Social Studies
Materials:
1. Classroom Plant (students water and take care of plant)
2. Book of different places around the town the school is in
3. Classroom World Globe
Definition of Social Studies: Familiarize with geography, history, and diversity.
Lesson 1
Name of Activity
Signs, icons, logos, and community jobs are part of the book guessing game.
Originating Idea
Children love to participate in group activities. Children get excited when they see a picture of a familiar item, something they may eat or travel to.
Curriculum Area
54. Community Roles 56. Geography
Materials
A book of removal laminated pictures with logos, icons, and community jobs familiar to children. Logos such as McDonald's, Oreos, Legos, Barbie, street signs, Kroger, and different shopping stores. Icons such as street signs and water safety signs. Community jobs such as Doctor, police officer, and firefighter.
Appropriate Age Group
3-5 Years
Beginning of Activity
Opening statement:
Today, during large group, we are going to play a matching guessing game. I will show you a picture. The person with the ball will answer. If they don’t know it, they will toss the ball to their friend to answer.
Middle of Activity
Your ideas for scaffolding children at different developmental levels
Early: Have them sit in circle and guess what the picture is by raising their hand I wouldn’t have the ball with the younger age.
Middle: Have them sit in a circle. The teacher throws a ball to one student, and they guess. If they don’t know it, they toss the ball to a friend. Match the colors of icons.
Later: Have them sit in a circle. Teacher throws ball to student they try and guess if they don’t know they can ask the person next to them, if that student doesn’t know they throw the ball to a friend. Have them put in categories of images.
End of Activity
Three more pictures, then we will discuss this activity then wash up for snack.
Follow-up Ideas
Have a book out in the book area for students to look through during the school day. If they liked it do other type of guessing game or books like this.
Lesson 2
Name of Activity
Recycling Hunt
Originating Idea
Children are curious about recycling, and children love to go on hunts for things.
Curriculum Area
55. Decision Making 58. Ecology
Materials
The Berenstain Bears Go Green, Treasure Map, Different Recycling Items Paper and Plastic
Appropriate Age Group
3-5 Years
Beginning of Activity
We would start in a large group and read The Berenstain Bears Go Green book, then have a discussion about recycling. Then I would explain that we are going to go on a hunt and pick up stuff we can recycle, with the hunt ending at the bins to put the different items in to be recycled. Then we would separate into small groups and go on our hunt, with students sharing ideas of how to read the map.
Middle of Activity
Early: Children could go on the hunt and pick up the items that need assistance reading the map.
Middle: Children could go on a hunt and talk about the different items. They may need assistance in the recycling part.
Later: Children could go on a hunt, sharing ideas about the map and the items they were picking up. They would know many of the correct bins to put the items in.
End of Activity
We would discuss our families and if we recycle at home.
Follow-Up Ideas
Have recycling bins in the classroom for children to recycle. Have books about recycling in the book area.
Lesson 3
Name of Activity
Classroom Map
Originating Idea
Children need to know how to read a map.
Curriculum Area
56. Geography
Materials
Paper and Colored Pencils
Appropriate Age Group
3-5 Years
Beginning of Activity
I would show them a center map and explain how to read it. Then, we would separate into small groups, and the children would draw maps of the classroom's different play centers.
Middle of Activity
Early: Children will draw a few areas. Could help by explaining and asking questions about the areas they play in.
Middle: Children will draw different areas. May need help writing the area names.
Later: Children will draw a lot of areas. Could write the different areas, could help each other draw there map.
End of Activity
Now, we will go around and show our maps to our friends, naming our favorite area to play in.
Follow-Up Ideas
Have a globe in the classroom. Have different types of maps in different areas of the classroom.