Special Features

Printable Version for your convenience!

• What is a Community?
• Communities of the Past
• Interviews of Members of a Community

I. Title:
Communities of the Past

II. Grade Level:
Third
III. Organization:
Whole group
Pairs
IV. Objectives:
The children will be able to:
· enhance listening skills during a read-a-loud.
· enhance writing skills by completing two journal entries in unit journal and a community questionnaire handout.
· participate in a class discussion about how communities have changed using a relative literature source and unit journal.
· enhance cooperative learning and research skills by working with a partner to complete community questionnaire

V. Materials:
Book: Home Place
Unit Journals & Unit Journal Response #2 (see attached)
Community Questionnaire
Research Materials (students will use school library)
Paper & Pencil
VI. Procedure
Into/Motivation:
1. Activate prior knowledge by having the children share their response to question #4 from Unit Journal Response #1 (refer to lesson #1).
2. Read Home Place.
3. Ask children how they think their community has changed over the years just like the narrator of Home Place, and have them answer question #1 on Unit Journal Response #2 (see attached).
Developmental Activities:
1. Divide the children into pairs.
2. Hand out Community Questionnaire. Explain that the class will be going to the school library to research and answer the questions on the questionnaire.
3. When in library, along with school librarian explain how to use books, the Internet, magazines to research material for their questionnaire.
4. Tell students that they can use any source in the library to complete Community Questionnaire but they must use at least one book, one website, and one magazine. Explain that they must write down the name and author of the source they used for each question.
5. Have the children research their questions.
Closure:
1. Have the children share their responses to the questionnaire in small groups.
2. Have the children answer question #2 from Unit Journal Response #2.
VII. Adaptations:

VIII. Evaluation:
Student:
Note student's responses to discussion. Did the children understand the questions?
Review Unit journals. Did the students answer all questions completely?
Review student's questionnaire using rubric. (see attached)
Teacher:
Through observation:
Did all children participate in the discussion of communities?
Did all children understand how to research material in the library?
With use of rubric:
Did all children understand the assignment?
Did all children complete the assignment?

IX. Follow-Up:
Lesson #3: Community Interview

Name(s):

Community Questionnaire

Directions: With your partner, answer the following questions (on a separate piece of paper) about what your community was like in the past. You must use at least one book, one website, and one magazine to answer your questions. Write the name and author (if there is one, if not leave blank) of the source that you used for each question. Have fun! J

1. What community do you live in? What state is it in?

2. What buildings were in your community in 1979 (20 years ago), but aren't in you community today? List at least 3.

3. What buildings in your community were in your community in 1979 (20 years ago), and are still there?

4. What did the houses look like in your community in 1979 (20 years ago)? Are they same houses that are in community today?

5. List three things that have changed in your community (something that you haven't already written!)

Community Questionnaire Rubric

Name:
Content / Question
Yes
No

Did they work well together, displaying cooperative learning skills?

Did they answer all the questions completely and thoroughly?

Were at least one book, website, and mag. used and cited?
Comments: Grade

Unit Journal Response #2

Directions: Answer the following questions in you Unit Response Journal. Don't forget to date your entry!

1. Remember how the Narrator of Home Place discovered that his community has changed over the years? What do you think your community was like in the past?

2. After completing your Community Questionnaire, write one thing that you learned about your community's past.

E-Mail Christine!