For Social Studies today, Danny and I discussed neighborhoods. We watched a Brain Pop Jr. learning video about homes we find in neighborhoods. This video described various places where people live (houses, apartments, mobile homes, cabins, and houseboats, etc.) as well as defining a neighborhood as a place where people live, work and play together. We read “Clifford and the Grouchy Neighbors” by Norman Bridwell, which told a cute story about getting along with the people in our community.
Additionally, I introduced the concept of goods vs. services at a very simple level. We watched a PebbleGo informational video reader called “In My Neighborhood” and read a related nonfiction book, “Places in My Neighborhood” by Shelly Lyons to see more about neighborhoods. These showed us goods-based places in our neighborhood such as the grocery store as well as service-based places including the medical clinic, parks, and the library. I identified these concepts as a “good” being something we can buy with money and hold in our hand, while a “service” is something that just helps us. We completed a worksheet in which I described someone’s role and Danny had to find the community worker and then we discussed if they were providing a good or a service. These included a baker, hairdresser, seamstress, police officer, and teacher. Today I had planned to assess Danny's ability to verbally recall basic community helper positions and tasks we have discussed over the past month. I asked him to tell me what specific helpers do. In many cases, he just said, “they help.” However, I had hoped he would be able to tell me more specifically that they help us ______ (learn, feel better, put out fires, etc.). We took a step back and completed a review booklet in which he was given 5 pictures of community helpers and he had to place them in the appropriate scene showing their role. Danny completed this cut and paste activity without any difficulties. This booklet was sent home for further review. I will attempt to assess Danny’s ability to name more specifically the role of these helpers tomorrow. We will continue to practice the language needed for these descriptions until he is able to show mastery. This unit also briefly focuses on natural resources. We watched a Brain Pop Jr. video about natural resources, particularly focusing on all of the items made from trees and rocks. We then completed a worksheet in which we discussed three pictures and the natural resources they come from (fish – lake, desk – tree, and the more abstract t-shirt – cotton).
Finally, we finished the day with several simple books highlighting service based jobs including “Max Goes to the Barber” by Adria F. Klein and “Biscuit Feeds the Pets” by Alyssa Satin Capucilli.