Community Helpers

Created by:

Melissa P. Johnston

Title/Role:

Assistant Professor

Organization/School Name:

University of Kentucky

Location:

Kentucky

Grade Level:

Type of Lesson:

Lesson in a unit

Type of Schedule:

Flexible

Collaboration Continuum:

Moderate

Content Area:

Social studies

Content Topic:

Social studies unit on community helpers.

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner

Skills Indicator(s):

1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.

Dispositions Indicator(s):

3.2.2 Show social responsibility by participating actively with others in learning situations and by contributing questions and ideas during group discussions.

Responsibilities Indicator(s):

2.3.1 Connect understanding to the real world.

Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s):

2.4.3 Recognize new knowledge and understanding.

Scenario:

When meeting with the Kindergarten teachers during their monthly planning meeting, the school library media specialist (SLMS) participates in the planning of an upcoming unit on community helpers and what they do for our community. The curriculum objectives state that students should not only be able to name various community helpers such as the doctor, nurse, policeman, firefighter, teacher, and principal, but also identify what helpers contribute through their actions to make them a vital part of our community. The SLMS states that there are several literature choices that will support these objectives and volunteers to work with the teachers to create a lesson. The SLMS goes on to brainstorm with the teachers on this lesson idea. They agree that the SLMS will identify appropriate resources for the team, select literature for the lesson, and design a graphic organizer that will be used on the interactive whiteboard during the lesson. The teachers plan to introduce the unit and then visit the media center for a lesson during the second week of the unit. Following the lesson, the teachers will continue to build on what students have learned and also identify areas where students might need further assistance.

Overview:

In a theme unit on community helpers, Kindergarten students will name a range of community helpers and be able to describe how they perform their major roles. The essential questions for this unit include: Who are community helpers? How do they help us?

Final Product:

Students complete an SLMS-created graphic organizer that connects community helpers with the tools they need to do their jobs. Each student will choose one helper to explain how he or she uses their tools in their role they play in the community.

Library Lesson:

Students will learn that they need to recall prior knowledge from their own experiences, and classroom learning.

Estimated Lesson Time:

30 minutes

Assessment

Product:

SLMS and teacher assess the completed graphic organizers on the following criteria: (1) correct match of helper with tool, (2) checklist that each student illustrates understanding of how their chosen community helper uses their tools to make a contribution to the community.

Process:

SLMS and teacher observe students as they work on their graphic organizers and listen as they describe the connection between the tools their chosen community helper uses and their role in the community.

Student self-questioning:

Did I understand my task? Did I listen carefully enough to find the information I need? Did I use information I already knew? Did I participate and contribute to the group learning activity?

Instructional Plan

Resources students will use:

Text (books, letters, poems, newspapers, etc.)

Resources instructor will use:

Projector

Smart board

Other

Other instructor resources:

computer

Instruction/Activities

Direct instruction:

Engage students by showing the book covers chosen for the lesson on the interactive whiteboard with photographs of community helpers rotating through as class comes in. Begin with a discussion about what they know about community helpers from personal experience or from classroom instruction. SLMS and teacher review with students what they have been learning in their classroom to make connections and identify purpose for the lesson. The SLMS then reads the literature selection questioning and emphasizing keys points throughout the story.

Modeling and guided practice:

SLMS explains the graphic organizer and demonstrates how to use it and the interactive whiteboard by modeling an example with the teacher.

Independent practice:

To demonstrate what they have learned by accurately completing the graphic organizer, students volunteer to come up to the whiteboard and connect the community helper picture with the tools that they need to do their job.

Have you taught this lesson before:

Yes