How It Works:  The overall plan for this thematic unit is that people in a community share the same commonalities. We all share the need for food, clothing, shelter, safety and security and to provide for our families. The resources that were used in this lesson came from a variety of materials and multimedia. The students used digital cameras to take pictures of their parents as they gave Career Day presentations at our school. These pictures were then used in a slide show production. 

We also used our classroom computers to interact with community-based software such as: Busy Town and Barney On Location All Around Town. We used the World Wide Web to download Community Helpers coloring pages from the site Kinder Art and students took virtual field trips online.

Standards: 

National Educational Technology Standards For Primary Students:

Use input devices (e.g., mouse, keyboard, remote control) and output devices (e.g., monitor, printer) to successfully operate computers, VCRs, audiotapes, and other technologies.

Create developmentally appropriate multimedia products with support from teachers, family members, or student partners.

Use a variety of media and technology resources for directed and independent learning activities.

Estimated Class Periods To Complete:  10 or more

Software Materials Used: 

Digital Cameras
CD-ROM Busy Town
CD-ROM Barney On Location All Around Town
Kidspiration: graphing subject clustering software
Web Workshop by Sunburst
KidWorks 2
PrintShop Deluxe

Keywords:  Community Helpers, Community Workers, Primary Lesson Plans, Careers, Social Studies, Community Economics

Students:  The students who participated in this project are between the ages of five and six. The socio-economic background of their families range from upper middle class to that of public assistance.

The children live in a small rural community. This municipality is comprised of multi-cultural families of diverse racial populations. The languages that are spoken in this neighborhood are English, Creole, and Spanish. The residents live in a "hometown" atmosphere. It is not uncommon to bump into the mayor at the grocery store or wave at the police chief as he drops his kids off for school.

Overall:  This program is a great way to establish a stronger school-community link as well as serving as an introduction to your school's Career Day. Parents are an excellent resource of information, and most are overjoyed to participate.

Tips:  Before getting started with this unit, make a resource list of parents whose jobs provide goods and those that provide services. This resource will become very useful when you invite parents to come and speak to your students.

About the Teacher: Over the years, Carol Delancy has been unwavering in the personal quest of becoming an innovator in education and helping students increase their knowledge of science and technology through the use of the World Wide Web. 

The training that she received from the Science Learning Network and the Museum of Science, combined with her own pursuit of technology knowledge, has lead Carol to create and use a variety of creative multimedia strategies in her classroom. These strategies have been very beneficial in providing for the different learning styles and experiences of  her students. As a result of this, she has written and developed numerous primary science technology integrated thematic units.

Subjects:  Social Studies and Computer Science

Grade Levels:  K through 1

Email Carol