Community Helpers

BY: Marie Pitsenbarger

and

Marybeth Alemagno

First Grade

Table of ContentsTitle Page

History • Standard and Websites• Activities 1 and 2• Activity 3• Activity 4• Activity 5

People in Societies• Standard and Websites• Activity 1• Activity 2• Activity 3• Activities 4 and 5

Geography • Standard and Websites• Activities 1 and 2• Activities 3 and 4• Activity 5

Economics•Standard and Websites•Activity 1•Activities 2 and 3•Activity 4•Activity 5Government •Standard and Websites•Activities 1 and 2•Activities 3 and 4•Activity 5Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities•Standard and Websites•Activities 1 and 2•Activities 3 and 4•Activity 5Social Studies Skills and Methods•Standard and Websites•Activities 1 and 2•Activity 3•Activity 4 and 5

History StandardStudents use materials drawn from the diversity of human experience to analyze and interpret significant events, patterns and themes in the history of Ohio, the United States and the world.

WebsitesAdditional Activities about Federal Holidayshttp://www.teacherlink.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/federalholidays.htmlLessons on Heroshttp://titan.iwu.edu/~9-11site/Webpages/LessonPlans/Hero%20Lesson.pdfFirefighter Picture of 9/11http://www.uwm.edu/People/closs/images/firefighters1024_768.jpgPresident J. F. K. Picturehttp://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=1899&rendTypeId=4Amelia Earhart Official Sitehttp://www.ameliaearhart.com/

History Activities 1 and 2ACTIVITY 1

Have the students research a president and their accomplishments. Discuss the importance of President’s Day and remembering their achievements of their president.

Materials:•Books of biographies of presidents•Pencil•Paper

ACTIVITY 2

Materials:•Large construction paper•Calendar Template•Crayons and Markers•Pencil

Have students create a calendar with one community helper they have learned and a brief sentence of the helper’s service to the community.

History Activity 3ACTIVITY 3

Have each student complete a page for a class book on the heroes (police men, fire fighters, nurses, and doctors) of 9/11. Have students fill in the following sentence: ________ was a hero on September 11, 2001 because _____________. Students will then draw a picture at the top of the page.

Materials:•New York's Bravest by Mary

Pope Osborne and Steve Johnson•Paper•Crayons

History Activity 4ACTIVITY 4

Students will read a book about Amelia Earhart and see one of the greatest female pilots of her time. After studying about her the students will create a poster explaining how a pilot is a community helper.

Materials:• Book recommendation A Troll First-Start Biography:  Young Amelia Earhart

: A Dream to Fly- Story  by Sarah Alcott, illustrations by James Anton• Poster board• Markers/ Crayons• Pencil

History Activity 5Activity 5

Have children create a personal timeline listing the community helpers they have encountered through major events in their lives.•Birth•Doctor/dentist visits•Schooling•Pet/s visits to vet•Any other encounters with community helpers

Materials:•Parents help in determining events and times•Photographs•Pencil•Crayon/Markers•Long strips of paper

People in Societies StandardStudents use knowledge of perspectives, practices and products of cultural, ethnic and social groups to analyze the impact of their commonality and diversity within local, national, regional and global settings.

WebsitesCommunity Helpers Themehttp://www.first-school.ws/theme/commhelpers.htmOur Community Helpershttp://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=5597Jobs of Community Helpers Review Gamehttp://www.hud.gov/kids/whatsjob.htmlMiller Construction Companyhttp://www.millerconstruction.com/Pavers by Designhttp://www.paversbydesign.net/

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People in Societies Activity 1ACTIVITY 1

Learning about community helpers, such as police officers, fire fighters and hospital workers, and taking community field trips will help students understand how they fit into their community and the world. Identify important aspects of community and culture that strengthen relationships within a family to create a family tablecloth for the classroom

Materials:•pictures of national symbols from all countries to represent community helpers laminated and glued onto poster boards•Books for researching different countries and symbols that represent a community helper•a light/plain tablecloth •paint and paint brushes •markers •table to lay tablecloth out on

People in Societies Activity 2ACTIVITY 2Have the children look through ethnic cook books and see what recipe they want to make. Have them create their own recipes by cutting out pictures of food and glue them to their recipe card. Children can then create names for their dishes and share their creation and the cultural backgroundMaterials:•Glue•Magazine pictures of food•Large index cards/Construction paper (recipe card)•Markers•Cook Book

People in Societies Activity 3ACTIVITY 3

After reading the folktale of Paul Bunyan we will discuss how he was a community helper too because all lumberjacks are. We will color this picture of Paul Bunyan and write on the back what lumberjacks do.

Materials

•Folktale of Paul Bunyan

•Picture

•Lined paper

•Pencil

•Markers/Crayons

People in Societies Activities 4 and 5

ACTIVITY 4The high school foreign language teachers will come and share how other cultures communicate. We will learn simple greetings in many different languages.Materials:

–Foreign Language teachers–Handouts of the different greeting pronunciations

ACTIVITY 5The local construction company will send a foreman to show the children how our culture uses wood, bricks, and other materials to build homes, while other cultures use mud, sticks, and leaves to build their homes! Together we will use materials to construct a home.Materials:

–The Construction worker–Popsicle sticks–Twine–Clay

Geography Standard Students use knowledge of geographic locations, patterns and processes to show the interrelationship between the physical environment and human activity, and to explain the interactions that occur in an increasingly interdependent world.

Websites Your Neighborhoodhttp://bensguide.gpo.gov/k-2/neighborhood/index.htmlEducation Worldhttp://www.educationworld.com/a_earlychildhood/newsletters/newsletterV02N09.shtmlCommunity Helper Costumeshttp://www.heirloomwoodentoys.com/Community-Helper-Dress-Up-Costume-Collection-pr-19816.htmlMapping Your Communityhttp://content.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf/t/TeachNow_MappingCommunity.pdfCommunity Services and Mapshttp://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeadult/IGLA/pdf/CommServiceGroup.pdf

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Geography Activities 1 and 2ACTIVITY 1

WHAT IS A COMMUNITY HELPER, ANYWAY?Encourage children to work on a definition of “community helper.” This will be a work in progress, constantly changing as children meet or learn about community helpers. Compare each community helper against the definition. (As the number of community helpers examined increases, the definition will become more generalized.)

Materials:•Chart paper•Marker

ACTIVITY 2

Materials:•Costumes and props

Children will dress up as a community helper and share with the class their costume. They will explain why they are dressed that way and what that community helper does to help our community.

Geography Activities 3 and 4

ACTIVITY 3

Identify symbols that can represent a community helper. Explain what a symbol is and how they are used.

cross for a Doctor, apple for a Teacher, book for a Librarian, tooth for a Dentist, star for a Police Officer, envelope for a mail carrier, fire for a Firefighter, bread for a baker, etc.

Materials•Chart paper •Marker

ACTIVITY 4

Using the symbols we made in activity 1 have students create a map of our town labeling the community helpers with our symbols.

Materials:•Tag-board•Markers•Map of our town

Geography Activity 5

ACTIVITY 5

Visiting the a fire department!

Using the map of the town we made, we will plan route we will take there and back. Such as turn left at the library, turn left at the stop sign. This will help with giving directions to a location.

Materials:•Our maps•A step by step direction route on chart paper•A marker to trace our route

Economics Standard Students use economic reasoning skills and knowledge of major economic concepts, issues and systems in order to make informed choices as producers, consumers, savers, investors, workers and citizens in an interdependent world.

WebsitesHierarchy of Needshttp://www.union.umd.edu/GH/basic_needs/images/maslows_hierarchy2.jpgElementary Economics Lessonshttp://www.moneyinstructor.com/elementary.aspAdditional Lessons on Economicshttp://www.glc.k12.ga.us/BuilderV03/LPTools/LPShared/displayunit.asp?UnitID=1468Economics Lessons Using Children’s Bookshttp://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/socialstd/Econ_Geog.htmlEcon-o-maniahttp://cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/fellows/Medvetz/webquest/

Economics Activity 1ACTIVITY 1

Identify the basic needs (food, safety, health) of human beings as a class. Determine how these needs are met and the roles of community helpers in meeting these needs.

People need ___________. A ___________ helps them by _____________.

Materials• Tag-board• Pencil• Crayons/ Markers

Economic Activities 2 and 3ACTIVITY 2

Children will categorize the jobs of various community helpers by the production of goods or the service offered. Have them do a free write journal on how these goods and services effect/benefit their community.

Materials:

- Chart for class categorizations

- Paper

- Pencil

ACTIVITY 3

Students will categorize objects as man-made or natural resources after learning the difference between the two. Discuss with the class the scarcity of resources and how that effects the community helpers who use those materials.

Materials:

- Chart for man-made and natural resources

- Paper

- Pencil

Economic Activity 4

ACTIVITY 4

Students will identify producers, consumers, goods and services targeted by selected advertisements. They will also work with a group to identify producers in their own community found in a local telephone book. As a class the students will discuss their findings and determine which of people they selected are community helpers.

Materials:

- Definitions of producers and consumers

- A few selected advertisements to discuss

- Local telephone books

- Paper

- Pencil

Economic Activity 5

ACTIVITY 5

Have each child select the job of a community worker. They should create a product or offer a service according to their community helper. Each member of the community (class) will set up shop or service area. Each student will receive a problem which they need to solve through the help of their community. The class must exchange or find means of obtaining goods and services without money.

Materials:

-Paper

-Crayons/ Markers

- Props

-Individual Problems based on the community

helper positions that the class chose

Government Standard Students use knowledge of the purposes, structures and processes of political systems at the local, state, national and international levels to understand that people create systems of government as structures of power and authority to provide order, maintain stability and promote the general welfare.

WebsitesCommunity Clubhttp://teacher.scholastic.com/commclub/officer/makbadge.aspMayor of Bellbrookhttp://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&q=Mayor+of&near=Bellbrook,+OH&fb=1&view=text&cd=3&hl=en&latlng=39642103,-84287750,9088378007191602798&ei=a5oeR-v8N4uKiwHP2J11Bellbrook Police Departmenthttp://www.usacops.com/oh/p45305/index.htmlOur Community Helpershttp://comsewogue.k12.ny.us/~rstewart/k2001/Themes/community/helpers.htmDrug Enforcement Agency http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/index.htm

Government Activities 1 and 2ACTIVITY 1Have a Police Officer come in and talk to the class telling them what he

does to make their neighborhood a safer place. He will then pass out police badges to all the studentsMaterials:

• Badges

• Police Man

ACTIVITY 2 “The Line Up!”The Police officer will fingerprint them and

trace their outlines as if they had committed

a crime and the students will decorate them

Materials:• White bulletin board paper• Makers• Crayons• Ink (for fingerprinting)

Ms. Alemagno

Government Activities 3 and 4ACTIVITY 3

The job of a police man is to ensure that everyone is following rules. In class make a list of rules for our own classroom. Each day there will be a “police officer of the day” to ensure everyone is following the rules.

Materials:•Chart paper•Marker•Police badges from previous activity

ACTIVITY 4 “Visit to the Mayor”

The class will go together and visit the Mayor. On their trip they will recognize symbols that represent democracy. They will begin to learn what exactly a democracy is.

Materials:•Clip boards to record symbols•Pencil•Bus to transport the students to the Mayor

Government Activity 5

ACTIVITY 5

After visiting the Mayor the children observed how a democracy is run. Our classroom will conduct an election to decide classroom responsibilities.

EX: Tyrone is good at sharing toys, Johnny is not. Tyrone should be the leader of playtime. The class will decide who should be in charge by a democratic vote.

Materials:

•Chart paper

•Marker

•Police badges from previous activity

Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities Standard

Students use knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in order to examine and evaluate civic ideals and to participate in community life and the American democratic system.

WebsitesGood Citizen Test http://www.goodcharacter.com/ISOC/Citizenship.html

The Five Themes of Citizenship http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr008.shtml

Additional Lesson on Citizenship http://www.civiced.org/index.php?page=constitution_day

More activities on The Judge: An Untrue Tale http://www.afb.org/braillebug/RCActivities.asp?bookid=32

Books and Lesson Plans on Community Helpers http://www.mesa.k12.co.us/2003/Departments/CommunityPartnership/Contextual%20Learning/Bonnie%20Teets/minibook%20lesson.pdf

Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities Activities 1 and 2

Activity 1

Watch Citizenship in the Community. Have them write a list of the community

workers that they see or are discussed in the video. Hold a grand discussion with

the children about citizenship.

Materials:

- Citizenship in the Community Video

-pencil

-paper

Activity 2

Read the book “The Judge: An Untrue Tale”

by Harve Zemach. Discuss the role of the judge

as a community helper. Discuss whether the judge provided fairness to those brought

before him. Create a venn diagram comparing how the judge helps the community

and the role of another community helper that has been recently discussed.

Materials:

-”The Judge: An Untrue Tale”

-Venn Diagram

Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities Activities 3 and 4

Activity 3Review the role of a judge as discussed in activity 2. Discuss with the class the

meaning of “fairness.” Select one child to play the judge. Have the rest of the children work in groups to demonstrate fairness through a skit. Give each group a situation and have the judge determine whether the group was fair to everyone involved.

Materials:-Short description of a situation to be acted out-Props

Activity 4Ask the children what they would like to be when they grow up. Do they want to

be a community helper? Talk about the importance of demonstrating citizenship traits in a future job such as trustworthiness, fairness, self-control, and respect for those in authority. Have the students draw a picture of themselves as a community helper demonstrating one of the qualities listed above. May have to limit the class to a specific trait if the class is struggling.

Materials:-Large paper for class list of positive character traits-Paper or tagboard-Pencil, crayons, or markers

Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities Activity 5

Activity 5

Discussion: Many community helpers such as police officers and teachers remind us to show respect to one another. What does it mean to respect someone? How can we show someone respect? Who should we show respect to?

Class Book: Create a class book titled “Respectful Citizens.” Review the term citizen with the children. Have each student make one page for the book filling in the blanks: I give ___________ respect when I _______________. They may illustrate their page by drawing or selecting an image from the computer or a magazine.

Materials:

- Tagboard or construction paper

- Pencil, markers, crayons.

- Hole Punch

- Magazines

- Yarn to tie book together

Social Studies Skills and Methods Standard

Students collect, organize, evaluate and synthesize information from multiple sources to draw logical conclusions. Students communicate this information using appropriate social studies terminology in oral, written or multimedia form and apply what they have learned to societal issues in simulated or real-world settings.

WebsitesFire Station Virtual Tourshttp://www.kent.k12.wa.us//curriculum/vtours/fire/tour.htmlOld Macdonald Had a Farmhttp://www.amazon.com/Old-Macdonald-Farm-Frances-Cony/dp/053130129X/ref=sr_1_6/002-4799466-0077660?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192825383&sr=1-6Graphic Organizerhttp://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=2985Community Clubhttp://teacher.scholastic.com/commclub/Software for kidshttp://i2.iofferphoto.com/img/1162713600/_i/15180511/1.jpg

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Social Studies Skills and Methods Activities 1 and 2

ACTIVITY 1 “Visit a local post office”

Discuss with children the role of mail carriers. Have children interview a mail carrier with questions previously discussed in class. During the tour show courtesy and respect and record the answers.

Materials:

-notebooks

-pencils

-list of interview questions

ACTIVITY 2

Have the children write a speech they can share orally with the class. The speech will be written as if they are that community helper. Children will explain what they do to help the community and how their job is important

Materials:

-note cards

-pencil

-books with information of a community helper

Social Studies Skills and Methods Activity 3

ACTIVITY 3

We will read the book Old MacDonald Had a Farm and identify the main idea on the worksheet below. We will then discuss the job of a farmer and how he is a community helper.

Materials:

-Old MacDonald Had a Farm by: Frances Coney

-Main idea worksheet

-Pencil

Social Studies Skills and Methods Activities 4 and 5

ACTIVITY 4

Students will together in a group setting and determine categories for sorting the community helpers they have learned. Examples of categories could be…..

Health School Safety

Materials:•Chart paper•Markers

ACTIVITY 5

Have the children obtain information about community helpers using a variety of resources, both orally(what they have learned) and visually(in books). Have them create a memory card game of community helpers and what they each one does to help the community. These memory cards will be used as a study tool to help study for their community helpers test.

Materials:•Index cards•Pencil•Variety of resource books