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Community Services

Main Core Tie

Social Studies - 3rd Grade
Standard 3 Objective 2

Authors

John C. Clark
DeAnna Mower

Summary

Students will learn about services available in our community and what would happen if these services were not functioning.


Materials

Websites


Background for Teachers

Teachers should become familiar with the services available in their students' communities. See the above UtahdotGov website for possible information.


Student Prior Knowledge

Students should know the community and/or county they belong to and its general boundaries.


Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will answer the following questions:

1. What services do you enjoy in your community?
2. What would happen if these services were not functioning?


Instructional Procedures

  • Have students make a list of community services they need on a daily basis (water, electricity, sewer, waste collection, roads, parks, police, fire, etc). In small groups, have students add to their lists (zoning, sport leagues, parades, fairs, community and holiday celebrations, building inspectors, safety, animal control, senior citizen services, libraries).
  • Have each student choose five services, then determine who benefits from each service, who runs it, and how it is paid for. Teachers and students may not know the details, but guessing is acceptable at this level.
  • Supposing Game: Propose to the class an emergency that forces a community service to shut down, such as a budget cut or natural disaster. Ask them to cross out one of their five chosen services. Repeat with other problems until each student has only one service remaining. Have some students tell what service they kept and why. Discuss how difficult life would be without the lost services.


Strategies for Diverse Learners

ELL students may draw their descriptions of who is helped by, who provides, and who pays for community services.


Extensions

  • Students will create questions for a person who helps provide some of these services, such as volunteer paramedics, council member, animal control officer, etc. These questions can be sent to the person or asked directly to a guest speaker.
  • Challenge students to think up a needed service that we don't currently have (skate park, community swimming pool, after-school programs, student volunteer clubs, etc.) What things would need to be considered in order to have one of these added to the community?


Assessment Plan

Grouped as partners, students will design a Podcast or TV advertisement on how citizens can improve their community, such as conserving power or keeping the community clean.


Created: 06/26/2009
Updated: 02/05/2018
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