Communities Unit Plan

Miss Des Rivieres

Second grade
EED 470
11/11/2014

Table of Contents
Standards.3
Curriculum map.5
Trade books6
Bulletin Board/local
experts.8
Field trip.9
Photos and websites10
Story in a bag.18
Lesson Plans..19
References.22

Goals: Students will be able to

explain how communities work
learn about their community
list and describe responsibilities
determine their community with evidence
Standards:
GLCE: Geography
2 G1.0.1 Construct maps of the local community that contain symbols, labels,
and legends denoting human and natural characteristics of place.
2 G4.0.3 Use components of culture (e.g., foods, language, religion, traditions)
to describe diversity in the local community.
Civics and Government
2 C3.0.1 Give examples of how local governments make, enforce, and interpret
laws (ordinances) in the local community.
NCSS Standards (C3 Framework):
D2.Civ.1.K-2. Describe roles and responsibilities of people in authority
D2.Eco.13.K-2. Describe examples of capital goods and human capital
D2.Geo.1.K-2. Construct maps, graphs, and other representations of familiar
places
Common Core Standards:
Social Studies
2.2.1 Foundations of Government: Explain that the United States government is
founded on the belief of equal rights for its citizens.
2.2.5 Roles of Citizens: Identify people who are good citizens and describe the
character traits that make them admirable.

2.2.4 Roles of Citizens: Describe how people of different ages, cultural

backgrounds and traditions contribute to the community and how all citizens
can respect these differences.
Connection to standards:

In the first few lessons: students will be able to describe roles and
responsibilities of people in authority.
This will be done through discussion/recording of good citizens characteristics
and roles in the community

Lesson two: students will be able to use components of culture to describe

diversity in local community.
This will be done through writing a composition about what they want to be in
the future and how it will benefit the community. They will share and learn of
traditions and background differences and how a community can thrive from
that.

Lesson five: students will be able to construct maps of the local community
that contains symbols, labels, and legends denoting human and natural
characteristics of the place. They will also be able to construct maps, graphs,
and other representations of familiar places.
In a few lessons, students will explore their community spatially, measuring
distances between landmarks and asking questions about physical features they
have.

Lesson eight: students will be able to give examples of how local governments
make, enforce, and interpret laws (ordinances) in the local community.
Research and shared stories will help facilitate the understanding of the
concept above.

Lesson ten: students will be able to describe examples of capital goods and
human capitol.

A trade book will inspire a discussion that will help students to define these
goods and resources.
Curriculum Map
Lesson one: Introduce communities and responsibilities of people in them
D2.Civ.1.K-2. Describe roles and responsibilities of people in authority
Lesson two: Discuss community helpers and why they are important
2 G4.0.3 Use components of culture (e.g., foods, language, religion, traditions)
to describe diversity in the local community.
D2.Civ.1.K-2. Describe roles and responsibilities of people in authority
2.2.5 Roles of Citizens: Identify people who are good citizens and describe the
character traits that make them admirable.
Lesson three: Communities and Families
2.2.4 Roles of Citizens: Describe how people of different ages, cultural
backgrounds and traditions contribute to the community and how all citizens
can respect these differences.

10 NCSS Trade Books

1. Say, Allen and Arthur A. The favorite daughter. Levine Books,
Scholastic. 32pp. Trade ISBN 978-0-545-17662-0, (P). Yuriko is embarrassed
when she is teased in art class about her blonde hair and Japanese name.
But her father helps her learn to appreciate her biracial ancestry and is a
great trade book for cultural differences in communities.
2. Hopkins, H. J. Illustrated by Jill McElmurry. The tree lady: The true

story of how one tree-loving woman changed a city forever. Beach Lane
Books, Simon & Schuster. 32pp. Trade ISBN 978-1-442-41402-0, (P, I, M). In
1881, with a degree in science from the University of California, Kate
Sessions arrives in San Diego to begin teaching. She finds the city devoid
of trees and greenery and becomes determined to change that. This
book will inspire a discussion on community gardens and the need for
resources and recycling.
3. Ajmera, M. Healthy kids. Victoria Dunning, and Cynthia Pon.
Charlesbridge. 32pp. Trade ISBN 978-1-580-89436-4, (P, I) This nonfiction
selection has photographs showcasing children from all over the world as
they demonstrate how they stay healthy. This book can spark
conversations about health, safety, and cultural differences and
similarities.
4. Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams. Illustrated by A.G. Ford.

Desmond and the very mean word. Candlewick Press. 32pp. Trade ISBN
978-0-763-65229-6, (P, I) Based on an event from his childhood, this story
shows how Desmond Tutu dealt with prejudice and disrespect, meeting
both with forgiveness. The book provides encouragement for students
on resolving conflict.
5. Kalman, Bobbie (1997). Community Helpers from A to Z. 24pp. Trade
ISBN 978-0778794882 (P) Follow That Map! A First Book of Mapping
Skills. Written and illustrated by Scot Ritchie. Kids Can Press. 32 pp.
Trade ISBN 978-1-55453-274-2. This book offers a creative approach to
reading a map in context of backyard, neighborhood, city, and world.
6. Caseley, J (2002). On the town: a community adventure. New York City,
NY: Greenwillow Books.A boy and his mother go on an adventure around

their community and record the places and people they see to share with
his class.
7. Jules, J. Duck for Turkey Day. Illustrated by Kathryn Mitter. Albert
Whitman & Company. 32 pp. Trade ISBN 978-0-8075-1734-5. (P) Little Tuyet
is worried that her familys Vietnamese traditions will not allow her to
celebrate Thanksgiving the way other children in her class do.
8. Sweeney, J (1998). Me on the map. New York City, NY: Dragonfly Books.
This book starts with a map of a girls bedroom and expands to a map of
the world giving students the bigger picture.
9. Disalvoryan, D (1994). City green. New York City, NY: HarperCollins.
This book is about a girl named Marcy who is sad when a building in her
neighborhood is destroyed. Marcy and her neighbor decide to plant a
garden where the building used to be located. After some time, everyone
on the street soon donates time and effort to create a super garden. It
turns out to be a community event that everyone loves to help with.
10. Jackson, E. The Cupcake Thief. Illustrated by Blanche Sims. Kane Press,
Inc. 32pp. Paperback ISBN 978-157565-247-4, (P, I) Students have a court
session when a cupcake goes missing. This book illustrates citizenship
and allows students to see how to solve their own disputes.

Bulletin Board Link:

file:///C:/Users/Jen/Pictures/MooreAL327ThmUnit%20(1).pdf

Local People to contact for further information

1.

Lori Spencer
Communications technician: In charge of community events and fundraisers
@ Green Elementary
24076 F. V. Pankow Boulevard
Clinton Two., MI 48036
586-786-6300 Ext. 1207
Email: spenclo@lc-ps.org

2. Bruce J. Smith
Chief of Police in Chesterfield Township, MI.
46525 Continental Drive
Chesterfield Township, MI 48047
586-949-4118
Email: contact@chesterfieldpolice.org
3. Michael E. Lovelock
Township Supervisor
47275 Sugarbush Rd.
Chesterfield Twp., MI 48047
586-949-0400

Connections outside of our geographical community

1. Capitol Avenue at Michigan Avenue
Lansing, MI 48933
P: 517-373-2353
See how laws are made and how students can help their community and
make changes.
2. Greenfield village
20900 Oakwood Blvd
Dearborn, MI 48124
313-982-6001
Look at old community building and how people lived compared to now.
*If those are not far enough my other ideas are
3. Chicago or Detroit
Take students to a city to see and hear how it is different from the
community they live in.
4. Supreme court of the US
Washington, DC 20543
One First Street, NE
Take students to see how to be a good citizen and how laws are made at
the highest level.

Image Bank

Birds-eye view of an invented local community

This is a great labeled photo of good citizens and community helpers.

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This is a photo of student jobs and responsibilities at home and school

This phot demonstrates a trait of a good citizen and a way to help our
community.

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Community diversity: Use as a hook to ask students what they see. Guide them
to understand that diverse contributions make the community and Earth work.

This photo shows students impacts on their communities.

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This is a photo of some good citizen characteristics.

This is an example of community pros and cons. I would cover most of them
and us this as a base for discussion.

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This photo can be uses to discuss community celebrations and their

importance.

The photo of resources will spark a discussion about community resources and
their uses.

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This photo shows recreational activities in our community and the diverse ages
and people that can do them.

Annotated Website
1. Listhttp://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/00/earthpulse/sprawl/inde
x_flash-feature.html
This website was very interactive. Kids will love this. It takes students
through the suburbs labeling characteristics and natural features as they
go. It has sound and labels.
2. http://www.kidactivities.net/post/Community-Service-Ideas-for-Kids.aspx
This site gives a long list of ways students can help their communities and
take care of the Earth. It has lists of ways to be kind and be green and true
pictures and descriptions of classroom community services.
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dCe6kWYFvk This website has many
instructional videos that I would recommend be incorporated into a lesson.
The link takes students to a specific video about community helpers and
going into great detail about a variety of helpers and their tools. It is also
slightly interactive and fun.
4. http://www.brainpopjr.com/socialstudies/communities/communityhelpers/pre
view.weml

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Many schools have access to Brain Pop and it is easy to get it not. This link
takes students to games and interactive videos about communities and
helpers. It is fun, engaging, and informational. Students will love it.
5. http://www.sesamestreet.org/parents/topicsandactivities/topics/diversity
Students will love this site. It has instructional and informative videos
relating to many topics. The link above takes students to a video about
diversity among people. There are also lesson plans and help for parents as
well. The videos are funny and useful.
6.

http://www.highlightskids.com/audio-story/no-more-allowance
This site has articles and games that apply to many topics. The link above
takes students to an article called No More Allowance. It is about
responsibility and jobs at home that our students may relate to. This will
inspire many discussions related to our unit.

7. http://teacher.scholastic.com/commclub/index.htm
This site is great. It has whiteboard activities and reading activities. You
can listen while you read facts about various topics. This link takes
students to the listen and read section about community helpers. There is a
big list of them to do.
8. http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/books/applications/imaps/maps/g3_u1/i
ndex.html#top
This site has maps of different communities that students can manipulate
and reference to answer related questions. This is one of my favorites for
teaching communities.
9. http://www.sites.ext.vt.edu/virtualfarm/main.html
This site is a 4-H virtual farm. Students can do many activities from
watching videos about farming and to playing games and answering trivia
about rural communities. It is related but is not a direct standard I quoted
from the unit but will add in my rendition.
10. http://www.professorgarfield.org/KBKids/video/kbs3341.swf
This site was very engaging. Students can explore communities and get
detailed information about each type. It gives riddles and instant feedback.
Students will love this.

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On many of these sites such as on Scholastic.com and Brain Pop, there are
ways to navigate the site as a student or a teacher so they have more uses than
I listed above.

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A story in a bag By Jennifer Des Rivieres

The story is about my ride through my community to school. I will mention
three community helpers I pass and three responsibilities I have to do. I will
mention transportation and physical features of the community.
The event: A walk through my community: My daily routine
Bag contents:

Kitchen timer (alarm clock)

Sheet (make my bed)

Garbage can (take out trash)

Flash card (practice math)

Treats (feed dog)

Bus (transportation)

Chatter teeth (Bus driver, community role drive safely to school)

Google eyed pencil (me, family role: daughter, sister, community role: student, citizen)

Chess piece King (family role: brother, community role: crossing guard)

Owl (community role: wise principal)

Pic of suburb (subdivisions)

Houses (suburbs)

Apartment

Money (bank)

Chatter teeth (bus driver)

Tree

Car

Post box (post office)

Ring!!! The alarm goes off. I wake up and it is time for school. But first, my
responsibilities. My morning responsibilities include making my bed, taking out
the trash, and practicing my flash cards. Oops and dont forget to give the dog
a treat. We all have jobs to do. I live in the suburbs. The houses on my street
look the same and I have a backyard. I take the bus to school. My brother
thinks he is the King of the bus but really his community job is being a crossing
guard. He crosses us to the bus and we get on. The bus driver greets us with a
friendly smile or maybe a joke as she does her community duty and gets us off
to school safely. Our community has many subdivisions. We pass a Post
Office, cars, an apartment building, trees, a park, and a bank on the drive to
school. When we get there our wise principal greets us and we begin our day at
school.

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Lesson Plan: Accepting Responsibility

Length: 30 mins
Materials: Arthur's Pet Business, poster board, chalk board, assessment
rubric, sticky notes
Standard:
D2.Civ.1.K-2. Describe roles and responsibilities of people in authority
Objective: Students will be able to name responsibilities in communities and
families
Activity:

Read the book titled Arthur's Pet Business by Mark Brown

Have a chalk talk about responsibilities in families and communities

Make a t-chart with responsibilities and roles using sticky notes

Have students take notes back to their tables to further explore ideas

Practice:

Brainstorm at table for responsibilities poster

Make a poster with your table listing three responsibilities

Assessment: Match the responsibilities with the text and provide evidence.
Closure: Discuss the posters and hang them to reference on a bulletin board.
Reflection: Fill out self-evaluation rubric.

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Lesson Two: Community Helpers

Length: 25 Minutes
Materials: YouTube video, picture for Hook conversation stater, Community

Helpers from A to Z, writing notebook, publishing paper

Standard:
2 G4.0.3 Use components of culture (e.g., foods, language, religion, traditions)
to describe diversity in the local community.
D2.Civ.1.K-2. Describe roles and responsibilities of people in authority
Objective:
Students will be able to describe four ways people contribute to our
community
Students will be able to use descriptive words to express this
Activity:

Watch the YouTube video about community helpers.

Provide the book Community Helpers from A to Z.

Discuss the different jobs listed in the book and video.

List jobs you want as an adult. How did the jobs help the communities?

Application: In your writer's notebook, describe your dream job a how it will
help the community you live in. Be descriptive and use your best social studies
language.
Assessment: Share writing asking for two stars and two wishes. Grant the
wishes and check against rubric.
Closure: Publish writing and hang on bulletin board under the responsibilities
posters.

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Lesson Three: Communities and Families

Length: 30 minutes
Materials: Magazines, glue, scissors, chart paper, poster board
Objective: Students will be able to

List celebrations and events of particular communities

Identify people and their roles in communities

Standard:
2 G4.0.3 Use components of culture (e.g., foods, language, religion, traditions)
to describe diversity in the local community.
Activity:

Discuss celebration and differences in communities

Make a chart about differences

Make a collage about yourself in your community

Assess: Share with table and then make a large graph of community
characteristics with the class. Play some games on the community websites.
Reflection: Write in your notebook what you learned and liked about todays
lesson.

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Resources to use:

The internet

NCSS website

NCSS list of trade books

The library and online library websites

Other lessons on communities in the same grade level

Social studies books and mentor texts

Guest speakers

Field trip to local stores and buildings in the community

Resources that are experts on our topic

References

The community Unit that I pimped

http://users.manchester.edu/student/almoore/profweb/MooreAL327Thm
Unit.pdf

NCSS National Council for the Social Studies.

http://www.socialstudies.org/system/files/images/documents/7404217.pdf

Music Education Standards and Assessment for Michigan

http://musicstandards.org/states/michigan/

Google Images
http://images.google.com/

Green Elementary Website

http://www.lc-ps.org/index.aspx?page=538

Google

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssle

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-54463_18670-77702--,00.html

http://470eedunitplanjenniferdesrivieres.weebly.com

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