Fox, Denis & Weinberg 1

Families in Communities

Grade Level 1
Duration for the unit: 5 days

Lauren Fox, Daniela Denis and Rebecca Weinberg

Nicole Lent
Unit Plan
Spring 2014

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Table of Contents
Description of School and Students3
Rationale.4
Standards.5
Content Overview7
Goals for the unit .8
Five Lesson Plans .9
Reading and Creating Maps..... 9
Community Helpers 12
Being a Good Citizen..15
Modifying the Environment18
Keeping our Environment Clean ....21
Resources..23
Final Evaluation of the Unit..24
Culminating Activity..24

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Description of School and Students

Description of the Setting
School Site
A. The grade levels at our school are K, 1, 2 and 3rd for the elementary school.
B. The number of students in the school is 357.
C. The cultural make-up of the students is
a. White
i. K- 56
ii. 1st- 52
iii. 2nd - 62
iv. 3rd - 61
b. African American
i. K- 13
ii. 1st - 20
iii. 2nd- 16
iv. 3rd- 10
c. Asian
i. K- 6
ii. 1st - 6
iii. 2nd- 7
iv. 3rd- 7
d. Native Hawaiian
i. 1st- 4
e. Hispanici. K- 13
ii. 1st- 10
iii. 2nd-17
f. Unspecified- 0
Students and Class Setting
The class size is ideal. They go directly to their seats and get their supplies ready for the
class to begin.
a. We have 22 students in the class.
b. There are 10 males and 12 females.
c. There are 3 students with ADHD and 1 ELL student. Students are above, average
or below grade level in academics.

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Rationale
This unit is designed for first grade. The unit is focused on teaching students
about communities. Specifically, the unit focuses on what impact directions, environment, and people have on a community. A combination of the lessons included in this
unit will give students the opportunity to see how each one of these factors contributes to
and influences a community. This unit is appropriate because it is aligned to what the Social Studies Scope and Sequence state that first graders should be learning. Further, the
unit is structured in a way that students will be able to see, understand, and apply how the
factors are included in a community and the impact they have. This unit is vital because
students must know the contributing factors to a functioning community. This unit shows
students how each member contributes, how the student him/herself can contribute, and
how location and environment impact a community. This is important information for
students to learn and understand so they can grow up to be contributing members of their
communities. In this unit, students will have the opportunity to create their own map, create their own photo album of community workers, consider and show how they can
help our environment, be a good citizen, and come up with ways we modify our environment. Students will be given the opportunity to think beyond what we have read about
and discussed. Further, they will be given opportunities to interact with classmates and
share their work.

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Standards
Reading Standards
R.I. 1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text
R.I. 8. Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text
Writing Standards
W.1. Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are
writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense
of closure.
W.11. Create and present a poem, dramatization, art work, or personal response to a particular author or theme studied in class, with support as needed.
Speaking and Listening
SL.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care,
speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
b. Build on others talk in conversations by responding to the comments of other
through multiple exchanges.
c. Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.
d. Seek to understand and communicate with individuals from different cultural
backgrounds.
Social Studies
1.3.b. An engaged and active citizen participates in the activities of the group or community and makes positive contributions.
1.4.a. Citizenship begins with becoming a contributing member of the classroom community.
1.5.c. Children can participate in problem solving, decision making, and conflict resolution within their home, school, and community.
1.6.a. Physical features and manmade structures can be represented on maps and globes
to help us understand and visualize our world.
1.6.c. Maps and map tools, such as legends and cardinal directions, can help us navigate
from one place to the next, provide directions, or trace important routes.
1.6.d. Maps are used to locate important places in the community, state, and nation such
as capitals, monuments, hospitals, museums, schools, and cultural centers.

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1.7.a. People and communities depend on the physical environment for natural resources.
1.7.b. Roads, dams, bridges, farms, parks, and urban dwellings are all examples of how
people modify the physical environment to meet needs and wants.
1.7.c. People interact with their physical environment in ways that may have a positive or
negative impact.
1.11.c. Individuals, groups, and communities provide facilities and services to help people meet their universal needs, especially when families are struggling on their own.

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Content Overview
In this unit, students will be learning about communities and the different factors
that contribute to a community. Specifically, students will be learning the impact that direction, environment, and people have in a community. Through the lessons included in
this unit, students will be learning how to read and create maps, what jobs are included in
a community, their own role in the community, and the importance of the environment to
a community. The activities included in the lessons aim to help students to apply what
they are learning to their own communities.
The first task students are given is to create their classroom. Students will be creating their maps after reading a book about maps and working on a few mapping activities together. This is a tiered activity to make it accessible to students at different levels.
Thus, directions for this activity will vary slightly for low, middle, and high groups.
The second task students are given in the unit is to consider the community workers we have learned about and discussed (or others that we have not addressed) and
show/explain how this helper contributes to our community. This is also a tiered activity,
so directions and adjustments will vary depending on the level.
The third task in this unit has students considering their own role in their communities. Students will hear the book Being a Good Citizen as a read-aloud. Following the
read-aloud, students will be asked to come up with ways that they help out in their own
communities. Once again, this activity is tiered to access different ability levels.
The fourth task in this unit asks students to consider ways that humans modify the
environment. Students will hear the book, You Wouldnt Want to Work on the Brooklyn
Bridge!: An Enormous Project That Seemed Impossible. After hearing and discussing
this book, students will work on a tiered activity that asks them to think of other ways
(other than bridges) that humans have modified the environment.
The fifth and final task in this unit asks students to consider the environment and
think about how they can help the environment and go green. After reading the book,
What Does it Mean to be Green, students will be asked to attempt to convince the mayor
of their make-believe community to enforce a law that will help the environment. Thus,
this activity will require students to come up with things that can help the environment
and put that into pictures or words to send to the mayor.
The content in this lesson is meant to teach students the different factors that contribute and impact a community. Students will learn the importance of people, environment, and directions in a community. The tasks that students are given are provided to
allow students to apply what they learn through reading about and discussing the different elements of a community. Students are challenged by applying through creation and
applying through coming up with new and different ideas. Through these tasks, students
will work on different skills such as writing, persuasive writing, drawing, and creative
and critical thinking.

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Goals for the unit

Essential Question
The essential question for the unit is: What impact do direction, environment,
and people have in a community?
In order to teach to this essential question, lessons have been created so that each
aspect of the essential question is targeted. Some of the lesson topics include using and
creating maps, how we modify the environment, the importance of maintaining a clean
environment, the jobs that run a community, etc. Each lesson will focus on one aspect of
the essential question. The end of the unit will include an assessment/wrap-up activity
which will bring it all together to students to help them see how each of these aspects is
important to a community.
Student Outcomes
1. Students will be able to read maps and create their own maps
2. Students will be able to determine how and why different community helpers are
important to our community
3. Students will be able to determine their own role in their communities
4. Students will be able to explain and understand how humans modify the environment to suit our needs
5. Students will be able to understand why it is important to maintain a clean environment and what we can do to create a cleaner environment

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Five Lesson Plans

Unit: Families in Communities
Grade Level: 1st Grade
Lesson #1: Reading and Creating Maps

Objective:
Students will be able to read and understand maps as well as create their own map of the
classroom.
Essential Question:
Why are maps important and how can they help us?
Standards:
Social Studies:
Places in a community can be located on a map and a globe 3.1a, 3.1b
Cardinal directions can be used to locate places and physical features of a community
3.1c
There are important places in communities (monuments, parks, public buildings and
places) 1.1a, 3.1c
1.6.a. Physical features and manmade structures can be represented on maps and globes
to help us understand and visualize our world.
1.6.c. Maps and map tools, such as legends and cardinal directions, can help us navigate
from one place to the next, provide directions, or trace important routes.
1.6.d. Maps are used to locate important places in the community, state, and nation such
as capitals, monuments, hospitals, museums, schools, and cultural centers.
Language Arts:
R.I. 1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text
R.I. 8. Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text
W.1. Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are
writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense
of closure.
W.11. Create and present a poem, dramatization, art work, or personal response to a
particular author or theme studied in class, with support as needed.
SL.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

Fox, Denis & Weinberg 10

B. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care,
speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
C. Build on others talk in conversations by responding to the comments of other
through multiple exchanges.
D. Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.
E. Seek to understand and communicate with individuals from different cultural
backgrounds.
Skills:
Read and understand a map
Use cardinal directions to move around a map
Know and apply key terminology related to maps (cardinal directions, legend/key,
compass rose)
Create a map of the classroom with all necessary components
Procedure:
1. The teacher will begin the mini-lesson by reading the book, Me on the Map by Joan
Sweeney.
2. Throughout the reading the teacher should stop to make the reading relevant to the
students (i.e. Who can point out where the country we live in is on this map? Who
can point out where the state we live in is on this map? Who has been to one of the
other states?)
3. After reading the book, the teacher should create a map of the town that the students
live in or the school playground (or some place that everyone in the class is familiar
with). The teacher should be sure to model how to include all of the components
(compass rose, legend) and how to determine where to place each item on the map.
Active Engagement:
1. Next the students and the teacher should work together to create a map of the
classroom. The teacher should start by establishing the door to the classroom, the
teachers desk, the windows, etc.
2. The teacher should invite students up to draw different classrooms and features of
the classroom on the map.
3. The teacher should allow students to determine what other objects or parts of the
classroom should be included on the map.
4. Once the map is completed, the teacher should ask a few questions to help students to read the map (i.e. in what direction would we travel to go from the cubbies to the window)?
Independent Practice:
Low:
Draw and label a map of the school on the provided grid paper. The provided word bank
will let you know what to include on your map (Word Bank: Our Classroom, Main Office, Gym, Nurses Office, Art Room, Library, Cafeteria, Front Door, Music Room, Au-

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ditorium). Using a colored marker, draw how someone could get from our classroom to
the main office.
Middle:
Draw and label a map of the school on the provided grid paper. Then, using cardinal directions, give a written explanation as to how someone could get from our classroom to
the main office. Then use at least 1-2 sentences to explain how your map could help
someone who has never been to our school before.
High:
Draw and label a map of the school on the provided grid paper. Then, using cardinal directions, write out directions for someone who is looking to go from our classroom to the
main office and then from the main office to the gym. Then in a few sentences (at least 3)
explain why maps are important. Include an example of a time a map might be useful to
you.
Share:
Students will display these maps around the classroom and engage in a gallery walk. This
will allow students to compare and contrast their maps, as they all created maps of the
same thing. Further, they will get to see how maps of the same place/thing can slightly
differ.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on the maps they have created during the independent practice.
Further, each student will write a footprint that tells one thing they are taking away from
todays lesson.

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Unit: Families in Communities

Grade Level: 1st Grade
Lesson #2: Community Helpers

Objective:
Students will be able to determine how different types of community workers contribute
to and help our community.
Essential Question: How do community helpers contribute to and impact our community
Standards:
Social Studies:
Communities provide services to families 2.3a, 5.1c
People in communities rely on each other for goods and services 4.1a, 4.2
1.3.b. An engaged and active citizen participates in the activities of the group or community and makes positive contributions.
1.4.a. Citizenship begins with becoming a contributing member of the classroom community
1.5.c. Children can participate in problem solving, decision making, and conflict resolution within their home, school, and community.
1.11.c. Individuals, groups, and communities provide facilities and services to help
people meet their universal needs, especially when families are struggling on their own.
Language Arts:
R.I. 1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text
R.I. 8. Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text
W.1. Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are
writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense
of closure.
W.11. Create and present a poem, dramatization, art work, or personal response to a
particular author or theme studied in class, with support as needed.
SL.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking
one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
Build on others talk in conversations by responding to the comments of other through
multiple exchanges.
Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.

Fox, Denis & Weinberg 13

Seek to understand and communicate with individuals from different cultural backgrounds.
Skills:
Give examples of community helpers
Understand that community workers help our community to run smoothly
Describe how each type of community helper contributes to our community
b.Explain the importance of the different community helpers
Procedure:
1. The teacher will begin the mini-lesson by reading the book, Career Day by Anne F.
Rockwell and Lizzy Rockwell.
2. Throughout the reading the teacher should stop to make the reading relevant to the students and to check for understanding (i.e. Jessicas mother is a veterinarian. Does anyone in here know a veterinarian? What does a veterinarian do? How does that help our
community? What would it be like if we didnt have veterinarians?)
3. After reading the book, the teacher will choose one of the community helpers mentioned in the book (i.e. construction worker). The teacher will model explaining why a
construction worker is important to our community (i.e. In the story, Pablos father is
a construction worker. A construction worker is someone who builds buildings, houses,
structures, bridges, etc. One reason a construction worker is important to our community is because they are the people who build the school we are learning in, the house I
live in, and the supermarket I do my grocery shopping in). The teacher can present this
how he/she wants (bullet, draw a picture, etc).
Active Engagement:
Next the students and the teacher will sing the song Community Helpers together.
The teacher should display the song on the board and give each student their own
copy so that they can follow along.
After singing the song twice through, the students and the teacher will work together
to highlight the different community workers mentioned and the description of what
they do.
The teacher should model this first and then call on students.
Before moving on to other community workers, the teacher and the students should
brainstorm other ways (that are not mentioned in the song) that these community
helpers contribute to our community.
Next the teacher should work with students to come up with the importance of a Police Officer. Together the students and teacher will generate a list of what a Police Officer does for a community and why it is important.
Independent Practice:
Low:
We are all community helpers in some way. Choose one of the community helpers in
your family (Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle, Grandma, Grandpa). Draw a picture of the type of
community helper your family member is. Your picture should show what he/she does

Fox, Denis & Weinberg 14

for our community. Be sure that your drawing is not just a picture of the person, but it
actually shows what the person does in our community!
Middle:
We are all community helpers in some way. Choose one of the community helpers in
your family (Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle, Grandma, Grandpa). Draw a picture of the type of
community helper your family member is. Your picture should show what he/she does
for our community. Then write what this person does for our community by using these
sentence starters: This is a picture of my __________________. He/she is
a(n)___________________. He/she helps our community by
___________________________________.
High:
We are all community helpers in some way. Choose one of the community helpers in
your family (Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle, Grandma, Grandpa). Explain the role of this community helper in our community. What does this person do in our community? Why is
his/her role important? What would happen if we didnt have this type of community
helper? You can draw a picture of the community helper if you wish to!
Share:
Students will display these drawings and descriptions around the classroom and engage in
a gallery walk. Afterwards, we will display these on a bulletin board on the classroom
titled, Our Families Help our Community to Run Smoothly! This will allow students to
see the different types of community helpers that are in their own families. Further, it will
allow for some diversity so that students are not all choosing the same type of community
helper to write about.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on the community helper products they created during the independent practice. Further, each student will be asked to submit an exit slip that answers
the question, Why are community workers important to our community? You can include an example if you would like.

Fox, Denis & Weinberg 15

Unit: Families in Communities

Lesson #3: Being a Good Citizen

Objective
Essential Question:

What is a school and what does it mean to be a good citizen of a school community?

How do communities provide for families?

Students will be able to:

Know what a citizen is and the responsibilities a citizen has to his/her community

Standards:
Social Studies Standards
Citizenship and Community:
- People are citizens of a community, city, state, and nation 5.1a, 5.3b
- Citizens respect their community 5.3b, 5.3c
- Citizens know and obey the communitys rules and laws 5.3b, 5.3c
- People can be community leaders 5.3e
- Members of communities, cities, states, and nations have rights and responsibilities 5.1e, 5.3c, 5.3d, 5.3f
- People elect officials to represent them
- People participate in the democratic process by voting responsibly 5.3e, 5.4
- Rules and laws can be changed 5.3e
Reading Standards
B. R.I. 1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text

Motivation/connection
The connection will be made from the previous lessons involved in the unit.
Procedure
1. Start the lesson by giving the students a post it. The students will need to write what
it means to be a good citizen and put it on the board. The teacher will read their re-

Fox, Denis & Weinberg 16

2.

3.

4.

5.

sponses and will refer back to it at during/end of the lesson.

The teacher will show the brain pop video on Citizenship. The teacher will be able to
stop and ask questions during the video. The teacher may also refer back to their post
it notes.
The teacher will begin reading the book, Being a Good Citizen by Mary Small, to the
students. Throughout the book, be sure to stop and check for understanding. Discuss
the vocabulary that is being mentioned in the reading, and be sure to note these words
for the word wall. Keep students very involved during the reading (ask questions, answer any questions students have, etc).
After reading the book, be sure to check for understanding. See if students have any
questions about what has been read so far. Ask the students what the book was about.
Ask the students what was familiar to them.
After reading the book, the teacher should give some examples of how she helps out
in her community. She should either draw a picture or bullet different things she does
in her community to be a good citizen.

Active engagement
1. The students will watch a Brain PopJr. Video on Citizenship. This video is great for
the students because they enjoy watching videos.
2. During the video, the teacher may stop and ask the students questions.
3. Following the video, the teacher should draw a word bubble on the board with the
phrase Being a Good Citizen written in the middle.
4. Together, the teacher and students can come up with some ways to be a good citizen,
that they read and heard about during the lesson. This will get students ready for the
independent practice.
Independent practice
We will read this book to students and they will then determine what it means to be a
good citizen. For the activity, students will think about what they can do to be a good citizen.
Low:
Draw a picture of how you help out in your community (school, home, etc).
Middle:
Draw a picture of how you help out in your community and describe how you are helping
out in your community.
High:
Describe your role in at least two different communities (school, home, church, town,
etc). Why is your role important to these communities? Then, write what else you can do
to help out in your community. You may support your answer with a drawing if you wish
to.
Share

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Students will share their assignments with the class and recap the information learned in
the text/video in the beginning of the lesson.
Assessment
Students will be assessed by their independent practice and their responses in the group
discussions will assess the students. Further, students will be asked to write on a notecard, one thing they learned that they can do to help in their community. We will post this
to a bulletin board titled, What I Can Do to Help in My Community!

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Unit: Families in Communities

Grade Level: 1st Grade
Lesson #4: Modifying the Environment

Objective:
Students will be able to produce and explain different ways that humans modify the environment.
Essential Question:
How do humans modify the environment to suit their needs?
Standards:
Social Studies:

There are natural and manmade resources in communities 3.1a, 4.1d

Communities are influenced by geography 3.2a
People adapt and make changes to the environment 3.1e
Geographic features influence communities 3.1e, 3.2a
Communities use human and natural resources in different ways 2.3c, 3.1a, 3.1d, 4.1d
Geography and natural resources shape where and how communities develop
3.1a, 3.1e, 3.2a, 3.2b
1.7.a. People and communities depend on the physical environment for natural resources.
1.7.b. Roads, dams, bridges, farms, parks, and urban dwellings are all examples of how
people modify the physical environment to meet needs and wants.
1.7.c. People interact with their physical environment in ways that may have a positive
or negative impact.
Language Arts:
R.I. 1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text
R.I. 8. Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text
W.1. Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are
writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense
of closure.
W.11. Create and present a poem, dramatization, art work, or personal response to a
particular author or theme studied in class, with support as needed.
SL.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

Fox, Denis & Weinberg 19

Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking
one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
Build on others talk in conversations by responding to the comments of other
through multiple exchanges.
Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.
Seek to understand and communicate with individuals from different cultural backgrounds.

Skills:
Understand that humans modify the environment to suit their needs
Give examples of ways humans have modified the environment
Explain why humans modify the environment
Give specific examples of ways humans have modified the environment in the past
Describe how these modifications have been useful to us
Procedure:
1. The teacher will begin the mini-lesson by reading the book, You Wouldnt Want to
Work on the Brooklyn Bridge!: An Enormous Project That Seemed Impossible by
Thomas Ratliff.
2. Throughout the reading the teacher should stop to make the reading relevant to the
students and to check for understanding (i.e. Has anyone ever seen and/or been over
the Brooklyn Bridge? What would be the purpose of building the bridge? What are
some other bridges that have been built? What two places to those bridges connect?)
3. After reading the book, the teacher should give students another example of a way
that humans have modified the environment (i.e. building roads). The teacher should
model explaining how building roads has helped humans (i.e. They help us get from
one place to another, they make it easy to drive on, it is helps humans to communicate
about location to one another). The teacher should display this somehow on the board
(i.e. word bubble, bullets, etc).
Active Engagement:
Next the students and the teacher should work together to think of another way(s)
humans have modified the environment.
The teacher should give an example of one way and then allow students to give other
examples.
The teacher should encourage students to take time to think of some good examples.
Once the teachers and the students have come up with a solid list of examples, they
should discuss these examples. How have they helped humans? What would happen
if we didnt modify the environment in that way?
Independent Practice:
Low:
Using whatever materials are available to you in the classroom, create an example of one
way humans have modified the environment. This can be a drawing, painting, structure,
diagram, etc. Be creative!

Fox, Denis & Weinberg 20

Middle:
Using whatever materials are available to you in the classroom, create an example of one
way humans have modified the environment. This can be a drawing, painting, structure,
diagram, etc. Be creative! Then fill in the blanks to describe your creation: One way
humans have modified the environment is by ______________________________. One
reason modifying the environment in this way is helpful is because
________________________________.
High:
Using whatever materials are available to you in the classroom, create an example of one
way humans have modified the environment. This can be a drawing, painting, structure,
diagram, etc. Be creative! Along with this creation, you should also write a brief description that answers the following question: What modification have you chosen to model?
How has this modification helped humans? What do you think life would be like if we
hadnt had this modification? Does this modification help you specifically? How?
Share:
Students final products will be displayed around the classroom so that students can view
classmates work as part of a gallery walk. This will give students the opportunity to see
the different ideas other students came up with.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on the final products they created during independent practice.
Further, each student will write a footprint that tells one thing they are taking away from
todays lesson.

Fox, Denis & Weinberg 21

Unit: Families in Communities
Grade Level: 1st Grade
Lesson: Keeping our Environment Clean

Objective:
Students will be able to come up with ways that the community can help the environment
and go green.
Essential Question:
What does it mean to go green and how can we create a cleaner environment to live in?
Standards:
R.I. 1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text
R.I. 8. Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text
1.7.a. People and communities depend on the physical environment for natural
resources.
1.7.c. People interact with their physical environment in ways that may have a
positive

Skills:

Reading
Writing
Comprehending
Drawing

Procedure:
1. The teacher will start the lesson by reading the story What it Means to be Green by
Raina DiOrio on the carpet.
2. The teacher should stop throughout the book to check for understanding and to help
make the book relevant for students (i.e. What are some things you do that are
environmentally-friendly? What do we do in the school that is environmentallyfriendly?)
3. The students will be asked to point out different examples of keeping the community
clean and if certain characters are going green.
4. The teacher will choose one of the examples of going green. Then, the teacher will
model writing a letter/creating an advertisement to encourage citizens to follow this
behavior.

Active Engagement:
1. The teacher and students will brainstorm different ways of going green.

Fox, Denis & Weinberg 22

2. For each example, the teacher and students should determine how this would create a
cleaner environment.
3. To ensure students understand the assignment, the teacher and students will pick one
more example. Together they will brainstorm how they could advertise for citizens to
follow this behavior and how this behavior would create a cleaner environment. Then
they will outline what they would write to the Mayor if they were writing a letter.
Independent Practice:
Low:
Create a poster that displays one way for the community to go green. The poster should
display something that you want everyone in the community to do to help our environment. We will send these to the Mayor to try to persuade him to create a law which requires our community to follow this behavior!
Middle:
Create a poster that displays one way for the community to go green. The poster should
display something that you want everyone in the community to do to help our environment. At the bottom of the poster, write to the Mayor by filling in these blanks: Mayor
Green, in order to make our community cleaner, we should
_____________________________. Please encourage our citizens to do this so that we
can live in a cleaner, greener environment!
High:
Create a poster that displays one way for the community to go green. The poster should
display something that you want everyone in the community to do to help our environment. At the bottom of the poster, write a letter to the Mayor to persuade him to enforce
this behavior as a law. The letter should answer the following questions: What do you
want citizens to do? Why should citizens do this? How will this improve our environment?
Share:
Once all the students are finished they will rotate from table to table to see what their fellow classmates created. The class will then come together to discuss what they like about
each of the different Go Green ideas.
Assessment:
The students will assessed on their Go Green posters/letters to the Mayor. The students
will also be given a cut out of a leaf, and they will be required to write one way that they
will go-green and will color it green. They will then be hung up on our class bulletin
board which will contain giant tree to hang the leaves on.

Fox, Denis & Weinberg 23

Resources
www.pbs.org/teachers
This is a great resource for teachers for any subject and any grade level. In relation to this
unit specifically, there are plenty of great activities, lesson plans, and tips for teachers to
use with first grade students. By simply browsing the K-2 resources or searching for a
specific topic (i.e. community), teachers can come up with great resources to use with
this unit. Some of the activities in this unit were found on this website.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/commclub/
This is a great website for students to use with this unit. Through this website, there are a
list of different community helpers students can learn about. Students click on the specific helper (i.e. Pediatrician) and learn all about what they do to help the community.
Further this helps students who are learning to read because it allows students to read
along while listening to the audio recording of the words that appear on screen. Each
helpers story is accompanied by pictures. Students can go through this individually or it
can be shown to the class. Additionally, under the link Environmental Studies students
can learn how they can help the environment, and under Civics and Government students can learn about the president and his role in the community.
http://www.brainpopjr.com
This website offers a number of fun games and activities for students to explore. Included
on this website are a number of videos, games, and activities about community helpers
and workers, recycling and helping the environment, and different environmental modifications such as the Brooklyn Bridge, etc. This is a great website for students to explore
on their own or to explore as a class.
Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney
Career Day by Anne F. Rockwell and Lizzy Rockwell.
Being a Good Citizen by Mary Small
You Wouldnt Want to Work on the Brooklyn Bridge!: An Enormous Project That
Seemed Impossible by Thomas Ratliff
What Does it Mean to be Green by Raina DiOrio

Fox, Denis & Weinberg 24

Final Evaluation of the Unit

Culminating Activity
The purpose of the unit, was for students to see that direction, people, and environment all impact communities. This culminating activity should be done the day following the last lesson of the unit.
Our essential question for the unit was: What impacts do direction, people, and
environment have on a community. As a culminating activity, students will create their
own community. There will be certain criteria students must abide by when creating their
community. Along with the creation of their community, they will submit a brief written
explanation of how each aspect was important to their community.

Fox, Denis & Weinberg 25

Directions:
We have learned so much about communities and the important aspects that affect
them! Your job is to create your own community. Remember all the things we
have learned about communities and what they need in order to function. This is
what is expected from your group project:
1. A creative name for your community!
2. A map of your community (street names, buildings, compass rose, map legend).
Along with the map, include a brief description of why this map and directions are
important to your community).
3. A photo album of the people who work and help out in your community. Include at least 5 different types of helpers. Be sure to tell why they are important!
4. A short letter to the mayor of your community, explaining how you and your
community members will interact with your environment (How will you help it?
How will you modify it? Do you depend on it?)
Some questions to consider when making your community:

What happens if someone in your community gets sick (where will they
go, who will they see?)

How will people in your community get food?

What will you use to build houses?

What will you use for paper and furniture?

What must be done so that people in your community can travel from one
place to another by car? (What do cars drive on?)

How will people in your community know how to get from one place to
another?

In creating their own community, students should be able to realize the importance of
each aspect of the essential question. While this may seem to be a complex task for first
grade, support is encouraged. Further, students should be working in groups of 5-6 students. The purpose of the activity is for students to actually see by doing, why these factors are important to a community.
Following the activity, there should be a class discussion to wrap things up. Ask students
what it would be like without people? Environment? Directions? Have students explain to
you why each aspect is important to a community.

Fox, Denis & Weinberg 26

Rubric
3 - I Did This

2 - I Did This a Little

1 - I Did Not Do This

Creativity

Work is creative. Group

has come up with a creative title. Work is neat.

Work shows some creativity. Work shows some

neatness.

Work is neither creative

nor neat.

Map

Map is clearly shows the

community. Map is easy
to follow. Map is labeled
with compass rose, map
legend, street names, and
building/house names.

Map clearly shows com- Map is not clear. Map is

munity. Map is is easy to not easy to follow. Map is
follow. Map is missing missing most or all labels.
some labels.

Photo Album

Photo album is neat and

creative. At least 5 community workers are included in the photo album. At least one sentence is included next to
each helper explaining
how he/she helps the
community.

Photo album is neat and Photo album is not neat or

creative. A sentence is
creative. Sentences are
included next to each
not included to explain
community helper exwhat the community
plaining how he/she helps helper does for the comthe community.
munity.

Letter

Letter clearly explains to

the mayor how the community will interact with
the environment including:
-How community will
modify the environment
-How community will
help the environment
-How the community depends on the environment

Letter is missing a component

Letter is missing more

than one component

OR

OR

Letter does not clearly

explain how the community interacts with the
environment

Letter does not explain at

all how the community
interacts with the environment