Our community helpers

Each student will choose a different community helper. Once they have chosen their helper the student will then draw their community helper using Kid Pix. With the help of an adult they will be required to type one sentence about their helper. These pictures will be used to form a classroom book entitled Our Community Helpers.

A lesson plan for grade 1 Computer/Technology Skills and Social Studies

By Meredith Horne

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Related pages

• Introduction to community helpers: This is a introductory lesson to a unit on community helpers. It will begin to help students to identify different types of community helpers and the jobs they perform.
• Let's be firefighters!!!: In this lesson, we will look at firefighters and the role they play in our community. This lesson will familiarize the students with the types of equipment used by firefighters, the special clothing worn by firefighters, and the responsibilities each of them have in our community.
• Job twister: A lesson in career competency: Twister provides an excellent opportunity to discuss shared responsibilities at home/school as well as to demonstrate working together in a "movement" situation. Young children will enjoy the movement involved while learning directional words, such as right, left, etc. This lesson incorporates literature, technology, and motor skills.

Related topics

• Learn more about citizenship, community, community helpers, community services, hands-on, social studies, and technology skills.

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Learning outcomes

Students will be able to recognize community helpers and their different jobs. They will use their knowledge to draw pictures electronically by using the computer program Kid Pix and by making a class book.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

3 hours

Materials/resources

• Adopted Social Studies Book
• Various books about Community Helpers
• Chart paper
• Copy Paper
• Socks
• Markers
• Fabric scraps
• Yarn (yellow, brown and black)
• Buttons
• Construction paper
• 3 metal rings to bind book
• Glue for each student
• Scissors for each student

Technology resources

• Computer for each student
• Kid Pix software
• Printer

Pre-activities

The teacher will read aloud the community helpers section in the adopted Social Studies book. Each student will have been assigned to pick a book from the library about various community helpers. The teacher will then call on different students to read their book aloud.

Activities

1. Once the class has heard about a number of different helpers in the community, the teacher will conduct a whole class brainstorming session. With students seated around the teacher in a circle, the teacher should use chart paper and markers to brainstorm the different community helpers and their jobs. While brainstorming, encourage the students to think about which one they would like to draw and write about (Students have been working with Kid Pix throughout the year).
2. Each student will inform the teacher of which community helper they would like to draw by using Kid Pix. With each student seated at their own computer, they will begin to draw and paint their community helper. Inform each student to take their time and do a great job.
3. Once the picture is complete students will type a sentence under the community helper. An example might be “A fireman puts fires out.” Sentences may be more elaborate, but they do not have to be. While students are working at their computers, the teacher should be monitoring and answering any questions they may have.
4. When they have completed their work and the teacher has checked over it, the student may print his work out using the printer. Students must then turn their papers in to the teacher.
5. With all of the papers collected the teacher then informs students to shut down the computer that they were working on. The teacher uses the papers collected to compile a class book titled “Our Community Helpers.”

This activity should take approximately one hour.

Extension Activity

As an extension activity, students will prepare sock puppets of their community helpers in an art center.

1. The student must first select the sock that he would like to use. Next, they need to pick from the fabric squares to make the clothes. The students must understand that they need to pick the appropriate colors for their clothes.
2. Once they have chosen the fabric they need to cut the piece to fit the sock and cut a piece for the hat (if needed). Glue the fabric in place. When their sock is clothed they may pick two buttons and glue them on the sock to make eyes.
3. There should be three colors of yarn for the students to use for the hair. Make sure the yarn has already been cut, so that they only have to get 5 pieces and glue them on.
4. Last, they use a marker to draw the mouth on their puppet. The teacher is continually walking around and making sure that all students are on task and that none of them need help. When the project is complete each student should have a community helper sock puppet.

This activity should take approximately one hour. Display puppets on a table with some of the student’s library books and your class book. Invite your Principal and Assistant Principal to view the work, they are sure to be PROUD!

Assessment

The students will be assessed through the completion of the class book and their handmade puppets.

Comments

You could invite another class to come and see a live puppet show featuring community helpers.