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Lesson 9: Kindergarten (Ages 5-6) Families and Neighborhoods Lesson Series

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Neighborhoods 

Teacher: Eleanor Vistein
Project Children L.E.A.D. Director: Dr. Vincenne Revilla Beltran
Subject Area: Diversity
Grade level: Kindergarten (Ages 5-6)
Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Learning goals based on Pennsylvania Academic Standards, N.A.E.Y.C. Standards or Early Childhood Learning Continuum Indicators: The students will begin to build their understanding of diversity in culture, family structure, ability, language, age, and gender in non-stereotypical ways.

Arts and Humanities

9.1.3. B. Recognize, know, use and demonstrate a variety of appropriate arts elements and principles to produce, review and revise original works in the arts.

Family and Consumer Sciences

11.1.3. C. Explain the need for shelter for the purpose of safety, warmth, and comfort.

Language Arts

1.4. B. Write to inform.

1.6. A.

  • Listen to others when they are speaking and demonstrate understanding of the message

  • Ask questions to obtain clarifying information

  • Listen to a selection of literature

  • Listen to a selection and connect similar experiences to real life experiences

Math

2.6. A. Gather, organize, and display data on a bar graph and/or pictograph

2.6. B. Interpret information displayed on a graph

 

OBJECTIVES:

After listening to the book, the students will be able to ask questions and/or make comments about the differences and/or similarities in homes around the world. They will also understand that all people need shelter. By looking at the graph, the students will be able to tell how many people have a specified color of house. The students will use various materials to construct a house. The students will print their address.

 

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

  1. Books:

    • Gold, Kari Jenson. A World of Homes. Newbridge Educational Publishing, 1996. ISBN: 1-56784-330-1

    • Kalman, Bobbie. Homes around the World. Crabtree Publishing Company, 1994. ISBN: 0-86505-709-5

  2. Pocket chart graph

  3. Individual portraits of children to fit in pockets of graph

  4. Various art materials for making homes

  • Empty boxes and containers

  • Construction paper

  • Art paper

  • Paint and brushes

  • Glue and tape

  • Scissors

  1. Pencils

  2. Paper

  3. List of student addresses

  4. Craft sticks

  5. Clay

  6. Lakeshore's Homes Theme Box

 

ADAPTATIONS AND ACCOMMODATIONS TO DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION:

If there is a homeless child in the classroom, be sensitive to their needs. Fly Away Home, by Eve Bunting tells the story of a homeless boy and father who live in an airport.

 

PROCEDURES

 

REVIEW: Discuss with the students their prior knowledge of their own homes.

Ask the students, "What is your home made of?" "What color is your home?"

Ask the students, "What is the same about some of your homes?" "What is different about some of your homes?"

 

INTRODUCE: Tell the students, "Today we will learn about homes in other parts of the world." Read aloud the book, Homes around the World, as a springboard into the lesson.

 

DEVELOP:

  1. Ask the students, "Why do you think people from around the world need homes?" Homes provide shelter to keep us safe and comfortable.

  2. Introduce and discuss as a group the pictures in the book that depict different types of homes from around the world.

  3. Encourage the students to share how the various homes are alike and different.

  4. Have the students compare and contrast the homes in the books to their own homes.

  5. The students will discuss the various colors of houses in the book and colors of houses of classmates.

  6. The students will help to create a color bar graph by putting their self-portrait in the appropriate column of a color bar graph.

  7. The students will count to find the number of homes for each color.

  8. The students will compare to find the most popular and least popular color.

  9. Read aloud to the students the descriptions in the back of the book about the relationships between homes, cultures, and climates around the world.

  10. Provide the students with various materials to construct their own homes.

  11. Ask the students, "How do people know where you live? How does the mailman know where to deliver your mail?" (Address)

  12. The students will print their house number on a piece of paper, cut this out, and glue on construction of home.

  13. The students will print their street name on a piece of paper, cut this out and glue onto a craft stick, which has been inserted into a small piece of clay, to make a street sign.

  14. Display students' homes and street signs.

ASSESS: The students will be assessed through observation and anecdotal note taking.

 

ASSIGN: The students will practice their new learning through center activities and dramatic play. They can write letters or cards and address them to classmates in the writing center; deliver mail in the housekeeping area; play with Lakeshores' Homes Theme Box in the block area to construct various types of homes; paint or draw pictures of various types of homes in the art area; and read about various homes in the library center. As an extension activity, have students write and address a postcard to a family member; take a class trip to the post office to mail the cards.

 

CLOSE: Tell the children, "Today we learned that all people need shelter. People can live in different kinds of homes. Homes help to keep us safe and comfortable."