Informal Curriculum/Window and Mirror Lesson

1. Informal Curriculum/Window and Mirror Lesson Kathryn Reeves

2. Lesson overview • Grade level • Kindergarten through 2nd grade • Topic • Community workers • Objectives – • This is divided into three lesson plans • The student will increase listening skills and be able to identify various community workers. • The student will increase listening and storytelling skills and be able to retell the story "The Fire Station".

3. Materials • Materials needed: Community workers game, community workers stick puppets, and chart paper • Materials needed: "Old Macdonald Had A Community" big book, chart paper, markers

4. 1st lesson • We will begin the class by reading the familiar big book "Old Macdonald Had A Farm". Since our unit is about community helpers, I will share with the class our new big book, "Old Macdonald Had A Community". We will look at the book, predict about what it is about, and discuss any prior knowledge we may have before we read the book.

5. Activities • After reading the big book, we will discuss the community helpers in the book and the tools they used. • We will discuss other possible tools those community helpers could have used, and then we will discuss the tools of various other community helpers. • Finally, we will discuss how patterning is used throughout the book and some phrases are repeated throughout. Students will then get into small groups and be given a large sheet of chart paper. • Then, the students will add to the big book. They will write about other community helpers using the same patterning as "Old Macdonald Had A Community." • Students will get in their groups and share their creations with the class.

6. Introduction – 2nd lesson • The class will visit the fire station and tour it as our field trip. The class will listen to the fire fighters tell about what they do, and the class will look at all of the various fire fighter equipment. This will be the introduction to the lesson we will have that day when we return.

7. Lesson activities • I will tell the story using the material. • Then, the students will get into groups and retell the story on chart paper. The students will decide what parts of the story they feel are the most important, and they will illustrate them on the chart paper. • From their illustrations, the groups will share their story retelling with the class. • Students will then receive their drawing paper. They will draw the puppets that they wish to make, and then they will color them and attach them to the craft sticks. Finally, they will use these puppets to retell the story in correct order to a friend.

8. Curriculum as a Window • The students will learn about the importance of the men and women that serve as community workers

9. Curriculum as a Mirror • The student will be able to relate the material to their own family or friends family • the student could also decide what he/she would want to be when he/she grows up

10. Window or MirrorEmily Styles implies: • Curriculum must provide windows for students into the worlds of others. It should help students learn about other people, cultures and other realities. • Curriculum must also offer mirrors of students own reality. It should connect to their lives in ways that help them see subject matter as meaningful.

11. In Conclusion • This lesson plan will help students understand how various community workers contribute to the community.

12. Sources • http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/697.html • http://lesson-plans.theteacherscorner.net/socialstudies/helpers.php • Emily Styles implication: So You Want to be a Teacher, by Janice Koch