AMY STEINBROOK

COMMUNITY UNIT (K)

FALL 2014 EDU 404

Our Community
Unit Overview

In researching different topics of study, I discovered that community and/or a study of

community helpers addresses a number of national and state expectations. Children in
kindergarten are interested in the area in which they live. They enjoy pretending to be a police
officer, firefighter, cashier, and the role of many others in the community. According to
Erickson, children in this age group are learning to master the around them, learning basic skills
and principles of physics. (Quoted from
http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/erikson.htm) The purpose of this unit of
lessons is for students to understand the people and places that make up their community. The
learner will discover how the area in which they live affects the lives of those who live there.
State Standard and/or Common Core Standard

Social Studies:
EP-1.1.1 - Students will identify the basic purposes of local government (to establish order,
provide security and accomplish common goals); give examples of services local governments
provide (e.g., police and fire protection roads and snow removal, garbage pick-up,) and identify
how they pay for these services taxes).
Literacy:
W.K.1 - Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in
which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an
opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...).
W.K.3 - Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several
loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a
reaction to what happened.
K.1 - With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
SL.K.1 - Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
SL.K.1.A Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns
speaking about the topics and texts under discussion)
SL.K.1.B - Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.
SL.K.2 - Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through
other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if
something is not understood.
SL.K.4 - Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support,
provide additional detail.
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SL.K.5 - Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional
detail.
SL.K.6 - Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.
L.K.6 - Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and
responding to texts.
Resources:

Tokuda, Wendy. (1992) Humphrey the Lost Whale: A True Story. Heian Intl Publishing
Company.
http://www.learningtogive.org/lessons/unit261/lesson1.html
http://www.teachnology.com/lessons/lsn_pln_view_lessons.php?action=view&cat_id=10&lsn_id=1114
http://alex.state.al.us/lesson_view.php?id=16291
http://lilteacher.com/communityhelpers.html
Diversity

All students will be main-streamed in the classroom. Interventions will be available if needed.
The teacher will use a variety of strategies to effectively instruct all students. Some strategies
include but are not limited to small group instruction, various seating arrangements and teacherstudent conferences.

Lesson 1 What Is A Community?

Essential Questions

What is a community?
What are the different communities each of us belong to?
What can every individual do to make their community better?

Standard

Social Studies:
EP-1.1.1 - Students will identify the basic purposes of local government (to establish order,
provide security and accomplish common goals); give examples of services local governments
provide (e.g., police and fire protection roads and snow removal, garbage pick-up,) and identify
how they pay for these services taxes).
Objective

After reading Humphrey the Lost Whale, students will be able to create an illustration showing
people involved in a community.
Materials Needed:
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Pencil
Book : Humphrey the Lost Whale: A True Story by Wendy Tokuda and Richard Hall
My Community collage sheet
Old Magazines
Scissors and paste

Procedure

Engage Ask students, Have you ever been lost? How did it make you feel? Allow for
discussion. This story is about a whale that got lost. Its titled Humphrey the Lost Whale: A
True Story. What do you notice about the front cover? Allow for a few comments, then ask
Why do you think it has the phrase A True Story (pointing to this portion of the title)? The
author is telling us this story is true. This makes the book non-fiction, which mean a book that is
real or not made up.
Explore - Write the word Community on the board and ask students tell you what they know
about what a community is. Write down some of the more popular ideas. (Dont repeat any
ideas) Asking students after brainstorming to tell you what a community is and allow several
responses and ultimately write a class definition of what a community is.
Explain - Read the story, Humphrey the Lost Whale
Questions and talking points while reading the book:
1. Why do you think big whales like Humphrey live in the ocean?
2. Why would Humphrey enter into the bay at all?
3. What would you do if you saw a huge whale in a small river? Who would you tell?
4. How come all of these people are now interacting? What do all of them want to
accomplish?
5. What ideas do you have for getting Humphrey back to the Pacific Ocean?
6. How did this group of people come up with a solution to their problem?
7. How do you think Humphrey feels?
Ask students who came together in this book and why? People from the neighborhoods,
scientists, whale watchers (all different people) came together to help this whale. Tell students
this is a community of people who cared about helping this whale. The important thing here is
these people formed a community because they had a common purpose. All the people in the
story wanted to help Humphrey. Do we have someone to help in our community? Who would
that be? If an emergency happened, who would we call for help?
Extend - Have students create a collage of people involved in a community. The students will
get the pictures form old magazines and paste them on a sheet titled My Community. The
teacher will have the sheets typed up and ready for each student.
Evaluate - Informally listen to students responses to each part of the activity. Make sure to call
on students who are not participating to check if they understand what is being taught. Students
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will show their understanding of what a community through the questions asked and their ability
to identify their own communities.
Formally, the students will be evaluated on there My Community collage.
The following rubric can be used for evaluation:
3 pts.
2 pts.
1pts
0 pts.

The collage contains 3 or more cut out

pictures of people in a community.
The collage contains 2 cut out pictures of
people in a community.
The collage contains 1 pictures of people in a
community.
The collage contains 0 pictures of people in a
community.

Lesson 2 My Community
Essential Question

What is the community we belong to?

What are the goals of this community and what are ways we work toward these goals?
How can I help in my school community?
Resources:

What Do People Do All Day? By Richard Scarry

http://www.teachnology.com/lessons/lsn_pln_view_lessons.php?action=view&cat_id=10&lsn_id=1114
Standards

Social Studies:
EP-1.1.1 - Students will identify the basic purposes of local government (to establish order,
provide security and accomplish common goals); give examples of services local
governments provide (e.g., police and fire protection roads and snow removal, garbage pick up,) and identify how they pay for these services taxes).
EP-1.3.2 - Students will identify and give examples of good citizenship at home, at school
and in the community (e.g., helping with chores, obeying rules, participating in community
service projects such as recycling, conserving natural resources, donating food/supplies) and
explain why civic engagement in the community is important.
Objective:

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After discussing being helpful, students will draw ways they can help out in their school
community by creating a "helping hand mobile."
Materials

What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry

Scenario pictures enlarged and laminated
5 boxes sheet, colored half sheet of paper, hole punch, crayons, scissors, glue or staples, and yarn
Procedures

Engage - Do you remember what book we read yesterday? We read Humphrey the Lost Whale.
What happened to Humphrey? How did he get lost? How did the people help Humphrey? Do
you remember what we call a group of people working together for a common goal?
Today, we are going to read about a busy community. Take notice of how the people work
together to help the city run. Read the book What Do People Do All Day?
Explore Discuss this book with the class. What was the place in the book like? Is it similar to
our community? How is it different? Were their people working to help others? Where did the
people go? What were they doing?
A lot of the people in the book were doing a job. Do you have a job? Do you do work at home or
at school?
Show picture of children helping at home. What are some ways you help at home? Does the
work you do help others? Our families are small communities and you are a big part of your
family.

What about at school? Is our classroom a community? Show pictures a child helping another
child. Do we try to help out each other? We care about how everyone is doing and feels. We are
a community that you are a part of. Who else could be in our school community? The whole
school is a community because we all work together to learn. So if we think about just this
building, who would be a leader in the community? How could you help _________ (feel in
principals name)? Explain that each of these members have a specific job to help the community
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out. Go through some of the community members and what they do to help the school out. Some
examples could be (The principals leads our community to be a healthy place for learning or the
custodian helps the school community be keeping in clean and safe.) Explain that students have a
specific job to help out in their school community just like they help out at home. What would
your job be to help your school community? Generate some ideas as a class on how students can
better help out in their school community.
Explain We have thought of some great ways to help at home and school but can we help
other places? Can you be helpful at the grocery store with your parents or at the mall? You most
certainly could! Show picture to help make a connection.

At any store you can help your parents look for items
or help carry things, it is important to keep watch for opportunities to serve others.

Look at this picture.

These are all things we can do to help
others. Take a few seconds to describe what each picture represents. Now I want you to take
your paper with 5 boxes on it and draw five pictures ways you can help others. Display the
pictures for the lesson so everyone can see. The teacher will need to rotate around the room to
discuss the pictures with each student. These pictures will be used for the helping hands mobile.
**The number of picture can be adjusted for those students that lose interest or lack the ability to
complete 5. The child can do as many as he/she can do and the mobile made with those pictures.
Extend -Have students trace their hand on the colored half sheet of paper and then cut it out.
From each of the five fingers attach a picture that the students have drawn (with some yarn) that
illustrates something they can do to better help out in their school community. On the palm of the
hand have students write,
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I can help out in the school community.

**The teacher may need to do the connecting the string at later time. The schedule may not
permit the completion at this time.
Evaluate - Student are evaluated on their participation in discussion and independent work of the
helping hands mobile. This will be assessed using a checklist.
Criteria
Name
Listened to story
Participated in discussion
Helping hands mobile

Accomplished

Lesson 3 Mapping Our Community

Essential Questions

What are some essential places in our schools surrounding community?

Where is each students home on a map? How does each student get to school?
Standards

Social Studies:
EP-1.1.1 - Students will identify the basic purposes of local government (to establish order,
provide security and accomplish common goals); give examples of services local governments
provide (e.g., police and fire protection roads and snow removal, garbage pick-up,) and identify
how they pay for these services taxes).
EP-1.3.2 - Students will identify and give examples of good citizenship at home, at school and in
the community (e.g., helping with chores, obeying rules, participating in community service
projects such as recycling, conserving natural resources, donating food/supplies) and explain
why civic engagement in the community is important.
Literacy:
SL.K.1.A Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns
speaking about the topics and texts under discussion)
SL.K.2 - Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through
other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if
something is not understood.
SL.K.4 - Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support,
provide additional detail.

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SL.K.5 - Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional
detail.
Resources

Google Maps and Images

Sweeney, Joan. (1998) Me on the Map. Decorah, IA: Dragonfly Books.
http://communitysocialstudiesunit.weebly.com/index.html
Materials:
Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney

Large Map of the schools surrounding community (can be generated on a website like Google
Maps)
Pictures of about five important places in the schools community (school, police station, fire
station, public library, courthouse etc.)
A small toy bus, car, child and bicycle (or a laminated picture)
Notecards
Tape, markers, pencils scissors, and string.
Objectives

Given small images of places in our area, students will identify where they are located on a map.
With each students address written out, students will be able to roughly point out their homes
location and begin learning to write their address.
With the reading on Me on the Map, students will be able to point out the planet, country, state,
and town using labeled stackable cups.
Procedure:

Engage - Have students come and set on the rug and read Me on the Map. Talk to the students
about the book while reading. The girl in the book talks about her planet, country, state, town
and neighborhood. Ask students questions like: Is earth our planet also? She said the United
States was her country. Is that ours or do we live in a different country? What state do we live
in? What state does the girl in the book live in? What is her town called? What is our town
called? What was her special place? What is your special place? (This question would best be a
Turn and Talk question so every child gets to answer.)
Explore - Then have the class look at the printed map and ask them what do you think this is a
map of? (Have a large map with all of the streets, parks, and outlines of the schools community
at the front this map should include the schools surrounding community and any
neighborhoods were students live.)
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Allow wait time and then allow students to raise their hands to express their thoughts. If no
students guesses it is a map of the school community the teacher should think aloud about this,
Well, this looks like the Big Green Bridge and this must be the courthouse. This is Richmond
Road and here is River Drive. Do you thing this could be a map of our school community?
How can we tell people that come in our classroom that this a map of our school community?
Allow a few students to share ideas, if students do not say label the map or give it a title, ask
What could I write on the top that would help us know? Allow the students to discuss possible
title names and then write the decided title on the top of the map. (Ex. Estill County Community
or Our Community)
Lets label some places on our map ask, What are some important places in our community?
The teacher should have prepared small- labeled pictures of important places within their
community. As students generate ideas such as school, police station, etc. the teacher will work
with the students to place this place on their map.
**Students will likely produce a whole list of places and the teacher should write all the
students ideas on the board that she does not have pictures of already to reference (and at a later
time hopefully add these to the map.)
In Me on the Map, the girl said her special place was her house so lets add our houses to the
map.
Explain - Each student will be given a small card in which they are to draw a picture of their
house. Student will also practice writing their address on the back of their card (teacher may
need to have the addresses for students pre-written so the students can trace, but it is important
for them to start learning their home address and how to write it.)
The teacher should model for the class before they are released to begin working, making sure to
point out important aspects of drawing their house and their address.
Ex: I am going to now color my house light brown because it is a tan color. I will draw squares
for the windows in my house
Each of us will put our street address on the first line, then we will either have Irvine or
Ravenna at the beginning of the next line, and all of us will have KY for Kentucky.
The students are then dismissed to draw their houses and write their address. Many students may
need assistance when writing their address or knowing it, so it is important to circulate to assist
students in this process.
**To help with maintain order in the classroom, the teacher my want to have this portion be a
center activity. The students can bring their house drawings to Teacher group and the one on one
portion can happen at this time.
The teacher will read aloud with the student their address. The teacher will then find where their
home is on the map and allow the students to assist in attaching their drawing of their home

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where it belongs on the map. The teacher should ask questions to the student during this process.
The following are a few examples:
o Do you have any idea where your home is on the map?
o Do you know if your home is close to a location already on the map?
Extend - When all the students have placed their homes on the community map (or after centers)
bring the students back to the carpet to observe the map they have created. Ask the students,
What do you notice? Call on a few students to make some comments on the map looks like
now. Do lots of you live near each other? Or do most of you live far way? What is near your
homes? Do you live near or far from the school?
**A center activity for the day will be labeled stackable nesting cups that have our planet,
country, state, and town. (These are the type of cups that fit into each other.) The students will
stack them for the biggest to the smallest to illustrate the communities they are a part of.
Evaluate - As the schools community map is created, students will be informally assessed
based on their participation in this process. Students will be formally assessed on the notecards
they make of their homes; looking to see whether their illustrations are based on what their
homes actually look like, if they drew their homes to the best of their ability, and evaluating their
writing (or tracing) their address. As students work with the teacher to show how they get to
school, the teacher should be informally assessing their understanding of maps and their ability
to describe how they get to school. Finally, the teacher will informally assess how well students
understand the map created in their concluding reflection based on students conjectures.

Lesson 4 Our Neighborhood

Essential Questions

What is difference between a neighborhood and a community?

What are some things we see in our neighborhood?
Are we able to add any landmarks to our community map?
Standards

Social Studies:
EP-1.3.2 - Students will identify and give examples of good citizenship at home, at school and in
the community (e.g., helping with chores, obeying rules, participating in community service
projects such as recycling, conserving natural resources, donating food/supplies) and explain
why civic engagement in the community is important.
Literacy:
W.K.1 - Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in
which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an
opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...).
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W.K.3 - Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several
loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a
reaction to what happened.
K.1 - With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
SL.K.1 - Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
SL.K.2 - Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through
other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if
something is not understood.
SL.K.4 - Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support,
provide additional detail.
SL.K.5 - Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional
detail.
SL.K.6 - Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.
L.K.6 - Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and
responding to texts.
Resources

Cummins, Julie. (2002) County Kid, City Kid. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
Jasmine, Grace and Lillian Nader, 1994, Cooperative Learning Activities of Social Studies,
Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
http://communitysocialstudiesunit.weebly.com/index.html
Objectives

Using the five senses, the learner will be able to identify and draw people and places in their
neighborhood.
In a class discussion, student will develop a class definition for a neighborhood.
With the students neighbor in mind, the students will write or draw a story and/or and actual
event using the neighbor as a character.
Material Needed

Poster Paper
Country Kid, City Kid by Julie Cummins
Procedures

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Engage Before reading Country Kid, City Kid, show the students the book and ask them what
they think the book is about. Show them the title and the cover page. After a few prediction, read
Country Kid, City Kid. Ask the students questions about what Ben and Jody see, hear, smell, and
feel during the reading of the story and place this information in a chart. Also, encourage the
students to make connections with Ben and Jody.
Explore Today I would like you to close your eyes and think about what is outside. I want you
to think about your ride to school this morning. What did you see? What did you hear? What did
you smell? What did you taste? What did you feel?
Now I would like you to take 5 minutes and quickly draw what came to your mind when your
eyes were shut. When the 5 minutes is up, have a few students share their experience. Then ask
the students if there experience this morning was more like Ben or Jody in the book?
Explain Look at our class definition of the word community. We decided that community was
a group of people that worked together for a common goal. These people can live in the same
area but it isnt a requirement. If you remember from Humphrey the Lost Whale, some of the
scientist that helped were from other places and came there to help. But we have been focusing
on the people that help in the area we live.
Now lets add a definition for the word neighborhood. What do you believe neighborhood
means? To help us lets look at the chart we made of Jody and Bens neighborhood and the
things we thought of about coming to school. This is a time of brainstorming so write
neighborhood on the board and web the students thoughts. When all ideas are expressed, take
the thoughts and as a group decide what the classroom definition for neighborhood. This
definition will be posted with the classroom definition of community. (The goal for the teacher is
to lead the students into a definition similar to the actual meaning of the word. Webster
dictionary for kids defines as a section of a town or city or the people who live near each other.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neighborhood)
Extend Students will create a writing piece or draw a picture about what they see or hear in
their neighbors. The students will be instructed to close their eyes and pretend they are outside
the front of their house. Then the students will write/draw the images that comes to their mind. If
the teacher wishes, the students can us a
Evaluate Students will be evaluated on their writing piece for a formal assessment. This will
be done with a rubric.
Points
4
3
2
1

Criteria
The piece is neat, colored, and descriptive and
contains the students name.
The piece is somewhat neat, colored, and
descriptive and contains the students name.
The piece is fairly neat, colored, and
descriptive and contain the students name.
The piece is not neat, colored, and descriptive
and contains the students name.
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The student did not attempt the activity.

Lesson 5 Community Helper

Essential Questions

Who are some of the people that help our community?

What service do these people provide?
Standards

Social Studies:
EP-1.1.1 - Students will identify the basic purposes of local government (to establish order,
provide security and accomplish common goals); give examples of services local governments
provide (e.g., police and fire protection roads and snow removal, garbage pick-up,) and identify
how they pay for these services taxes).
Literacy:
K.1 - With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
SL.K.1 - Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
SL.K.4 - Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support,
provide additional detail.
L.K.6 - Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and
responding to texts.
Objectives:

Given the book Helpers in My Community, students will be able to define a community helper
during class discussion.
Given the knowledge of community helpers, the kindergartener will host a food drive for the
local food bank.
Resources
http://alex.state.al.us/lesson_view.php?id=16291
Materials Needed
When I Grow Up Sheet
Helpers in My Community by Bobbie Kalman.
Pencils and crayons
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Letter for parent asking to bring in can food for the food drive
Procedure:
Engage - Over the last few lessons we have been talking about community. Can someone tell me
what we discovered a community is? A community is a group of people that are working toward
a common goal. Do the people have to be neighbors? Could they be neighbors?
Let look at our map we created last lesson. (Lesson 3) We put some important places on our
map, why are they important our community? Is it just the building that is important or are the
people inside whats important? After some discussion, the teacher should ensure the students
understand that the people are what make the community special. The services provided at each
building is what helps our community run effectively.
Today, we are going to start learning about some of the people that help our community. These
people are called community helpers. Why do think they are called a community helper? Allow
students to express their thoughts. Write these prediction down on the board because we will
revisit these predictions after our reading.
Explore - Read Helpers in My Community. Allow for discussion during the reading, the students
will relate to some parts of the information given in the book. By reading this short book, the
students will be able to connect and be able to better understand what a community helper
actually is and does.
Following the reading, revisit the predictions from before reading. What do community helpers
do? Why are they called community helpers? Community helpers are people who make
communities cleaner, safer, and better. Are there ways you can help your community?
Play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw6RBvUmayA this is a cute song about the people of
your community.
Explain We are going to read another book to help us to discover the way one young girl
named Dee helped her community. Introduce the book The Can-Do Thanksgiving by explaining
we are going to do something similar to the children in the book. After the reading, ask the
following questions:

What was Dee curious about?

How did the children in her class make a difference?
What did Dee and Tyler have in common? Encourage children to think about how Tyler
liked to help out, just like Dee. And, they both like making new friends.
What do you think we are going to do like the students in the book?

Extend We are going to be community helpers. I would like all of you to bring in some canned
food. On our last lesson, we are going to have a visitor from the Estill County Food Bank. She
will talk to us about the things they do to help the people in our area. Some of you may know
someone that they have helped. We will give her the food we have as a donation to the food
bank. You are going to help feed people who do not have any food.
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Evaluate Student will be evaluated informally by their participation in the class discussion and
reading. This will done by using a checklist.
Criteria
Participated in class discussion
Listen to reading
Brought a can good for food drive

Accomplished

Lesson 6 Emergency 9-1-1

Essential Questions

What do we do if there is an emergency?

How does the community prepare for an emergency?
What is the students part in an emergency?
Standards:
Social Studies:
EP-1.1.1 - Students will identify the basic purposes of local government (to establish order,
provide security and accomplish common goals); give examples of services local governments
provide (e.g., police and fire protection roads and snow removal, garbage pick-up,) and identify
how they pay for these services taxes).
EP-1.3.2 - Students will identify and give examples of good citizenship at home, at school and in
the community (e.g., helping with chores, obeying rules, participating in community service
projects such as recycling, conserving natural resources, donating food/supplies) and explain
why civic engagement in the community is important.
Literacy:
W.K.1 - Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in
which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an
opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...).
W.K.3 - Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several
loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a
reaction to what happened.
K.1 - With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
SL.K.1 - Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
SL.K.1.A Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns
speaking about the topics and texts under discussion)
SL.K.1.B - Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.
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SL.K.2 - Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through
other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if
something is not understood.
SL.K.4 - Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support,
provide additional detail.
SL.K.5 - Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional
detail.
SL.K.6 - Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.
L.K.6 - Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and
responding to texts.
Objectives:

Using the classroom community map, the student will be able to tell someone their address if
needed in an emergency circumstance.
Given the instructions, the student will be able to clarify an emergency that needs emergency
personal.
Resources:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCoQF
jAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nfpa.org%2F~%2Fmedia%2FFiles%2FSafety%2520informati
on%2FPublic%2520educators%2FEducation%2520programs%2Flearn%2520not%2520to%252
0burn%2FLevel%25201%2Flntblevel1reportemergency.pdf&ei=hLOQU77lIqm_8gHOhICwCQ
&usg=AFQjCNE19sizpFoEqDCaDmkFrGHk67leXQ&sig2=vxiGviKCWo9shl3H6A6dFA
Materials

Impatient Pamela Calls 9-1-1 by Mary Koski

Special Visitor (a dispatcher or member of the rescue squad.)
A copy of Emergency Information sheet to send home with each student.
Procedure

Engage Last week started a unit on community. What is a community? (The definition will be
posted for easy reference) What are the people that help or serve in a community called?
(Community helpers) Today we are going to learn about a service that is important to us if there
is an emergency. If there is an emergency, does anyone know what you are to do?
Do you remember a few lessons ago when we mapped our address? Did you know it is important
to know your address in an emergency? We are going to learn all about this today.

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Explore - We will begin by reading a book about the important things you need to know to
report an emergency. During the read aloud, the children should be thinking about the different
things Pamela needs to know.
Read and discuss Impatient Pamela Calls 9-1-1.
a. What did Pamela need to learn first? (Her address)
b. What did Pamela want to learn to use? (The telephone)
c. Did Pamela call 9-1-1 when the cat was in the tree? (No because her mom said the cat would
get down by itself.)
d. Did Pamela call 9-1-1 when her friends bicycle broke? (No because her mom said you only
call when a person needs help or there is a fire.)
e. Did Pamela call 9-1-1 when her friend Martin started to choke? (Yes)
f. What did she tell the fire department? (Martin is choking, her address and she stayed on the
telephone)
This story talks about the fire department but there are also other groups that help with
emergencies. Explain that firefighters are community helpers who are there to help in the case of
an emergency. What other community services do you think would come in an emergency?
Explain - Lets think about when Pamela called 9-1-1. Did she call 9-1-1 for issues that were not
emergencies? She really wanted to call when the cat was in the tree and when her friends bike
broke. Why did she call 9-1-1? When she called what did she have to tell the dispatcher? She
had to tell the dispatcher her address. It is very important for you to know your address so we
will be working on it for a few days.
Then watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXXbnU-7EfA
Extend Allow a special visitor to speak to the class. Ideally, a 9-1-1 dispatcher or firefighter
would be best. Anyone affiliated with emergency services will be interesting to the students.
Evaluate Formally, the students will complete the Report an Emergency Activity Sheet
independently. Have the children cut the six pictures off of the bottom of the page and sort them
according to emergencies and non-emergencies. Use student work as a progress monitoring
assessment and refer back to the class-created Emergency chart to help children who are
struggling to understand the difference between the two. This sheet is page 5 of this link:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCoQF
jAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nfpa.org%2F~%2Fmedia%2FFiles%2FSafety%2520informati
on%2FPublic%2520educators%2FEducation%2520programs%2Flearn%2520not%2520to%252
0burn%2FLevel%25201%2Flntblevel1reportemergency.pdf&ei=hLOQU77lIqm_8gHOhICwCQ
&usg=AFQjCNE19sizpFoEqDCaDmkFrGHk67leXQ&sig2=vxiGviKCWo9shl3H6A6dFA

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Informally, the students will be evaluated on participation and behavior in the class discussion.

Lesson 7 Police Officers provide Safety

Essential Questions

Who helps a community remain safe?

How does the police help with safety?
Standards

Social Studies:
EP-1.1.1 - Students will identify the basic purposes of local government (to establish order,
provide security and accomplish common goals); give examples of services local governments
provide (e.g., police and fire protection roads and snow removal, garbage pick-up,) and identify
how they pay for these services taxes).
Literacy:
W.K.1 - Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in
which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an
opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...).
W.K.3 - Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several
loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a
reaction to what happened.
K.1 - With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
SL.K.1 - Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
SL.K.1.A Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns
speaking about the topics and texts under discussion)
SL.K.1.B - Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.
SL.K.2 - Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through
other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if
something is not understood.
SL.K.4 - Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support,
provide additional detail.
SL.K.5 - Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional
detail.
SL.K.6 - Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

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L.K.6 - Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and
responding to texts.
Materials

Smart Board, http://teacher.scholastic.com/commclub/officer/, Board or Poster Paper, Police

badge cut out, pencil, safety pins, graham crackers, chocolate icing, M&Ms, A police officer to
visit.
Book Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
Objectives

Through the meeting of a police officer, the learner will be able to identify any given safety tip.
Procedure:

Engage Last lesson, we left off talking about what to do in an emergency. What is the number
we call if there is an emergency at our house? How do we know if something is really an
emergency? Is not being able to find one of my shoes an emergency? Would I call 911 for that?
Would I call if someone was choking? What type of services come when you call 911? Normally
the dispatcher will tell the safety agency you need first but let name a few that could come. (Fire
department, police department, ambulance, etc.)
Today, we are going to learn more about one of the agencies. We are going to learn some of
what the police department does. They help with emergencies but they do other things too! Do
anyone what to predict some of the other things they do? Jot all of these on the board.
**Have a cut out of a police badge for each student. Help students write their name on the badge
and safety pin them to their shirts for the day.
Explore I want you all to look at the smart board. I found an online book
http://teacher.scholastic.com/commclub/officer/ I want us to read (or listen). At the end of this
there is a quick quiz of three questions, do these together with the whole group.
Lets look back at our predictions, put a checkmark by any that were confirmed during this
reading.
Explain The online book told us the police officers help with safety. They tell people ways to
be safe on the road, around water, and what street signs mean. I want you to meet a police officer
that really likes safety tips. Read Officer Buckle and Gloria aloud.
Following the reading, introduce a visiting officer and allow him some time to speak about
safety.
Extend Make an edible stoplight. You need graham crackers, chocolate icing and M&M's! Give
the students a graham cracker and have them cover it with icing. Then they will get red, yellow and
green M&M's to make the lights.

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Evaluate Student will be informally evaluated on their participation in the discussion and
activities. Anecdotal notes will be made during the safety talk by the police officer.

Lesson 8 The Mail Carrier

Essential Questions

What other reasons do we use our address?

What does a mail carrier do?
How does the mail get to my house?
Standards

AH-E-4.1.41: Create artwork using the elements of art and principles of design.
ELA P1-1: Pose questions to obtain ideas and information for authentic purposes.
MA-E-2.2.1: Sort objects and compare attributes.
SS-E-1.1.1: Democratic governments function according to the needs and wants of the citizens
and provide for societys needs.
SS-E-3.1.2: Consumers use goods and services to satisfy wants and needs.
SS-E-3.4.3: Producers specialize to create specific goods or services.
SS-E-5.1.2: History can be understood by using a variety of primary and secondary sources and
tools.
Resources

http://www.ket.org/trips/postoffice/pre-viewing.htm
Materials

A brown bag, a picture of a mailbox flag, a picture or toy of a car, and an addressed envelope; 5
pieces of junk mail (number is adjusted depending on group size)
Objectives

Using the address of our previous visitors, the class will prepare a thank you note and mail them
to our guest.
Given an example and mailing address, students will begin learning to write their address on an
envelope.
Procedures

Engage We have done a few things with our address. First we looked at it on the map. (Point
to our classroom map) Next, we talked about needing to know your address in case of an
emergency. Today we are going to learn another reason for learning you address. Does anyone
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want to guess what it could be? Allow a few seconds, the say, I have a few clues in this brown
bag. Would you like to play detective and figure it out? Take out the car. Why would a car need
to know my address? Then take out the mailbox flag. What is this? What does it have to do with
knowing my address? Allow for discussion, the students you have one more clue and pull out the
addressed envelope. What is this? I need to know my address so I can get mail. Today we are
going to learn about the mail carriers in our community. They are important because they give all
the people in the community their mail.
Explore Lead a class discussion of these questions: Do you like receiving mail? What do you
already know about the Postal Service? What questions do you have? (Write students questions
on chart paper and post the list in the classroom.)
Go on our virtual field trip http://www.ket.org/trips/postoffice/
There are lots of steps our mail takes before it is placed in our mailbox. Who know our mail
when all of those places?
Give each group of 4-5 students a cancelled letter (junk mail) and ask them to answer the
following questions:
o

Look at the postmark. What information does it give? (date, place, ZIP code,
where and when the letter was sent)

Find the stamp. Where is it located on the envelope? Take a look at the
cancellation mark. Why does the post office cancel stamps?

Locate the return address. Why is it important for a letter to have a return address?

Look at the very bottom of the envelope. Is there a bar code there? (The bar code
is a shorthand way of representing the ZIP code; it makes it easier for post office
machines to sort letters.) The zip code helps sort the mail faster.

Explain I hope you all remember us writing (or tracing) our addresses for our community map.
We are going to write ourselves a post card today. Give each student a blank 4x6 index card and
a card with their address already written on another. On the side with the lines, we are going to
write our address. Everyone look up at the smart board of my example. (Have a card already
addressed and show with ELMO) Your first and last name goes on first line like this. (Pointing to
the line) Everyone write your name. (Teacher will walk around assisting students with this part.)
Your house number and street name go on the second line. (Pointing to the example) if you have
an apartment number it follows the street name (teacher will walk around and help with this
part.) The last line will say either Irvine or Ravenna and then KY for Kentucky. (Point to
example) The last thing that goes on that line is your zip code. If you live in Irvine, that is 40336.
If you live in Ravenna, that is 40472.
On the top left corner, I want you to put this sticker. Have return address labels pre-made. (The
teacher can decide if the address on those should be the school address or their personal address.)
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On the plain blank side of your card, I want you to draw a picture for yourself. When you are all
finished with your picture, bring them to me and I will assist you on placing the stamp in the
correct place. I will take these to the post office afterschool today and you should be getting
some mail at your house very soon!
Extend - Have two Thank You cards with you when putting on stamps and have each student sign

his or her name. Then tell the children how important it is to thank people when they do
something nice for you.
Then show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wVI23QwoEQ
Evaluate Students will be evaluated informally on participation and observation during the

activities. Formatively students will be evaluated using a rubric on their postcard.

Lesson 9 The Garbage Collector

Essential Questions

How does a community stay clean?

Who are the people that work to make a community clean?
What can we do to help our community stay clean?
Standard

SS-EP-1.3.2 - Students will identify and give examples of good citizenship at home, at school
and in the community (e.g., helping with chores, obeying rules, participating in community
service projects such as recycling, conserving natural resources, donating food/supplies) and
explain why civic engagement in the community is important.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.1 - Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to
compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are
writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book
is...).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.3 - Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate
a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they
occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1 - With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about
key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1 - Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse
partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1.A Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to
others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion).
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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1.B - Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.4 - Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with
prompting and support, provide additional detail.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.5 - Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as
desired to provide additional detail.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.6 - Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas
clearly.
Resources
http://dunncountywi.govoffice2.com/vertical/Sites/%7B8D65D186-760D-414B-890C7C4376A23107%7D/uploads/%7BFA25DB71-F150-4D2F-868F-A5DAF4CB27E7%7D.PDF.
http://readsarahread.blogspot.com/2012/04/flannel-friday-trashy-town.html
http://www.recycleguys.org/lessonplans.html

Materials

Five containers labeled by word and picture: plastic, aluminum, bi-metal, paper and glass
An Aluminum can, bi-metal can, glass bottle, newspaper, and plastic
Class Waste Chart
Procedures

Engage We have been so busy learning about our community. Lets go around the room and
each person tell me 1 thing they have learned about our community. You guys have done a
wonderful job learning!
Ask the students these questions to begin obtain the amount of background knowledge of the
group: How does a community stay clean? What is trash? What do you do at your house with
trash? Have you ever heard about recycling? What would happen if no one cleaned up their
trash?
Explore Read Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman During the reading, I made signs for each
of the stops Mr. Gilly makes in the book, and I placed some "trash" near the location. I place
these all around our program room. As we read the story, we stop, look for the given place (the
doctor's office, the pizza parlor, etc.) and selected kids get up and pick up the trash for me. I will
have a bin that we will call our garbage truck. The students will place the trash in the bin then
we do the refrain together, making appropriate motions as we go: "Dump it in! Smash it down!
Drive around the trashy town!"
Explain Allow a represented from a garbage company or land fill to speak with the students.

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(This part of the activity could be done by the speaker or the teacher.) While we were reading
our story, we picked up trash and put them in our garage truck. I have some other bins here in
front and we are going to decide if our trash from the garage truck can be re-used. First, let go
over each bin so we understand what each one is for. (The teacher will read each bin labeled
(plastic, aluminum, bi-metal, paper and glass).
**There a recycling Power Point available at http://www.recycleguys.org/lessonplans.html that
is very informative. The only issue is it is from North Carolina so some of the slides contain that
states data and would need to be skipped.**
Extend - Play Recycling BINGO found at http://www.recycleguys.org/games.html
Watch http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/d1b56362-a390-47f8-bf7e81a7a5c6a8f0/recycled-art-mister-rogers-neighborhood/
Evaluate - Informally, students will be assessed on participation in the classroom discussion and
activities. Formally, students will be assessed a recycle bin sort sheet. The students will cut out
small pictures of different waste and paste them in the correct bin.

Lesson 10 Unit Review and Assessment

Essential Questions

What is a community?

What are the different communities each of us belong to?

What can every individual do to make their community better?

Standards
Social Studies:
EP-1.1.1 - Students will identify the basic purposes of local government (to establish order,
provide security and accomplish common goals); give examples of services local governments
provide (e.g., police and fire protection roads and snow removal, garbage pick-up,) and identify
how they pay for these services taxes).
EP-1.3.2 - Students will identify and give examples of good citizenship at home, at school and in
the community (e.g., helping with chores, obeying rules, participating in community service
projects such as recycling, conserving natural resources, donating food/supplies) and explain
why civic engagement in the community is important.
Literacy:
W.K.1 - Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in
which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an
opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...).

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W.K.3 - Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several
loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a
reaction to what happened.
K.1 - With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
SL.K.1 - Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
SL.K.1.A Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns
speaking about the topics and texts under discussion)
SL.K.1.B - Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.
SL.K.2 - Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through
other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if
something is not understood.
SL.K.4 - Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support,
provide additional detail.
SL.K.5 - Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional
detail.
SL.K.6 - Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.
L.K.6 - Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and
responding to texts.
Resources
All other lesson in this unit
Objectives
With the knowledge of the entire unit, students will be understand the importance of giving to
those around the community.
Procedures
Engage Read Humphrey the Lost Whale. What is a community? What are some important
places in our community? Look back at your map and discuss the places highlighted in the study.
Explore Students will make Community Helper Stick Puppets found at
http://www.firstpalette.com/Craft_themes/People/communityhelperstickpuppets/communityhelp
erstickpuppets.html we will use them puppets as props for an action poem. The poem will be
poster size and when a community helper is mentioned the student will hold up their stick puppet
and pretend to do the action mentioned in the poem.

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Explain As you remember this week, we have been collecting food for the Estill County Food
Bank. A representative from the food bank is here to tell us about what they do for the
community. We are going to present him/her with our collection.
The class will take a few minutes to review what was learned each day of the unit. Following the
discussion the students will be given the unit assessment.
Extend - I would like each of you to take this sheet and write (or draw) about your favorite
lesson on our unit of study. Allow student several minutes to write or draw their favorite activity.
When all the students have finished, allow each student to come up front with you and explain
their picture. If students have a hard time seeing the picture, the teacher may want consider
placing them on the ELMO.
Evaluate The students will be formally assessed on the entire unit on this lesson. The
assessment will be a pictorial power point with yes or no questions. The students will simply
check yes or no on their answer key.

Appendix A Additional Reading

These additional books could be used for a unit library. The students can read from these books
during independent reading and/or library center.

Humphrey the Lost Whale: A True Story by Wendy Tokuda

What is a Community?: From A to Z by Bobbie Kalman
Places in My Community by Bobbie Kalman
Busy Wheels by Peter Lippman
Wow School! By Robert Nebecker
I.Q. Goes to the Library by Mary Ann Fraser
Dont Forget the Oatmeal by B.G. Ford
Firefighter Gil! By Mary Tillworth
My Trip to the Hospital by Mercer Mayer
Hop, Skip and Jump Book by Jack Kent
Walk Rabbit Walk by Colin McNaughton
Helper in my Community by Bobbie Kalman
Garbage Collectors by Paulette Bourgeois
Postal Workers by Paulette Bougeois
My Trip to the Hospital by Mercer Mayer
The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist by Stan & Jan Berenstain
The Dentist from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler
A Day in the Life of a Firefighter by Linda Hayward
Jobs People Do by Christopher Maynard
A Day in the Life of a Builder by Linda Hayward

Appendix B Activities
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The ideas and activities in this section are to help the students develop a deeper understanding of
each lesson in this unit.
1. Scholastic has a variety of ideas available on their web site. One tab on this site is titled, I
Am Responsible, list several activities the students can do to learn how they can take
responsibility in helping others.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/k_2theme/communities.htm
2. The listen and read stories on community helpers could be used in a listening center or
computer center. http://teacher.scholastic.com/commclub/index.htm
3. Lakeshore has some valuable community helper sorting worksheets. The sheets look like
store fronts and at the bottom are small pictures that need to be matched to the correct
story. An example would be a picture of a can of soup would be pasted to the grocery
story.
http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/general_content/free_resources/teachers_corner/lesso
n_plans/worksInOurCommunity.jsp
4. For Office Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann, the whole group could discuss some
classroom rules/ procedures and write the on yellow stars. The stars could be hung on the
door with a picture of the front of the book.
5. Community Workers Come Alive - The children would select a body template of a
community helper. This would be colored and cut out but leaving a hole for a head shot
of the students. The teacher would take photos of each of the students and they would
added to the template as displayed on a bulletin board.
https://www.kinderplans.com/p/22/kindergarten-preschool-community-helpers
6. On this web page, Miss Renees Kindergarten Pad, she list a number of activities to
broaden the unit into math and science. There are also a few poems and songs about
community helpers that could be very helpful in a writing center or in reading group with
the teacher. http://lilteacher.com/communityhelpers.html
7. The following site contains a great little song about community helpers. The song is
written in poem form and is suggested to be sang to the tune of O My Darling
Clementine. There are also some poems about specific community helpers.
http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems100.html
8. The class can make a Community Helpers ABC chart. The class works together to think
of an occupation for each of the letters of the alphabet. Books for the community theme
library can help the class if trouble arises.
9. The following packet, Community Helpers Occupations, has an abundance of graphic
organizers for different occupations. These could be helpful during whole or small groups
and for independent work. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CommunityHelper-Occupations-Packet-Kindergarten-Social-Studies-301651
10. Another great packet is Community: Integrated Math and Literacy Unit. In this Sheila (
the creator of the packet) has community words for a word wall, writing prompt sheets,
an envelope pattern, a community helpers flip book, a matching game (students match
the occupation to a common tool of the trade), a firefighter themed rhyming game with
student have to match the word on the fire to the fire truck work that rhymes, a police
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officer syllable sort, a short vowel sort, a community helpers spin and tally game, and a
teacher game to help students learn basic math facts. All of this can be found at
www.sprinkleteachingmagic.blogspot.com
11. Allow students to dress like a community helper.
12. Collect a variety of occupational hats and allow the students to pretend they are doing
the work of the community helper.

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