Social Studies Alive! My Community Lesson Activities by Teachers' Curriculum Institute (TCI)

My Community Student Journal

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Lesson 1

What Is a Community?

Lesson 1 What Is a Community?

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Recognize the different elements of a community and the role our homes play in the community. Design a community that includes places to live, work, play, and solve problems.

Directions: My Place in a Community (Part 1) 1. Create a home. Cut out a piece of construction paper to create your home. 2. Draw pictures of who lives there. Label everyone by their first name. 3. Read Sections 1–3. Learn that communities have places to live, work, and play. 4. In your Activity Notes, draw a community. Then add your home to it!

Directions: My Place in a Bigger Community (Part 2) 1. Read Section 4. Learn that communities have places to solve problems. 2. Sit with your group. Your teacher will give you a set of Community Cards. 3. Place your homes and Community Cards on the table. 4. Sort the Community Cards into four groups: live, work, play, solve problems. 5. With your group, take your homes and Community Cards to combine with another group. Lay them out on the table. 6. Create a community by taking turns deciding where to place each card. Share your reasoning with your group. 7. Then join another group to build an even larger community. Repeat the steps. Take turns placing each Community Card. Share your reasoning.

Lesson 1 What Is a Community?

Lesson 2

How Are Communities Different?

Lesson 2 How Are Communities Different?

Hands-On Activity

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Board a helicopter and fly over six different communities. For each, decide which type of community it is (rural, suburban, or urban).

Directions: Flying Over Three Types of Communities 1. Prepare for lift-off. You are about to “fly” in a helicopter over six different communities. 2. For each community you see: • Discuss which type of community it is with your group. • Give one piece of evidence for why you picked that type of community. • Record your ideas in your Activity Notes. 3. Read Sections 1–6. Learn more about urban, rural, and suburban communities. Add evidence to your Activity Notes.

Lesson 2 How Are Communities Different?

Lesson 3

How Do We Use Maps?

Lesson 3 How Do We Use Maps?

Hands-On Activity

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Explore the key components of a map. Use map reading skills to answer questions about three different locations.

Directions: Using Maps to Explore Places 1. Read Sections 1–4. Learn that maps show places. A map has a key, a grid, and a compass rose. 2. With your partner, find the three maps in your Activity Notes. Large versions of the maps are also around the room. 3. Choose a map to start with. Look carefully at its grid, compass rose, symbols, and key. 4. Answer the questions about the map. 5. Check your answers with your teacher. If they are incorrect, you will get another try.

Lesson 3 How Do We Use Maps?

Lesson 4

What Is Geography?

Lesson 4 What Is Geography?

Hands-On Activity

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With a group, act out one physical feature—lake, mountain, plain, ocean, desert, valley, river, or island—while the rest of the class guesses which feature is being depicted.

Directions: Acting Out Physical Features 1. Read Sections 1–6. Learn about Earth’s features and physical maps. 2. Analyze a physical map. With your class, answer the questions on the slide. 3. Learn about your assigned physical feature. With your group, examine the Activity Card you are given. Then complete your Activity Notes. 4. Think of ways you can use your bodies to act out your physical feature. You may not use words, but you can use sounds to help you. Rehearse your act-it-out. 5. When called on, perform your act-it-out. Present the definition of your feature and one example of it on the map. The class will guess which of Earth’s features you are showing! 6. Read Sections 7–8. Learn about political maps. Then complete your Activity Notes.

Lesson 4 What Is Geography?

Lesson 5

How Do People Use Our Environment?

Lesson 5 How Do People Use Our Environment?

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Use clues in videos to match different types of food, clothing, and shelter with their sources in the environment.

Directions: Using Our Environment for Food 1. Read Sections 1–4. Learn about natural resources and different environments. 2. Look at the table in your Activity Notes and sort the product chips. Put them into three piles: food, clothing, and shelter. 3. Read Sections 5–7. Learn about how we get food, clothing, and shelter from the environment. 4. Make predictions and look for clues. For each category (food, clothing, and shelter): • Guess the origins of each product. • Watch the three videos to look for evidence. 5. Read Sections 8–10. Learn about pollution and ways to help the environment.

Lesson 5 How Do People Use Our Environment?

Lesson 6

How Are Goods Made and Brought to Us?

Lesson 6 How Are Goods Made and Brought to Us?

Hands-On Activity

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Learn how goods are made and brought to us by sequencing the steps in their production. Visit other groups to learn how their goods are brought to consumers.

Directions: Sequencing How Goods Are Made and Delivered 1. Read Sections 1–3. Learn about goods and how they are produced. 2. Work with your group to sequence the cards at your station. Look at the pictures on the front of the cards, but do not flip them over! 3. Read Sections 4–10. Learn about how goods get to consumers. 4. Read the back of your cards with your group. Do you need to change the order of your cards? 5. Complete your Activity Notes. 6. Get ready to present your sequence! Appoint a Presenter to share your work during the gallery walk.

Directions: Going on a Gallery Walk 1. Go on a gallery walk. Visit three other groups. 2. Presenter: Challenge visiting groups to put your steps in order. Give them helpful hints. Don’t just tell them the correct answer! 3. Gallery Walkers: Compare and contrast what you learn during the gallery walk to your good. Ask interesting questions and listen actively.

Lesson 6 How Are Goods Made and Brought to Us?

Lesson 7

Who Provides Services in a Community?

Lesson 7 Who Provides Services in a Community?

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Hands-On Activity

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Work with a group to create a skit for a service job. Present the skit with creativity and energy to inspire learning about each service job.

Directions: Presenting Skits About Service Workers 1. Read Sections 1–6. 2. Meet with your group to learn about the service worker who will be the subject of your skit. Together, read the job description on your Activity Card to get ideas. 3. Answer the questions in your Activity Notes to begin planning your skit. Make sure every group member has a role. 4. Gather any props you need and rehearse your skit. All group members should be involved! 5. Present your skit with loud voices, energy, and creativity. 6. Listen carefully as other groups present their skits. Use the table in your Activity Notes to take notes.

Lesson 7 Who Provides Services in a Community?

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Lesson 8

How Can I Be a Smart Consumer?

Lesson 8 How Can I Be a Smart Consumer?

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Hands-On Activity

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Help students decide how to spend their money based on the costs and benefits of each choice.

Directions: To Buy or Not to Buy? Analyzing Cost and Benefits 1. Read Sections 1–6. Learn about how consumers make choices. 2. Learn about the costs and benefits of money decisions. Should you buy a yo-yo or a winter coat? 3. With your partner, listen to four shoppers who are thinking about making a purchase. 4. Discuss the costs and benefits of the decision each shopper faces with your partner. Be prepared to share your responses. 5. Discuss as a class. Help your teacher sort the costs and benefits for each shopper. 6. I_n your Activity Notes, advise each shopper on which decision they should make. Write your main reason why or why not.

Lesson 8 How Can I Be a Smart Consumer?

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Lesson 9

How Can We Learn About Native American Cultures?

Lesson 9 How Can We Learn About Native American Cultures?

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Hands-On Activity

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Complete images of four Native American cultures and discover the similarities and differences between the four groups.

Directions: Native American Cultures Then and Now 1. With your partner, read Sections 1–5. Use a pencil or highlighter to take notes. 2. Visit each station to learn more about the Native American groups you read about. 3. At each station, discuss what you learn with your partner. Then complete your Activity Notes. 4. Learn about Native American art. Can you identify the techniques used in Chumash cave painting?

Lesson 9 How Can We Learn About Native American Cultures?

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Lesson 10

How Do Families Learn About Their Past?

Lesson 10 How Do Families Learn About Their Past?

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Hands-On Activity

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Learn about six different countries and their immigrant population’s history in the United States.

Directions: Exploring Immigrant Stories Through Pictures 1. With your partner, read Sections 1–4. Underline anything that stands out to you in the text. 2. Visit one of the six stations set up around the classroom. Look at the pictures at your station. 3. Work with your partner to match each picture with the correct caption. 4. Complete your Activity Notes, then move on to the next station. Try to visit all six stations!

Lesson 10 How Do Families Learn About Their Past?

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Lesson 11

How Do Communities Change?

Lesson 11 How Do Communities Change?

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Hands-On Activity

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Read graphs to understand how two communities differ and how each has changed over time. Then, choose which of the two communities you would like to live in based on what you’ve learned.

Directions: How Two Communities Changed Over Time 1. With your partner, visit one of the eight stations around the room. Each station has a graph with information comparing Blue Mountain and Green Valley. 2. Complete your Activity Notes for that station. Work with your partner to find the right answer in the graph. 3. Have your teacher check your work before moving on to the next station of your choice. Try to complete all eight stations! 4. Once you have visited all eight stations, read Sections 1–4.

Lesson 11 How Do Communities Change?

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Lesson 12

How Did One Community Change?

Lesson 12 How Did One Community Change?

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Hands-On Activity

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Analyze historical images of San Francisco from long ago through today. The clues you uncover will help you arrange the images along a timeline.

Directions: Making Timelines to Show How a City Changes 1. Read Sections 1–3. 2. With your partner, cut out the nine timeline images from your Activity Cutouts page. Spread them out in front of you so you can easily see the picture on each. 3. Your teacher will show you pictures of San Francisco changing over the years. After you see each picture, find that same image in your cutouts. 4. Once you have seen all the images for a section, complete the timeline in your Activity Notes. Check your answers online. 5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 to complete the remaining timelines. 6. Read Sections 4–6.

Lesson 12 How Did One Community Change?

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Lesson 13

How Can One Person Make a Difference?

Lesson 13 How Can One Person Make a Difference?

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Hands-On Activity

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Discover four big problems from the past. Learn how courageous leaders took action to help their communities.

Directions: Learning How Four People Made a Difference in Their Communities 1. Get into groups of three. Together you will learn about four community leaders. 2. Observe: Watch a video about someone who solved problems in their community. 3. Discuss: • What community problems did you learn about? • What actions could have been taken to solve them? 4. Read: Learn about the actions the community leader took to solve the problems in their community. 5. Record: In your Activity Notes, write down the problem each community leader faced and what action they took. 6. Repeat Steps 2–5 until you have met all four individuals!

Lesson 13 How Can One Person Make a Difference?

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Lesson 14

How Do Leaders Help Their Communities?

Lesson 14 How Do Leaders Help Their Communities?

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Hands-On Activity

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Categorize three types of actions community leaders can take to help communities in need.

Directions: Three Ways Community Leaders Can Help 1. Read Sections 1–5. Learn about ways community leaders can help. 2. Look at examples of actions community leaders can take. Sort the actions into categories. 3. Help three groups with issues in their community. Come up with different ways community leaders can help. 4. Record your ideas in your Activity Notes. Work with your partner to write down some ideas. 5. Be prepared to share your ideas.

Lesson 14 How Do Leaders Help Their Communities?

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Lesson 15

What Does a Good Citizen Do?

Lesson 15 What Does a Good Citizen Do?

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Hands-On Activity

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Jump into the “community swimming pool” for a fun afternoon. Decide what a good citizen would do during an afternoon at the pool.

Directions: Going for a Swim 1. Jump into the “swimming pool” your teacher has set up! 2. When the pool closes, discuss your swimming trip. What went well? What did not go well? 3. Read Sections 1 and 2. Learn about what it means to be a good citizen in your school and community. 4. Discuss how to make a day at the pool safe, fun, and fair for everyone. 5. Complete your Activity Notes. Create a Code of Conduct for the next trip to the pool. 6. Jump into the pool for a second round with new rules. Show good citizenship while having fun!

Directions: Swimming Pool Citizenship 1. Read Sections 3–8. Learn about what good citizens do. 2. In groups, plan to act out one of the pool scenarios. What would a good citizen do in each of these scenarios? 3. Learn from others as groups act out their scenarios. 4. Complete your Activity Notes. Write down solutions from other groups or produce your own!

Lesson 15 What Does a Good Citizen Do?

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Lesson 16

What Do Communities Share?

Lesson 16 What Do Communities Share?

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Hands-On Activity

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Compare four communities by completing a table of information.

Directions: Creating a Table to Compare Communities 1. Read Sections 1–8. Learn about communities and what they share. 2. Using information from the Activity Cards, complete the table about four communities in your Activity Notes. Learn about four unique communities. 3. With your partner, use the information in the table to answer questions. What did you learn about each community?

Lesson 16 What Do Communities Share?

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My Community Explore the content in these units: Unit 1: Geography

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Unit 2: Economics

Unit 3: History

Unit 4: Civics

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