Social Studies Lesson Community Helpers ED Nicole Rosati

Social Studies Unit: Community Helpers Second Grade

Objectives  Students will identify community helpers and their jobs in the community.  They will understand the importance of each of these jobs in the community.  Students will become aware of and appreciate many different jobs that make a successful community.

Activity 1 Who are Community Helpers?  Community Helper Chart Teacher and students will create chart with class to determine what the children already know and want to know about community helpers. Teacher and students will create chart with class to determine what the children already know and want to know about community helpers.  Read Aloud Teacher will read the book Neighborhood Helpers. Teacher will read the book Neighborhood Helpers.  After Read Aloud As a class, add to the chart about what new learning the class acquired from the text. As a class, add to the chart about what new learning the class acquired from the text.

Materials for Activity 1  Book: Neighborhood Helpers  Chart paper  Markers

Activity 2 How did my letters get here?  Set up a table with books about mail delivery, writing letters, receiving letters etc.  Read the book: Delivering Your Mail: A Book about Mail Carriers by Ann Owen  Discuss the process of mailing letters, sending them and receiving mail.  Ask children if they have ever gotten a birthday card or letter from a friend, grandparent or other relative before.  Discuss with the class the importance of the mail carrier and his/her job of delivering mail. Millie Waits for the Mail by Alexander Steffensmeier We Need Mail Carriers by Lola M. Schaefer The Post Office Book: Mail and how It Moves by Gail Gibbons

Activity 2 Continued  Allow time for question and answers after reading the book.  Have the children write a letter to a family member of their choice.  Have them address their envelopes and add a stamp so they can be taken to the post office. If time allows during the week, take the students on a field trip to the post office to mail the letters. If time allows during the week, take the students on a field trip to the post office to mail the letters.

Materials for Activity 2  Book Delivering Your Mail: A Book about Mail Carriers by Ann Owen  Writing paper for the letters  Pencils, crayons (for pictures or illustrations)  Envelopes  Stamps  Addresses provided by parents for the students to address and mail the letters.

Activity 3 Visit from Police Officer  Invite a police officer to come and speak with the class to provide information on daily responsibilities, routines and to answer any questions the children may have about their job.  Prior to the visit in class, have students write down one to three questions in their journals that they want to know about Police Officers.

Activity 3 Continued  After the Police Officer visit, make a chart with the class of all the new information they have learned about what a police officer does.  To go along with our discussion about mail carriers, have the class write a collaborative or individual Thank You letter to the Police Officer for speaking in their classroom and state one new fact they learned.

Materials for Activity 3  Contact Police Officer to speak in class  Journals  Pencils  Paper  Envelopes  Stamps

 Read book I Want to be a Fire Fighter  Go over Fire Safety with the students and discuss it’s importance.  Get permission from school building principal to have a fire drill. (If this is not possible, talk with principal to allow second grade class to practice fire safety in case of a fire drill.)  Use a carpet or mat to have the students practice “Stop, Drop and Roll” drills  Give out “I am Fire Safe” certificates to the class after the days activities. Activity 4 “Stop, Drop & Roll” Fire Safety

Materials for Activity 4  Permission for Fire Drill  Carpet or Mat for “Stop, Drop and Roll”  Certificates with each student’s name on it after fire safety drills.  Book: I Want to be a Fire Fighter

Presentation Slide Activity 4 Fire Safety  DROP  ROLL

Activity 5 Community Helper Tools Formulate a list with the class of other important jobs in the community. Formulate a list with the class of other important jobs in the community. Send a letter home to parents in a newsletter or separate asking for a “tool” that represents their job and role in the community Send a letter home to parents in a newsletter or separate asking for a “tool” that represents their job and role in the community Examples can be simple or more specific depending on what they feel comfortable bringing to school. Gavel, stethoscope, flashlight, rolling pin, paint brush, tooth brush, flower, food etc.Examples can be simple or more specific depending on what they feel comfortable bringing to school. Gavel, stethoscope, flashlight, rolling pin, paint brush, tooth brush, flower, food etc.

Activity 5 continued  Students will bring in the “tool” that represents their parents job.  Each student will share with the class what their parent’s job is and how the tool is used. ( Let students know beforehand that if they would like, they can bring in notes from their parents to use in discussion about their jobs)  Read: Community Helpers from A to Z by Bobbie D. Kalman  For independent work, have the students take out their journals and write about what their favorite community helper job would be, what they would like to do when they grow up.

Materials for Activity 5  Letter to Parents  Parent’s participation for “tool”  Book: Community Helpers from A to Z by Bobbie D. Kalman  Journals  Pencils

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