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Communities Change

Main Core Tie

Social Studies - 2nd Grade
Standard 3 Objective 1

Time Frame

2 class periods of 30 minutes each

Authors

Jade Crown
Elizabeth Evans
Stephanie Seely
TOM SUTTON
Lise Welch Bond

Summary

Students will describe ways in which people have modified the physical environment in a community, e.g., building roads, clearing land for homes and mining.


Materials

Attachments

  • The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton
  • Then, How, and Now Handout (see attachments)


Instructional Procedures

Day 1:
Attention Getter:
Discuss how they have changed since birth and if they can think of other things that have changed, e.g., moving to a new home, family changes, things in their yard or neighborhood, etc.

Lesson:

  1. Read Aloud: The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton
  2. Then, How, Now Activity with pictures from The Little House

    Objective: Identify "then" and "now" pictures correctly. Today students will be filling in the first ("Then") and last ("Now") columns on their chart.

    • Select pictures found in the book from different stages in time through the story.
    • Show each of the two pictures
    • Students will raise one finger for "then" pictures and two fingers for "now" pictures.
    • Discuss and write the changes as a class on the Then, How, Now handout.

      Who might have made those changes?

      What and why did certain things stay the same? Why did the changes happen?

    • Repeat this two more times.

    Day 2:
    Cause and Effect:
    Relate The Little House with cause and effect. Review the pictures from the book that were used for the activity yesterday. Encourage the children to use their thinking skills to relate what was the cause for the changes. To develop understanding of cause and effect. As you continue the class discussion have the students fill in the middle ("How") column of their chart. Repeat this for each of the pictures you used previously.


    Assessment Plan

    Write or draw in their journal on the following topic. Think of something in the community that is really old, (building, tree, sidewalk, etc.). If these old things could talk, what would they say about the changes that people have made to the area over time?


Created: 06/19/2010
Updated: 02/03/2018
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