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• 113.5.b Social Studies Knowledge and Skills, Grade 3.
  
  (1) History. The student understands how individuals, events, and ideas have influenced the history of various communities. The student is expected to:
  (A) describe how individuals, events, and ideas have changed communities over time;
  (B) identify individuals such as Pierre-Charles L'Enfant who have helped to shape communities.
  
  (2) History. The student understands common characteristics of communities, past and present. The student is expected to:
  (A) identify reasons people have formed communities, including a need for security, law, and material well-being; and
  (B) compare ways in which people in the local community and communities around the world meet their needs for government, education, communication, transportation, and recreation, over time and in the present.
  
  
• 126.3.b Technology Applications Knowledge and Skills, Grades 3-5.
  
  (2) Foundations. The student uses data input skills appropriate to the task. The student is expected to:
  (A) use a variety of input devices such as mouse, keyboard, disk drive, modem, voice/sound recorder, scanner, digital video, CD-ROM, or touch screen;
  (B) use proper keyboarding techniques such as correct hand and body positions and smooth and rhythmic keystroke patterns;
  (C) demonstrate touch keyboarding techniques for operating the alphabetic, numeric, punctuation, and symbol keys as grade-level appropriate;
  (D) produce documents at the keyboard, proofread, and correct errors;
  (E) use language skills including capitalization, punctuation, spelling, word division, and use of numbers and symbols as grade-level appropriate; and
  (F) demonstrate an appropriate speed on short timed exercises depending upon the grade level and hours of instruction.

The goal is for students to have a broad understanding in how people can influence a community and the different components that form a community.

The students will be able understand and explain the components of a community. They will identify diverse ways in how people work together to identify needs, solve problems, and accomplish shared interests.

• Social studies textbook
  
• Social studies textbook - teacher edition
  
• Computer with Internet access
  
• Laptop with Internet access and Photo Story
  
• Projector and printer
  
• Digital camera or scanner
  
• Student handouts

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/

• Engagement - The teacher begins by writing a list on the board of five possible places to go on this year's field trip. The students are asked to make a selection as a whole group. They are advised that they have five minutes to choose a place and that if no agreement is reached, the teacher will make a decision.
  
  
• Possible Scenario - After the five minutes, there is no final agreement as a group, students get rowdy, and they argue with each other. The teacher informs the students that there will be no field trip this year, because they were not able to work together and come to a consensus on a field trip destination. The students reply that it is not fair and begin arguing with each other again. The teacher then states that this was only an activity and relates the importance of working together to accomplish shared interests.
  
  
• Introduction to Communities - The teacher then asks the following questions:
  • How do you think decisions are made for our community?
  • Do you believe that people work together to reach a consensus agreement for our community?
  • What is a community composed of?

• Day 1:
  The teacher begins the lesson by stating the objectives of the week to the students. Explain components of a community and identify diverse ways in which people work together to identify needs, solve problems, and accomplish shared interests in a community. They will read and discuss the chapter on communities from their textbooks. The teacher will then use the projector, laptop, and Internet to access and watch the 16-minute video City, Suburb, and Rural Communities from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/. Before concluding today's lesson, the teacher assigns four students per group for the remainder of the week and briefly reviews Day 1.
  
  The Video
  People live, work, and have fun together in many different kinds of communities. With the help of three children, students learn about the similarities and differences of neighborhoods in the city, suburbs, and rural communities. We join each child as they show us what it is like to live in his/her neighborhood. Schools, stores, and playtime activities are presented in each type of neighborhood (Discovery Education).
  
  Citation (APA)
  City, Suburb, and Rural Communities. 100% Educational Videos (2002). Retrieved June 28, 2009, from Discovery Education: http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/
  
  
• Day 2:
  Today's lesson begins with a 25-minute video called How Leaders and Events Change Communities from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/ . After watching the video, the students are asked to form their groups and work in a collaborative manner for a writing assignment. The students must explain the components that form a community and identify how people influence a community. Today's lesson concludes with a whole group discussion comparing the two videos.
  
  The Video
  Celebrates the qualities of good leadership - courage, honesty, devotion, and foresight - and introduces historical and modern-day leaders. The program highlights the achievements of Ben Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Cesar Chavez, Mother Theresa, and others, as well as notes the important role everyday leaders play in a community, from teachers and police officers to military personnel and the president (Discovery Education).
  
  Citation (APA)
  How Leaders and Events Shape Communities. 100% Educational Videos (2005). Retrieved June 28, 2009, from Discovery Education: http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/
  
  
• Day 3:
  The teacher begins by asking students to state the objectives they want to meet by the end of the week and reflect on what they have learned so far. The students are then asked to form their groups and complete the writing assignment from Day 2. The teacher provides feedback to the students as soon as they complete the task. Each student must have their own writing assignment. The following job requires the students' further collaboration. They need to combine their shared ideas into one final paper. Next, they will be allowed to use a computer to type and print the final document of their writing assignment. The teacher will guide students in typing the paper and keeping track of time per individual. The students should already have previous practice on typing and printing documents.
  
  Homework
  The students will be asked to bring an illustration of a building, symbolizing its connection to a community, and a person, representative of a leader in a community. They can use a real picture, a newspaper or magazine illustration, or their own drawing.
  
  Example
  Pictures of schools, parks, stores, hospitals, etc.
  Pictures of law enforcement, firefighters, judges, teachers, etc.
  
  
• Day 4:
  Today's activities begin by reviewing the objectives for the week and determining if students are closer to meeting them. The students will then provide the teacher their illustrations along with their typed writing assignment. The teacher will scan the documents or use a digital camera to take pictures of the documents and prepare a photo story video. The teacher will also take a group picture of each group to use in the photo story. While the teacher works on the photo story video, the students will be working with their social studies workbook as further review in communities.
  
  
• Day 5:
  The teacher will show the photo story video as it demonstrates how students were able to identify components in a community and the different roles of the people in a community. After the photo story video, the students will present their paper explaining their understanding in the elements that compose a community and the peoples' influence in a community. The students will take turns presenting in front of the class. The final part to this week's lesson will be a teacher made assessment targeting the objectives introduced at the beginning of the week.

• The students continue working on their social studies workbook in the chapter on communities.
• They can also read social studies level readers or books from the library to practice their fluency.
• If computers are available, they can view additional videos from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/ pertaining to communities. The teacher can also download and save these videos in the computer's desktop. This will make it easier and quicker for students to review more information on communities.

• After thorough study in the concept of communities with videos, chapter readings, writings, and group activities, the students should have broader knowledge in ways to work as a team to reach a consensus decision.
• During this week's lesson, the students identified roles of local government and were able to read and observe videos of how people came together when they needed to make decisions in the best interest of the community.
• The teacher can ask students again to select a field trip destination and give them reasonable amount of time to reach a decision. The students should be taking initiatives such as voting and recording data to show some of the things they have learned throughout the week.

1. Which is NOT a good reason for people to join and form a community?
   A. To share resources like food and shelter.
   B. To create forms of transportation within the
   community.
   C. To form a government with laws.
   D. To have parties.
   
   
2. What can you do to make your community better?
   A. Spray paint your name on a bridge.
   B. Stay inside and play video games.
   C. Throw away your snack wraps in a trash container.
   D. Go swimming at your friend's pool.
   
   
3. What is the MAIN reason schools and communities have rules?
   A. To keep order and safety
   B. To teach adults and children
   C. To solve problems and fights
   D. To provide shelter and protection
   
   
4. Which of the following is NOT absolutely necessary in a community?
   A. A school
   B. The circus
   C. A grocery store
   D. A hospital
   
   
5. How can a person influence a community in a positive way?
   A. By being a teacher
   B. By being a fast driver
   C. By not caring what happens in the community
   D. By asking people for money
   
   
6. How can a community operate better to make consensus decisions?
   A. Everyone should make their own decision
   B. By building a machine that can help them
   C. By creating a government and allowing people to vote
   D. Hoping for the best by doing nothing
   
   
7. Which of the following could you expect to help fight crime in a community?
   A. Your school principal
   B. The neighbor
   C. A police officer
   D. Your family doctor
   
   
8. Pretend you were asked to select people for a community. Which of the following would be your last choice?
   A. A doctor
   B. The teacher
   C. The police officer
   D. The circus presenter
   
   
9. Pretend you are the leader of a community. What could you do to improve your community?
   A. Make education optional to students from K-12.
   B. Improve and create new roads, schools, and
   hospitals.
   C. Close down the prison, because you believe everyone
   will follow the law.
   D. Work only whenever you want, because you are the
   leader.
   
   
10. Which of the following is NOT a service to expect from your local community?
    A. Street lights
    B. Paved roads
    C. Pizza delivery
    D. Public Education
    
    
11. Which of the following is more appropriate as a town begins to grow?
    A. fewer stores
    B. smaller schools
    C. more roads
    D. less food
    
    
12. What is the responsibility of the judge in a community?
    A. to teach students from K-12
    B. to decide if a law was broken and the kind of punishment to be given
    C. to chase down criminals in the streets
    D. to make the rules for a community
    

• Additional teacher guidance will be given on the assignments as needed.
• Modifications may be implemented as necessary depending on the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP).

• Gifted students can be asked to build a community demonstrating various aspects of this week's lesson. For example, the students can build a community showing streets, stores, schools, and parks. They can also identify police officers or firefighters in station. A government building can be made to show people working together.
• GT students could also expand in their writing assignment by comparing pros and cons of the different leadership roles people hold in communities.
• Another example could be to explain how a community would address health issues such as a threatening virus.

Further connections could be made to other subject areas throughout the year in the following ways:

Health - What are some ways the community can help prevent the spread of a threatening virus?

Math - If the community has a current population of 9,500 people and the population is increasing at a rate of 400 people per year, what will the population be in 6 years?

Writing - The students could be assigned numerous journal entries during writing or morning journal time. How could you make a difference in your community? Where would you prefer to work in your community and why?

Science - Pretend that you live in a coastal community. What natural resources could you find? What kind of impact would this natural resource have on your community?

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