Lesson Plan #: AELP-CIV0005

Community Helpers

An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan

Submitted by: Shirley Sutton
School or Affiliation: Parkside Elementary, Powell, Wyoming
Endorsed by: These lesson plans are the result of the work of the teachers who have attended the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshop. CEC is a consortium of teacher from 14 western states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural, western, United States, and particularly the quality of math and science Education. CEC uses Big Sky Telegraph as the hub of their telecommunications network that allows the participating teachers to stay in contact with their trainers and peers that they have met at the Workshops.

Date: May 1994

Grade Level(s): Kindergarten, 1, 2

Subject(s):

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

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

Objectives: As a result of 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 successful 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 add to the list of the many, varied, and unusual jobs that people have.
  3. Share their stories with their classmates and families.
  4. Take field trips to appreciate the jobs performed by the various helpers.