Building a Community(Grade 1)

Martha Xenakis

CTGE 5065

Spring 2010

Phase I - Relative Advantage

- Students will learn that they are part of a community and play a big role.

- They will learn how to build a map of the classroom and the school by exploring their environment.

-The map will be used as a tool to promote community and problem solving strategies.

- And they will also learn how to use a map as a guide and how they can become explorers.

Phase II - Objectives & Assessment

• The objective is for students to become familiar with working as a group and completing tasks academically and socially. They will learn that they play big a role in a community at home and in school.

• During the lesson they will create a map of their classroom and their school. Teacher will be able to assess how the students worked together. How they followed directions and their understanding of what a community is.

Phase III - Integration Strategies

• Instructional method will be Constructivist Strategy

– During the lesson the students will need to walk around their classroom and their school to explore what is around them

– Then they will come back to the classroom and start working on their maps individually or in a group

– They will have to work in groups, assign and share tasks in order to complete their maps

– At the end of the lesson they will be able to use a interactive activity on the computer to create their own map of their community

Phase IV - Prepare Instructional Environment

• Students will work individually and in groups assigned by the teacher

• Teacher will organize structure tours of the school in order for the students to see the school without disrupting others

• Teacher will arrange that the following items are accessible to the students– Books that students can read about communities and

working with others– Art supplies, Poster boards, Construction paper, etc– Computer with internet access– Actual maps– Various Magazines

UNIT PLAN• Day 1 – Teacher will read a book to the class where the

main character becomes familiar with its surroundings. Students will walk around their classroom with a map that the teacher created prior to the lesson to see what is in the classroom. The students will work individually and create their own map of the classroom

• Day 2 – Teacher will discuss the maps the students created the day before. Afterwards the teacher will ask if the students know where certain locations are in the school. The students will create a list of the locations. Then they will cut up specific shapes for specific locations that they are going to use to create the map of their school.

UNIT PLAN• Day 3 – Using the lists of the locations that the

students made the day before, they will take a tour of the school and see what they find. The teacher will encourage students to take down any notes they think they will need to help them create the school map.

• Day 4 – Students will take one last tour of the school to make sure they did not miss any locations. Using the lists and the specific shapes that they cut out form a previous class to create their school maps.

• (Teacher should keep in mind that the students might need couple of more days to complete their school maps.)

Activities

Mr. Rogers Neighborhood

Make a Neighborhood

Websites where the students can work together and create their community

Build Your Community

It’s a website where students select six businesses that they believe is important for their community.

Communities

Students will see what each person can contribute to the community.

Phase V – Evaluate & Revise Integration Strategies

The interactive activities will reinforce what the children learned in a positive and fun way.

The use of smart board would enhance the lesson by showing videos of different communities from around the world.

Evaluation of the school tours to confirm no major disruption to other classrooms

Exhibit maps around the hallways in order for other students to view their peers collaborative work.