comm_helper

Grade Level(s): Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and grade 1

Subject(s):

  • Social Studies/Civics

Description: Many children see, “Community Helpers,” only as those people who wear uniforms or have occupations that we see or hear about on television. The children often do not realize there are many other workers who contribute to a working community.

Goal: The purpose of this lesson is to help the children realize that it takes many, varies jobs for a city or town to work as a community.

Objectives: This activity, students will:

  1. As a group, list many, varied, and unusual jobs that people might have.
  2. Identify the purpose of the work done by their parents either in the home or outside of the home.
  3. Become aware of and appreciate many different jobs that make a working community.
  4. Involve parents in a school learning activity.

Materials:

Teachers Materials:

A note home (explaining the project and asking for parental help), chart paper, marker, adult helpers to write stories.

Student Materials:

Paper, pencil, crayons.

Procedure:

  1. Make a list together as a class of the many jobs people might have.
  2. Bring in a “tool of the trade” of one or both of their parents. The child should be able to explain the tool as a part of their parents work. (Examples: wrench, computer paper, measuring spoon, pampers.)
  3. Parents may come in to demonstrate their “tool of the trade.”
  4. The children will draw and write (or dictate) a story about a person using their parent’s tool.
  5. The children will draw and tell about what they might like to do when they grow up.

Tying it All Together:

  1. Display all the Community Helpers and the new “tools.”
  2. Have the children adjust to the list of the many, and unusual jobs that people have.
  3. Share their stories with their classmates and families.
  4. Have individual workers visit the classroom throughout the week, explaining what they do.

Extra Activities:

1). Pick stories that help describe in detail what the community helpers do.

2). Add this activity to your math subject by using shapes to create a working community. give student a large piece of construction paper, using only shapes have them create their own community helper city.

Lightweight Construction Paper 9 x 12 - 500 Sheets

3). Call around the city to see if the local fire department or police department can visit the classroom instead of making a field trip. Maybe find a restaurant owner come in a cook a lunch for the classroom guests.

4). Have the parents that have community occupations come in and describe what they do on a everyday basis. Could also bring someone in that has an unusual occupation that your jobs have not addressed.

5). Have students “dress the part,” for a play-like opportunity for students to demonstrate how a police person does their jobs. Have the student design the play to include all the parts needed to complete their presentation. See link below grade levels.