Looking for activities

[dangercat]

If anyone has an idea for a activity that would work for these 3 units I would be most greatful!!!!
1) Self, Family, and friends
2) Community
3)Iowa

I am doing my lesson plans for my social studies methods class and am looking for what my teacher calls "found" activities. They are hands on things the students can do for each unit. Thank you so much for any help or suggestions!!!!!!:)

Brook
dangercat@aol.com

[mopar]

In order to teach the concept of a community, I have my students make community circles. I cut out 8 different sized circles, going from smallest to largest. I have my students write Earth on the largest circle (that is the largest community that they live in). Then North America. Then United States. Then the state that they live in. Then their county. Then their city. Then their subdivision (if they have one) and finally their address (can be just street or the school address for kids who don't want to post theirs).

[dangercat]

That sounds like it can be very fun.

[Boxcar]

Even the youngest kids love making photo reports. They take a camera with them to the house, to the church, to the grocery store, or wherever else they go. When they see things that have meaning to them, they snap a picture. For the littlest ones, it is usually people. For the older ones, it is objects that represent things as well as individuals.

Building a mock community with blocks or other materials will help students think about what makes up a community. They will have to look around them, be aware of what people and services are present, and look at themselves to see what they bring to the table. I don't know your age group, but this can be done at a wide range of levels. You will just need to think about how much support the students will need.

[dangercat]

Even the youngest kids love making photo reports. They take a camera with them to the house, to the church, to the grocery store, or wherever else they go. When they see things that have meaning to them, they snap a picture. For the littlest ones, it is usually people. For the older ones, it is objects that represent things as well as individuals.

Building a mock community with blocks or other materials will help students think about what makes up a community. They will have to look around them, be aware of what people and services are present, and look at themselves to see what they bring to the table. I don't know your age group, but this can be done at a wide range of levels. You will just need to think about how much support the students will need.

In one of the lesson books I was looking at there was somehting similar to this. It was a timeline of their life using photos and drawings.