"Classville"

Social Studies Lesson Plan
Objectives
Students will learn about their community and the way each job in the community has its place and function by building a model town

Lesson Plan graphic

Materials
index cards with job
descriptions
scrap paper
cardboard
paints
markers
miscellaneous materials

Procedure
  1. Have your students brainstorm about different jobs in their community. List these on the board.
  2. Then tell students to work in groups to discuss the functions of these jobs / occupations in the community.
  3. Have students randomly choose index cards from a pile of them that you made previously, or simply pass them out.
  4. Students should read what is on the index card and imagine a story to go along with the job and a name for the person in the community that holds that position.
  5. Tell students that they will each create the workplace of their respective choices. For example, if they choose banker, they will construct a model of a bank. For a pilot, they should make an airport and plane to go along with it. Have them use any of the materials listed above to make these structures.
  6. As a class, work together to develop these buildings and jobs into a community. You will want to start this project slowly and let it develop over an extended period of time-a few weeks usually allows enough time for students to add roads, houses, and other common community features.
  7. Have the students name their town as a class. For more advanced students, instruct them to plan the town to make it the most practical and useful. They should take into consideration the interdependency of jobs and services.

Closure
Have each student write about the town, explaining the reasons for placement of jobs in the community. They can each write about it from the perspective of their particular worker. You should also have them write about from the perspective of a non-working community resident.

Evaluation
Was your class able to put together a functional community and explain the pros and cons of the set-up? Notice which students are able to identify with the job they are given as opposed to those who are having trouble.