Students learn
that there are three types of communities and each has distinct
characteristics. They use this knowledge to discover what type
their community is as they explore a text to self connection,
and then write a paragraph.
Suggested time allowance:
2 class periods
Standards:
SS.3.1:
Geography can be divided into six essential elements which can
be used to analyze important historic, geographic, economic, and
environmental questions and issues. These six elements include:
the world in spatial terms, places and regions, physical settings
(including natural resources), human systems, environment and
society, and the use of geography.
RL.2.1:
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why,
and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
RL.2.5:
Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing
how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes
the action.
RL.2.9a:
With prompting and support, students will make cultural connections
to text and self.
W.2.2:
Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a
topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide
a concluding statement or section.
Essential Unit
Questions:
Does where you live affect
how you live?
Resources/Materials
for this lesson:
(Recommended book is bold)
Burton, Virginia
Lee. The Little House. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin
Company, 1942. Fictional picture book. The rosy-pink Little House,
on a hill surrounded by apple trees, watches the days go by from
the first apple blossoms in the spring through the winter snows.
Always faintly aware of the city's distant lights, she starts
to notice the city encroaching on her. First, a road appears,
which brings horseless carriages and then trucks and steamrollers.
Before long, more roads, bigger homes, apartment buildings, stores,
and garages surround the Little House. Her family moves out and
she finds herself alone in the middle of the city, where the artificial
lights are so bright that the Little House can no longer see the
sun or the moon.
SMART
Board Activity (included)
Students identify the characteristices of 3 different types of
communities through pictures and images from Google Earth.
1. Tell students,
“There are three types of communities. In this story, we
will read about a little house and discuss how the community around
it changes. Pay close attention to how the area around the house
changes.”
2. Read aloud The Little House. At each point in the story
where the community changes, the teacher will stop to discuss
what the students notice about the community around the house.
3. Start a triple T-chart asking the children to tell what they
notice about each type of community. (Keep chart available for
the rest of the unit for children to add to.) Teachers may choose
to have students complete their own T-chart as well. (included)
4. Continue the discussion on communities by asking the students
to
decide what type of community
they live in
give reasons to support
their answer.
5. Refer back to the story
and ask “What does this story remind you of?” “Does
it make you think of something in your own life?”
6. Students then fill out “Personal
Connections” Worksheet. (included)
7. Students share the connections that they made with a partner.
