Focusing

Question
*Try answering 1
focusing question a
week

(Week 1)
What do we notice
about communities?

Possible Lessons/
Activities

Resources/Materials

Skills/Strategies

Independent/
Small Group/
Whole Class

Accessibility

-Showing pictures of
communities and charting
what we notice (natural
characteristics, buildings,
transportation, people,
etc.)

-Use computer application
that compares different
types of communities

-Coming up with a class
definition of community.

-Pictures/photos of
different kinds of
communities (schools,
parks, around the
world, cities, etc.)
collected from online
by teacher.

-DocCam/ Smartboard
for showing pictures

-Ipads for each student

-Chart paper

-Observing and
interpreting pictures of
communities.

-Inferring definition of
community from
pictures.

-Information, media, and
technology skills

Whole-class
Turn and talks with rug
partners

-Classify local community

-Using photographs and
illustration from picture
books to identify
characteristics of different
types of communities
(town, urban/city,
suburban)

-Using a Venn Diagram on
a Ipad to compare and
contrast two communities

-Books with
pictures/photos/videos
of different kinds of
communities (schools,
parks, around the
world, cities, etc.)
collected by teacher.

-DocCam/Smartboard
for showing pictures

-Chart paper

-Ipads for each student

-Classifying different
communities.

-Looking for patterns.

-Comparing and
contrasting two
communities.

-Information, media, and
technology skills

Whole-class
Turn and talks with rug
partners

-Introduce and develop

basic mapping skills
through reading,
navigating, and

-Local map for each

group (at least 15
copies)

-Map-reading skills by
using key symbols,
compass rose, scale.

Small groups (2-3)

*Heterogeneous: Mix of
students from different
reading levels

-The use of pictures

allows for multi-entry of
students.

-The use of technology
tools and resources.

-The use of DocCam and
Smartboard support
visual learners.

-Opportunity for partner
discussion as well as
whole group.

-Visual chart to refer to.

-The use of pictures/
videos allow for multi-
entry of students.

-The use of technology
tools and resources.

-The use of DocCam and
Smartboard support
visual learners.

-Opportunity for partner
discussion as well as
whole group.

-Visual chart to refer to.

- For struggling readers
and writers, students
may use pictures to
complete the Venn
Diagram.

-Opportunity for
students to work in small
groups and get a chance
to work with maps

Assessment

-Student responses in
class discussion.

-Class definition of
community.

-Use of technology to
understand content.

-Understanding of
community will assist
students in ability to
create their model of
their community.

-Classify different types

of communities.

- Compare and contrast
two different types of
communities.

-Use of technology to
demonstrate
understanding of
content.

-Using a Venn Diagram
to compare and
contrast.

-Understanding
differences in
communities will assist
students in ability to
create their model of
their community.

-Understanding how to
read maps.

-Labeling maps correctly.

understanding variety of
maps.


-Locate different places on
maps and label local
community map

-Chart of map symbols

-Analyzing maps.

easily.

-Mix of different reading
leveled students in a
small group will support
struggling readers who
may have difficulty
reading labels on map.

(Week 2)
Who make up a
community?

-Showing pictures/videos
of people/families around
the community and
charting what we notice.

-Watch video clips
introducing different jobs
people have in the
community to provide
goods and services to the
community.

-Creating a list of different
people in the community
or create T-charts about
workers and their duties
and responsibilities to the
community.

-Groups present what they
found

-DocCam/Smartboard
for showing pictures
and videos

-Chart paper

-T-chart (Workers and
Duties/Responsibilities)

-Building on one
anothers thinking

-Sharing of personal
knowledge

-Analyzing content from
various texts

-Differentiating roles of
community members
and jobs

Small groups (3-4)

*Choice, or Teacher
assigns group, students
are in groups with
students they get along
well with and share
similar interests.

-The use of pictures and

videos allow for multi-
entry of students.

-The use of DocCam and
Smartboard support
visual learners.

-Visual chart to refer to.

-Interpersonal students
are able to work with
classmates and learn
through interaction and
discussion.

-Discussion about
different how the
community is made up of
different people with
different backgrounds,
different types of families,
race, cultures, values, and
beliefs.

-Illustrate some of the
differences they see in the
people who live in their

-Ipads for each student

Alternative:
-Paper
-Color pencils

-Handling diversity of
interpretations

-Recognizing differences

-Sharing of personal
knowledge

Whole-class
Turn and talks
Independent

-Expression through
illustration and writing.

-The use of technology
tools and resources.

For advanced writers,
they are encouraged to
write a detailed
explanation about their
illustration and their
thoughts.

-Discussion with their
peers on what they
notice on maps.

-Understanding how to
read maps and what are
needed in maps will
assist students in ability
to create their model of
their community.

-Sharing of individual
knowledge and
information within group
setting

-Student discussions and
noticing.

-Identify and explain
different people and
their jobs in the
community.

-Use/completion of T-
chart.

- Understanding that
communities are made
up of members different
people will assist
students when they
create their model of
their community.

-Student responses in
class discussion.

-Naming different types
of families, race,
cultures, values, and
beliefs.

-Illustration
demonstrates
understanding of
differences in people.

own community and

provide brief explanation
of the differences
illustrated using the
Doodle Buddy app

-Invite local service

providers, local policy
makers merchants, school
administrators, etc. to
speak about their roles in
the community

-Local community
members (can be
parents as well)

-Interviewing

-Asking questions

-Building relationships
with community
members

(Week 3)
What are the needs of
people in a community?

- Look at (teacher-
collected) samples of
brochures and
advertisements and
discuss how they relate to
meeting the needs of the
community through online
tool Padlet

- Examine and categorize
the community resources
represented by teacher
samples (ie. health
resources, entertainment,
resources, food resources,
services, government
agencies, etc.)

-Gallery Walk to look over
different brochures and
artifacts from/relating to
the community that
students brought in.

-Discuss how they relate

-Brochures &
advertisements

-Smartboard

-Internet

-Chart paper

-Reading/
comprehending primary
documents

-Analyzing texts

-Discussing

-Categorizing

Whole-class
Turn and Talks with rug
partners

-Opportunity for partner

discussion as well as
whole group.

-The use of technology
tools and resources.

-Working in small groups
to build thinking.

-Use of technology to
understand content.

-Understanding that
communities are made
up of different people
with different
backgrounds, different
types of families, race,
cultures, values, and
beliefs.

-Connect to current
understanding of
community members

-Understanding the roles
of community members
will assist students as
they create their model
community.

-Student responses in
class discussion.

-Understanding of the
needs of people will
assist students when
they create their model
of their community.

-Brochures &
advertisements

-Chart paper

Ipads for each student

-Reading/
comprehending primary
documents

-Analyzing texts

-Discussing

Gallery Walk:
Independent

Discussion: Whole-class

-Opportunity for partner

discussion as well as
whole group.

-Gallery Walk for
students to get to see
the different brochures

-Student responses in
class discussion.

-Students identify the
features that make
brochures and
advertisements

Whole-class

-Direct meeting of
community member.

-Varied resources
including human
resources.


(Week 4)
What resources are
found in our
community?

to meeting the
communitys needs.

- Add to chart of
community resources in
the appropriate category.

-Examine brochures and
advertisements and
identify features that
make them attractive and
informational (ie. large
font, photos, bullets, text
length, etc.).

-Create a poster
advertisement that shows
how a certain community
resource meets their
needs (students can
choose to use app Art Set,
or make a handmade
poster)

-Visit places of students
interests within the
community and record
observations.

-Brainstorm characteristics
of local community that
make their community
special and how the
community provides for
their members.

Alternative:
-Art supplies: oil pastel,
glue, scissors,
magazines, paper,
color pencils, paint and
paint brushes, markers,
crayons, etc.

-Designing and creating

-Technology skills

-Voice recorders,
cameras, video
cameras

-Chart

-Read the lyrics to the

song Community
Helpers (to the tune of
Oh My Darling

-Sing the song
Community Helpers

-Chart paper with lyrics

to the song

-Examining community
features.

-Sharing of personal
knowledge.

-Building on one
anothers understanding
and thinking.

-Recording observations
through the use of
digital technology.

-Analyzing lyrics.

-Communicating through
melody and rhythm.

-Invite parents/guardians

-Local community

-Interviewing.

and artifacts students

brought in.

-Gallery Walk: Students
move around in the
classroom for the
activity.

-The use of technology
tools and resources.

-Express understanding
through design and
creativity.

attractive.

-Students create a
poster/advertisement
that shows how a
community meets their
needs.

-Use of technology to
create poster that
includes different
features on their
poster/advertisement.

-Understanding of
community needs will
assist students when
including necessary
components to their
community model.

Small groups (3-4)

*Choice or Teacher
assigns group, students
are in groups with
students they get along
well with and share
similar interests.

- Variety of methods of
recording (digital
technology).

-Visual chart to refer
to.

-Recording of
observations from
community walks.

-Students observations
will inform how they
create their community
model.

Whole-class

-Supports auditory and

kinesthetic learners.

-Visual chart to refer to.

Whole-Class

-Direct meeting of

-Understanding the roles

of community members
and how they help the
community will assist
students as they create
their model community.



-Connect to current


(Week 5)
How are members of a
community responsible
for serving and caring for
their community?

as guest speakers who

come to classroom to
share about themselves
(background and
interests) and how they
contribute to the
community.

members (can be
parents as well)

-Asking questions.

-Building relationships
with community
members.

-Watch news clips related

to community
issues/problems

-Brainstorm
responsibilities of
community members to
help their community be
safe, clean, and efficient.

-News clips, variety (at

least 3)

-DocCam/Smartboard
for showing videos

-Chart paper

-Analyzing community
issues/problems and
responsibilities.

-Synthesizing
information from a
variety of sources.

-Identifying overlap
between multiple
streams of information.

-Create a skit about being

a good citizen, and then
they will perform each
skit. Then, there will be a
group discussion over the
ways to help around their
community.

-Students may present in
class or record/video tape
their skits

-Skit props as
necessary

-Voice recorders,
cameras, video
cameras

-Dramatize short stories

using improvisation.

-Building on one
anothers thinking.

-Working in groups to
collaborate.

-Comparing and
contrasting.

-Recording through the
use of digital technology.

community member.

-Varied resources
including human
resources.

Whole-class
Turn and talks

Skit: Small group (3-4)

*Random/ Teacher
assigns group, random
students.

Discussion: Whole-class

-The use of news clips

allows for multi-entry of
students.

-The use of DocCam and
Smartboard support
visual learners.

-Opportunity for partner
discussion as well as
whole group.

-Supports visual and
kinesthetic learners.

-Use of variety of
resources.

-Students move around
in the classroom for the
activity.

-Variety of methods of
recording (digital
technology).

-Express understanding
through design and
creativity.

-Working in small groups
to build thinking.

understanding of
community members.

-Understanding the roles
of community members
will assist students as
they create their model
community.

-Student responses in
class discussion.

-Class definition of
responsibilities.

-Identifying community
issues/problems.

-Identifying
responsibilities of
community members.

-Creation of skit that
shares/identifies
characteristics of a good
citizen.

-Use of technology to
demonstrate
understanding of what it
is to be a good citizen.

- Identifying people who
are good citizens and
describe the character
traits that make them
admirable.