Elementary Daily Lesson Plan

Subject/Focus: Social Studies (Geography – What is a Community?)

Standards:
Content Expectations:
2 – G2.0.1 Compare the physical and human characteristics of the local community with those of
another community.
2 – G2.0.2 Describe how the local community is part of a larger region (e.g., county,
metropolitan area, state).
2 – G1.0.1 Construct maps of the local community that contain symbols, labels, and legends
denoting human and natural characteristics of place.
2 – G1.0.2 Use maps to describe the spatial organization of the local community by applying the
concepts including relative location, and using distance, direction, symbols, and the key or
legend.
2 – G4.0.2 Describe the means people create for moving people, goods, and ideas within the
local community.
2 – G4.0.3 Use components of culture (e.g., foods, language, religion, traditions) to describe
diversity in the local community.
CCSS:
RI.2.1: Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate
understanding of key details in a text.
SL.2.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and
texts with peers and adults.
Objectives:
Content: Students will identify key features of a map, and create a map of their own community.
Students will describe jobs within a community. Students will categorize different characteristics
of communities. Students will distinguish between urban, suburban, and rural communities.
Language: Students will discuss their community using the key vocabulary listed below.
Materials/Resources:
Station instructions sheets (see attached)
completed map
copies of blank map (see attached)
whiteboards and markers
iPads
large organization chart and cut-outs of community locations/characteristics.
job flash cards (see attached)
lined paper
social studies journals
3-column chart and cut-outs of urban, suburban, and rural locations
Key Vocabulary:
community / comunidad
rural / rural
suburban / suburbano
urban / urbano
jobs / trabajos
buildings / edificios
characteristic / característica
human characteristic / característica humana
natural characteristic / característica natural
transportation / transporte
business(es) / empresa(s)
Introduction/Anticipatory Set:
Gather the students at the carpet and have a discussion about the key vocabulary we’ve been
covering. Explain each of the center stations (see below) and then group the students to begin
working.
Main Lesson:
Center 1: Students will work together to place labels on a completed map to identify the legend,
compass rose, cardinal directions, and symbols. Students will then construct and label their own
map using a blank template. The template will be turned in individually and then kept in their
social studies binder.
Center 2: Students will be given job flash cards to act out. The students will act out and give
clues to the others in their group to help them guess the community job. More cards can be
drawn if done early. Students may record their guesses or their acting on the iPads if preferred.
Center 3: Students will correctly categorize cutouts of different community characteristics onto a
large chart that resembles the one they made with the whole class and worked with in weeks
prior. The cutouts will have tape on the back that students can use to stick to the whiteboard
where the chart is drawn. After, students will write their group’s name on the whiteboard nearby,
take a picture, and airdrop it to the teacher iPad (#27).
Center 4: Students will organize pictures of urban, suburban, and rural settings into a three
column chart on a piece of chart paper. The students will write their names on a separate
whiteboard nearby, take a picture of everything, and air-drop this to the teacher iPad #27).
Closure:
Bring the students back together at the carpet and discuss each center with them: what was easy?
What was hard? What did they like/dislike? Most importantly, what did they learn or remember?
Remind the students that the test on everything we have been learning in social studies will be
coming up very soon.
Independent Practice/Homework:
Students will not have independent practice/homework after this lesson.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on the following measures: their screenshots of centers 3 and 4 (on a
check/check minus/no check basis), their completed maps (on a 6 point scale for including all
required parts), and on their completed 4-sentence or more letters to the “new community friend”
(on a check/check minus/no check basis).
Adaptations/Accommodations/Modifications:
Scaffolding will be in place at each center station: all centers will have printed instructions,
color-coded to help students work independently, and all centers will be verbally explained and
modeled before students work at them. Additionally, center 5 will have increased teacher
assistance and modeling. Centers 1 - 4 will incorporate large amounts of group work to ensure
that all students have a chance to participate, and are not overwhelmed with too much
independent work.
Reflection:

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Name: ___________________________

Create a legend for the map. Label your symbols and draw a compass rose.
 Center 1: Working with Maps
1. Work together to label the large map.
2. Take a map sheet.
3. Label your own symbols.
4. Create a legend with those symbols.
5. Draw a compass rose and show N, S, E, and W.
6. Put finished maps in a pile.

Center 2: Job Charades

1. Choose a flash card from the pile.
2. Act it out for your group.
3. Give clues.
4. Try to get your group to guess your job.
5. Make sure everyone gets a turn!

Center 3: Community Characteristics Sort

1. Work with your team to sort the characteristics into the correct
category.
2. Write your names on the board nearby.
3. Take a picture and air-drop it to the teacher iPad (#27).
4. Take down your pieces and erase your names.

Center 4: Urban, Suburban, or Rural?

1. Work together to sort the pictures into urban, suburban, or rural on
the chart.
2. Write your names on the board nearby.
3. Take a picture and send it to the teacher iPad (#27).
4. Put the pieces back and erase your names.
 Police
Firefighter
Officer

Mail
Teacher Delivery
Person

Cashier (at
Cook
a store)
 Nurse or
Bus Driver
Doctor