Introduction

This lesson will guide students in an exploration of the concept of community. The students will become familiar with the definition of community as well as their roles in various communities.

Objectives

During this lesson, students will fulfill the following objectives:

• Define community
• Identify and group various kinds of communities
• Create a concept map or chart showing their membership in different communities
• Write a narrative describing their membership in various communities

Time Required

1-2 class periods

Grade Level

6th-8th grade

Curriculum Fit

The objectives of this lesson comply with the Texas Education Agency's Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Sixth Grade Social Studies listed below:

T.E.K.S. Code

• 113.22.b.15.A. Define the concepts of culture and culture region.
• 113.22.b.16.A. Identify institutions basic to all societies including government, economic, education, and religious institutions.
• 113.22.b.17.A. Explain aspects that link or separate cultures and societies.
• 113.22.b.22.A. Use social studies terminology correctly.
• 113.22.b.22.C. Express ideas orally based on research and experiences.
• 113.22.b.22.D. Create written and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and bibliographies.
• 113.22.b.22.E. Use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.

Resources

• Focus on Your Community Resource Page
• The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Materials

• Chalk board or overhead projector
• Paper
• Pencils

Preparation

• Become familiar with the definition of community as a group of people who come together for shared needs, characteristics, or interests.
• Explore the ideas set forth in J.B. Jackson's Landscapes

Procedure

Step A: Define Community

1. Have the students brainstorm the definition of community as a class
2. Guide the students in creating their own definition of community using the ideas generated by the brainstorming
3. Find the definition of community in the online dictionary

Step B: Identify and Group Different Communities

1. Divide the class into small groups
2. Have the groups list at least 10 different types of communities
3. Students should then group together and classify similar communities (i.e. religion, occupations, interests, gender and race)
4. Next create symbols for the groups

Step C: Map and Describe Community Membership

1. Using the symbols just created, students can now make an inner-outer circle diagram of the communities to which they belong using this example.
2. Have the students write brief summaries (about half a page) of their participation in one community

Evaluation

Below is a sample grading rubric for this lesson. Extra points can be rewarded to students who independently consult additional outside sources.

 

Score 4	Score 3	Score 2	Score 1
Complete concept map	Mostly complete concept map	Partially complete concept map	No concept map
Highly effective summary	Effective summary	Moderately effective summary	Ineffective summary
Consistent participation in class discussion	Frequent participation in class discussion	Occasional participation in class discussion	Rare participation in class discussion

Conclusion

Students should be able to answer the following questions upon completion of this lesson:

• What is a community?
• What are some different types of communities?
• What communities are you a part of?
• How do you impact your community?

Extension

1. Reading/Writing
   • Read poems from Gary Soto's Neighborhood Odes (Demco Media, 1994), and then write your own poems modeled after Soto's work.
2. Computer Literacy
   • Type poems from the above Reading/Writing extension with word processing software. E-mail them to be posted online.
   • Using a Paint program, create digital versions of the concept map generated during this lesson to be posted online.
3. Art
   • Create a class street mural featuring representative buildings, addressing the idea of scale and collage. Can be adapted from the Presenting Your Community: A Closer Look Art Lesson.