2nd+Grade+Town+Community

=2nd Grade Unit 2: October Town Communities=

Overview of the unit. This would have the “big ideas” for the unit. What you want the kids to “get out of the unit”. What are the big questions your class is working with / studying.


 * * Suggested Materials
 * Key Vocabulary
 * Essential Question(s)
 * Enduring Understandings
 * Unit Objectives
 * Beginning the Unit
 * As the Unit Continues
 * Toward the End of the Unit
 * Teacher Suggestions
 * Work Samples ||

=Suggested Materials= Books: Our Place Darien by: Chris Gorman and Michelle Morfitt Videos: Neighborhoods Understanding Where We Live DVD Service Workers And the Services they Provide DVD Special Guests (try to invite service workers from the community) Bus Tour of Darien Google Earth links to each of five elementary schools and ariel view



=Key Vocabulary= important personal information: your address, phone number, parents first names how to spell "Darien" resident neighborhoods citizen leaders of town (names, briefly what they do) service worker (who they are, how they help) district

= = · What are urban, suburban and rural communities similar or different? · How does past history impact the present way of life in a community? · How do national holidays affect life in local communities? · Students will understand key characteristics of urban, suburban and rural communities. · Students will understand how events shape a community over time and influence changes in people’s behaviors and perceptions. · Students will understand national holidays serve to unite people across diverse communities. · Students will compare and contrast various types of communities, rural, urban, suburban, to identify their similarities and differences. · Students will be able to explain how past historical events impact present day communities. · Students will research national holidays with the goal of describing how they are celebrated in a variety of communities.
 * __Essential Questions:__**
 * __Enduring Understandings:__**
 * __Unit Objectives:__**

= = = = =Beginning the Unit=

Mini-lessons ideas: Write a rough draft at the beginning of the unit to a community service worker End of unit rewrite same letter. What have you learned? Do you have a greater appreciation for what that service worker does? Send final copy letter to service workers. Depending on number of sections: one-two class focuses on police, fire department(different companies within Darien), EMS = = =As the Unit Continues=
 * How do you find out what students already know about the essential questions?
 * Creating a plan to study a unit

As the unit continues Creating a plan to study a unit Specific mini-lessons / activities that support the unit A timeline to help students / teachers think about how to plan their unit

Tie in town rules/laws to classroom behavior Classroom discussion Venn Diagram (town, classroom, both) =Toward the End of the Unit=

Toward the end of the unit How do you assess students? Could consist of: Rubrics to evaluate final student work Checklists for observing students during social studies time Performance assessment Any communication documents to help parents know about a unit of study What types of “celebrations” might happen at the end? What mini-lessons might you need for wrapping the unit up?

Completion of projects (Create a page for the Our Place Darien Book about your school) With Luke create mini-web cast tour of each elementary school to look at how schools within one community are similar and different. Share favorite part of Darien (draw a picture and write about the place you like to visit) What we know now about our town community now that we didn’t at the beginning of the year.