons

Notebooks

Pencils

Procedures:

Introduction: Teacher and students will start by defining what a community is and what it

is made up of. Explain to the children that there are small and large

communities. The class will then decide if their community is large or

small. Students will then discuss important places and/or people within

their community.

Development: After the discussion on what a community is, the students will tour the

police station, fire station, and hospital. If there are more than three

second grade classrooms, the classes should rotate(each class will

start at a different point).

When the students return, have the class discuss what they have seen through

out the day. The students will be shown a map of their community that was

made by their teacher. Each student will then make a map of their own. On

each map will be the police station, fire station, and hospital. Students will

use the symbol for each (H=hospital). Students can use other landmarks,

buildings, etc.

To establish a sense of community within the classroom, students will be given tasks that will be done daily(ex. Writing the date on the chalkboard, taking lunch count).

Closure: The class would then come back together in a circle and discuss. The students will be asked again to define community and give at least one reason why a particular building or person in their community is important.

Assessment:

Students would turn in their writings and maps. Maps would be checked to see if the buildings were put in close proximity of their actual location.

Adaptation/Extension:

As a follow-up activity, students could do more writing (If I were in charge of the world…). Children could do letter writing and say thank you to all who made their field trip possible. Students could compare and contrasts their maps to actual maps of their community.

References: Scott, Foresman Social Studies

Neighborhoods and Communities

1988, Glenview, Illinois

The World and Its People Silver Burdett Social Studies

Neighborhoods and Communities

1986 Morristown, NJ

Scott, Foresman Social Studies

Communities Near and Far

1988, Glenview, Illinois

If I Were in Charge of the World & Other Worries: poems for children & their parents Publisher: S&S Children, Je 1981.