1. Social Studies Strands: Community Helpers
ED417-02
Andrea Priest
Becky Harrison

2. Table of Contents History People in Societies Geography Economics
Government
Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities
Social Studies Skills and Methods

3. Community Helpers Unit: Social Studies Grade Level: First Grade
Lesson: Community Helpers

4. History
Activities:
1. Create a community helpers collage that compares the past to the present
2. Using preprinted materials, students will create a time line of community helpers of the past and present
3. Students will create a community helper for the future and include the tools that they will use

5. History Activities (cont.):
4. Students will identify tools used by community helpers in the past, present, and future
5. Guest speaker (firefighter or mail carrier) will compare and contrast various changes in their profession throughout history

6. History Web sites http://www.usps.com/history/his2.htm
A complete history of the U.S. postal system
Complete history of Pony Express, including a bibliography, stations, and riders
Web site includes information about history, fire safety, special events, and a virtual tour

7. History
Web sites
Web site allows children to put community helpers in their correct building
Interactive web site invites children to read a short job description and match it to the community helper

8. People in Societies Activities:
1. Compare our community helpers to those of other cultures
2. Identify the person who performs community helper duties in other countries (i.e. gender, class, race)
3. Allow students to view various tools and uniforms from different countries

9. People in Societies Activities (cont.):
4. Discuss the availability of tools used by community helpers in other countries
5. Students will choose their favorite community helper from a different country and draw the uniform and tools that are used

10. People in Societies Web sites
Introduction to various community helpers
Discusses various helpers within the community

11. People in Societies Web sites
Resource for teachers which includes print outs and ideas
Interesting police links from Europe
Pictures of various police uniforms from Africa

12. Geography Activities:
1. Students will draw a map of their community and include locations of community helper buildings (i.e. fire station, post office, police station)
2. Identify various community helper symbols (i.e. flashing lights, red cross, etc.)
3. Create a graphic organizer that tells what community helpers do within their community

13. Geography Activities (cont.):
4. Allow students to select a pen pal from a different country to correspond with
5. As a class, conduct an interview of a person from a different country. Include questions about various community helpers in their country

14. Geography
Web sites
A webquest about where community helpers work and how they help us
Students place the community helpers in the correct building
Webquest allows children to click on various buildings within the community to learn more about that particular helper

15. Geography
Web sites
Printable materials about where a letter goes after it is mailed
Include detailed maps of various communities

16. Economics Activities:
1. Discuss how community members have to pay for certain services (i.e. doctor visit, stamps, fire fighters)
2. After creating a mock grocery store, give students a specified amount of money and have them determine what goods they can buy
3. Discuss how the use of technology has effected the postal service (i.e. decrease in letters mailed due to )

17. Economics Activities:
4. Have a banker come into the class and discuss some of his/her job responsibilities
5. Students will act out the money flow process (i.e. buying goods, selling goods)

18. Economics
Web sites
Printable materials discussing what basic economic processes occur around town
Provides ideas about how children can earn money to purchase goods
Various ideas regarding social studies curriculum

19. Economics
Web sites
Great resource for teachers that includes social studies themes, songs, lessons, and links
Teacher resource site

20. Government Activities:
1. Students will vote for their favorite community helper
2. Compare classroom rules to laws within the community
3. Create a list of community helpers who provide safety

21. Government Activities (cont.):
4. Identify public figures who make an impact on our immediate community (i.e. mayor, governor, president)
5. Discuss what happens when citizens within the community break rules/laws

22. Government
Web sites
Link to social studies lessons
Community helpers resource for teachers
Community helpers lesson plan

23. Government Web sites http://cuip.net/~yolostev/lesson-template1.htm
Interactive community helper web quest
First grade web quest about community helpers

24. Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities
Activities:
1. Create a graphic organizer which includes various community helpers. List the characteristics that make that helper a good citizen
2. Using the graphic organizer from above, list the responsibilities of the community helpers

25. Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities
Activities (cont.):
3. Discuss why community helpers wear flags on their uniforms
4. Invite a guest speaker to come into the class to speak about their rights and responsibilities as a community helper
5. Read the book, “Everyone Makes a Difference: A Story about Community” by Cindy Leaney and Peter Wilks

26. Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities
Web sites
Great citizenship activities and lessons
Introduction, standards, essential questions, lessons, resources, assessment, reflections, and examples of citizenship
Ben’s guide to government for kids

27. Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities
Web sites
27 activities related to community helpers
Resources, links, lesson plans, and activities for social studies

28. Social Studies Skills and Methods
Activities:
1. Draw a picture of a family member at work. Tell how the family member is a helper to the community
2. Group students together to present a community helper and discuss how they effect the community
3. List various facts that the students have learned and decide how to organize the information

29. Social Studies Skills and Methods
Activities (cont.):
4. Have students use posters and charts from the classroom to collect information on a specific helper
5. At the end of the unit, have students determine/discuss the main idea behind the title “community helper”

30. Social Studies Skills and Methods
Web sites
Great ideas for hands-on activities
Lesson plan directed towards rural community helpers
Various links related to social studies grades K-8

31. Social Studies Skills and Methods
Web sites
Links to web sites and lesson plans focused on the theme of community helpers
Search engine for students to explore community helpers