Debbie Cram & Chris Jorissen
COMMUNITY HELPERS
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Unit Goal/Purpose Statement
The goal of this lesson is to help children understand the roles of a variety of community
helpers and how they can help us in our community. Some of the occupations that will be
discussed are: doctors and nurses, police officers, fire fighters, postal workers and
dentists. Another goal of this lesson is to help children realize that these are occupations
that are of service to all the people in the community and that they themselves can
become community helpers.
Objectives:
The students will identify and name some community helpers.
The students will describe the tools that the community helpers use in their jobs.
The students will explain the community helpers job.
The students will match pictures of community helpers to words and tools for that
particular helper.
The students will create a class book about community helpers.
The students will write letters in the writing center.
The students will use items in a prop box and pretend to be a community helper.
The students will plan and generate questions for an interview of a community helper.
The students will classify and graph helpers in the classroom.
Explanation of this unit:
This is a two week unit plan. We intend to spend two days on each community helper.
We have created an integrated Literacy unit that includes the following areas: reading,
science, social studies, math, art, drama, music and physical education into this unit.
Also included are ideas for multicultural and accommodations for disabled and ESL
readers.
Decoding, Sight Word and Vocabulary Activities
Decoding activity for a center: Construct a puzzle using words associated with
community helpers. Cut the words apart and have students put the words together.
While they are making words, have them sound out the letters. Pictures of the
community helpers could be cut out as puzzle pieces and students put the pictures
together to associate the word with the person.
Another activity to do on a daily basis when introducing a new helper is asking students
a question: Who has an “h” word to share with us today? Who has an “f” word to share
with us? (talking about helpers, fire safety, etc.).
Sight Word Activity:
List of sight words:
-Community Helper, Service, Job, Occupation, Helping Others, Help
-Fire Fighter: fire station, fire, fire hose, fire truck, fire drill, helmet, fire engine, fire
alarm, fire extinguisher
-Mail Carrier: post office, mail box, stamps, envelopes, letter, zip code, address,
mail,
mail bag
-Doctors and Nurses: stethoscope, thermometer, patient, hospital, ambulance, cot, firstaide
-Dentist: toothbrush, toothpaste, chair, x-rays, teeth, cavity, dental floss
-Police Officer: badge, police station, police car, siren
We will write these sight words on large cards and label items that will be displayed in
the class. These words will be introduced before reading stories. We will discuss the six
occupations that are listed above. Students will use these words in their daily oral
language, journal writing, creative writing project, and in center activities. Students will
see sight words in environmental print that will be displayed around the room.
Students can cut out pictures in magazines and create collages about community helpers
and then write stories about these pictures in their journals.
Vocabulary:
“Occupation Classification” – Have the children sort the small cards with tools that
community helpers use and match them to the appropriate helper car As an introduction
or during the activity, you can emphasize the names of the tools to expand the children’s
vocabulary.
**Each center will have clip boards with paper and pencil attached to the board. Students
will be encouraged to look and read the sight words and write the word and a meaning for
the word on their paper.
Assessment:
There will be a skilled bulletin board that displays community helpers and their tools.
Students will match the word to the helper and the word to the tool. Example: See
attachment.
Comprehension Activities:
Book List:
I Can Be A Fire Fighter, Hanken, Rebecca *Multicultural
Big Red Fire Fighter, Greydanus, Rose
The Berenstain Bears Go to The Doctor, Berenstain, Stan & Jan
The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist, Berenstain, Stan & Jan
The Jolly Postman, Ahlberg
Just Going to The Dentist, Mayer, Mercer
A Day in the Life of a Police Officer, Arnold, Eric
Doctor Duck and Nurse Swan, Wiseman, Bernard
A Visit to the Police Station, Hannum, Dotti
Mommies At Work, Merriam, Eve *Multicultural
Daddies at Work, Merriam, Eve
The Work That People Do, Imershein, Betsy *Multicultural
Postal Workers From A to Z, Johnson, Jean *Multicultural
-Introduce students to a new book by looking at the cover first and asking them what they
think the story will be about.
-Do a picture talk through the book.
-Before reading the story create a large class K-W-L chart.
-Refer to this chart each time you read the story and fill in the chart as you read.
*Display these books in the reading area, dramatic play, science centers and throughout
the room. Encourage students to independently read and share their stories with each
other.
D.E.A.R. time will be included in this classroom and during that 10 minute time students
will read and three students can share their books with the class at the end of D.E.A.R.
time. D.E.A.R. time stands for Drop Everything And Read!!
Writing and Creative Thinking Activities:
We will have a writing center that will be a Post Office. Items included in our Post
Office are; paper, pencils, envelopes, stamps and mailboxes (shoe boxes), uniforms, letter
bag, and ink pad. Place a variety of boxes in the area that will be used for mail boxes.
Label one box the official mail box and the other boxes are used for sorting. The sorting
boxes can have numbers, letters and shapes on them. Others can be used for junk mail,
letters to parents, etc. Students will be encouraged to write thank you letters to the
helpers in our school, to the visiting Police Officer and to the Fire Station. Mail carriers
will be chosen daily to deliver letters to the people in our school.
Place a variety of envelopes out for the children to write on and mail. Let some children
sort the mail and other children write letters, make cards and pick up their mail. Prepare
some envelopes with numbers, letters and shapes already on them for the children to sort
into mail boxes.
Ask parents in advance to bring in junk mail. Place this mail in the post office for the
children to sort and play with.
The children can write letters to their parents, each other, draw pictures and mail the
pictures.
*See attached diagram for a visual of the Post Office.
Create a class book!! Teacher will read the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, by Eric
Carle. Construct a book by having students write and draw a picture of a helper and ask
them what the helper will see next.
Example: Doctor, Doctor What do you see?
I see a Nurse looking at me.
Nurse, Nurse, What do you see?
I see a Dentist looking at me. ETC.
We would create this book towards the end of the unit after discussing a wide variety of
helpers in our community.
Fluency Activities:
Fluency will be apart of our reading lessons, morning messages and throughout our unit.
-Choral Readings of the following chants or poems:
*These chants and poems will be on a large piece of chart paper. Tracking the words
from left to right is very important when reading to young children. After reading the
chants, ask students if they see any words that start with a particular letter, do they see
any sight words, do they notice any words that are the same or words that we’ve seen
throughout our class environment. Leave these poems and chants out for the students to
explore and read throughout the unit.
Five Little Firefighters
Five little firefighters all in a row.
The first one said, “I have to go.”
The second one said, “Smoke is in the air”
The third one said, “I’ll be there.”
The fourth one said, “Get the pail.”
The fifth one said, “Ring the bell.”
Then they climbed the ladder onto the roof. They hosed the water and the fire went
“POOF!”
“Traffic Police Officer”
The traffic policeman holds up his hand.
(hold up hand, palm forward)
He blows the whistle,
(pretend to blow whistle)
He gives the command.
(hold up hand again)
When the cars are stopped
(hold up hand again)
He waves at me
Then I cross the street, you see.
(wave hand as if indicating for someone to go)
“My Friend the Toothbrush”
My toothbrush is a tool.
I use it everyday.
I brush and brush and brush
To keep the cavities away.
(pretend to keep the cavities away)
“Little Mail Carrier”
I am a little mail carrier
(point to self)
Who can do nothing better.
I walk.
(walk in place)
I run.
(run in place)
I hop to your house.
(hop in place)
To deliver your letter.
*Note: Have the children think of other ways the mail carrier can deliver the mail, such
as; skip, jump or gallop.
Doctor Day
My father said
“It’s doctor day,”
Then he and I
We’re on our way
To see our friend
The doctor who
Would check me out
As doctors do.
She had more things
Than I can tell
To help her keep
The people well.
She checked me up
And all the while
She wore a big
And friendly smile.
So now I hope
That someday you
May go to see
The doctor too!
Reading Lessons
Before reading any book: introduce the book by reading the title, author, illustrator, date,
dedication and end notes.
Daily Oral Reading – sometimes two or three times a day
-Students will be in a small reading area and teacher will use big books to read to the
group. Teacher will track as s/he reads and talk about characters, plot, story sequence.
Discuss the story after reading and encourage students to read the story with you as you
read the story again and again.
Language Experience Charts - **See attached example
Materials Needed:
1 sheet of ruled manuscript paper
felt-tip markers
construction paper
scissors
tape or glue
Activity:
After going to the fire station, allow the students to discuss the experience.
Print the children’s comments, editing them to form a story, on the manuscript paper.
Leave spaces in the story for pictures of key words. For example, in “Fire Station” the
key words could be illustrated: fire, helmet, boots, house, fire hose, fire fighters.
These illustrations of key words can be drawn directly on the chart or on construction
paper, and then cut out and pasted on the chart. Color the drawings with felt-tip markers.
Mount the finished chart on the wall. During large group reading sessions, read the story
encouraging the children to participate by pointing to each word. One successful
technique is to pause at the pictures and have the children supply the correct word (Cloze
technique).
*Extend this activity by providing paper, pencils, and felt-tip markers for those children
who are interested in making their own charts.
Individual Sentence Charts
Materials Needed:
Easel paper
Paints and brushes
Marking pens
1” strip of tag board taped to the bottom of each picture, making a pocket chart
Word cards for writing each word of the child’s sentence
The child draws or paints a picture. The teacher then writes at the bottom what the child
tells about his/her picture. The child may try to write under the teacher’s words. Later,
the teacher writes the words from the sentence and puts on the tag strip to form pockets.
The child works with a partner to match individual words to the words in the sentences
and practice reading. Working together with partners/helpers helps build confidence in
reading and social skills.
Children can make books of these sentence pictures. When they have three or more
sentences, they can mix up all the words from the sentences and learn the words
individually as well as match them.
Flannel Board Story
Read story about dentists and doctors and have felt cut-outs of these characters, the tools
they use and the place where they work. After reading the story, have students work in
pairs or in groups of three to re-tell the story in their own words to the group using the
felt cut-outs.
Think-Pair-Share
Read several stories about fire safety and discuss the importance of fire safety and
firefighters. Present a question about firefighters or safety (What would you do if your
house was on fire?), have students think silently about their answer, and then turn to their
neighbor or partner and share their answer. *Extend the activity: students will map their
ideas on a piece of paper.
Science
Sand and Water Table
“Create a Community” – Fill the sensory table with water. Add Popsicle sticks, blocks,
boxcar police cars, and fire engines, figure dolls to create a neighborhood of community
helpers.
“Water and toothbrushes” -Fill the sensory table with water. Add peppermint extract and
tooth brushes.
Center Activities
“How heavy is your mail” Set up a balance scale and provide a variety of junk mail.
Encourage children to choose mail they feel will balance the scale. Discuss words such
as; heavy, light, big, little, long, short, thick and thin with the children.
“Doctor and Nurse Tools”- In a touchy feely box, place several tools that a doctor or a
nurse uses. Include a thermometer, gauze, stethoscope, rubber hammer, and a tongue
depressor.
Social Studies
Discussion about the helpers in our Community: Introducing the students to the wide
variety of community helpers and explaining their jobs and how they help the community
is a way of introducing Social Studies to the classroom.
Helping to Take Care of our Classroom:
-Discuss the reasons why you should keep your classroom clean.
-How could you keep your classroom environment clean?
-Allow students time to discuss these reasons and let them express how they feel about
cleaning and taking care of their classroom.
-Assign or pick student helpers for jobs in the classroom.
-Reinforce this activity on a daily basis.
Service Project
Send a letter home to parents asking them to donate items such as; toothbrushes, dental
floss, toothpaste, soap, hair brushes, combs, bubble bath, etc. Have students make bags
to put the items in and attach a card that they have written. Donate the bags to the local
shelter.
Community Helper Hats
-Place four to five community helper hats out. Show the children one hat at a time and
ask them who wears the hat. Also, have them count the numbers of hats and tell you the
colors of each one. After the children have described who wears the hat, let them each
choose a hat to wear. Have the children take turns role-playing the community Helper
whose hat they have chosen. Encourage each child to tell you what he/she does to help
people in the community.
- Materials : Community helper hats( Label the plastic hats with the name of the
community Helper.)
Math Activities
Graphing Activities
Students will graph a variety of things throughout this unit. Have students graph the
number of times they are in a center, how many times they have read certain books, how
many hats they have worn, how many times were they in the science center, who wants to
be what, how many letters were written each day, who were the letters written to and who
delivered the mail, etc… The options are endless and all the students can participate in
this activity.
“The Mail Carrier” – On a piece of tag board have the children draw a picture of their
house a head of time. Then you will need to write each child’s house number on their
house. Next, you need to take envelopes and stamps and put the names and addresses of
the children in class whose houses are used. You can make a mail carriers hat out of
paper for the children to wear while doing this activity. The child will take the folder of
houses and envelopes and places the houses so that s/he can see each house number. The
child then matches each envelope with each house and the correct house number –
“deliver the mail.”
“Letter Sort Game”
Materials Needed:
8-10 oatmeal containers
Masking tape
Envelopes
Stack the oatmeal containers on their sides in the shape of a pyramid. Use masking tape
to hold the containers in place. You can have the children sort envelopes into the
containers by color, number or letter. Choose the way in which you would like the
children to sort the mail and then label both the envelopes and oatmeal containers
accordingly. When they are finished, they can sort the mail.
Patterns and Shapes
Students can look at various objects and describe the shapes and patterns that they
observe. Example: discuss the fire truck and ask students questions; What shape are the
wheels? What shape is the truck? What do you notice about the ladder? Have students
cut out shapes and make a fire truck.
Baking Clay Badges
Let the children help you prepare baking clay. You will need 4 cups flour, 1 cup salt and
1 ¾ cups of warm water. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Next, knead
for approximately 10 minutes. Add several drops of yellow food coloring as you are
molding. When the color is completely mixed, the dough is ready to mold. Give each
child a small ball of clay and have them flatten it completely. Let them use a star-shaped
cookie cutter to cut a star shape from the clay. Next, bake the badges with assorted
collage materials. You may even want to attach a safety pin to the back so that each child
can wear their badge.
Artistic Expression – Music, Drama and Art
Music Activities
Songs for Circle Time:
“Fire Truck Is On The Way”
Ree-oo, ree-oo, ree-oo, the fire truck’s on the way.
Out jumps Kate to put the fi-re out to-day.
Ben to squirt the wa-ter on to-day
Instructions:
Children can put their own names into the song and change the last line to indicate what
they would do as fire fighters. *See attached words and notes of this song.
The People In Your Neighborhood
Verse 1: Oh, who are the people in your neigh-bor-hood, in your neigh-bor-hood, in your
neigh-bor-hood? Oh, who are the people in your neigh-bor-hood, the people you meet
each day?
Verse 2: The mail carrier is a per-son in your neigh-bor-hood, in your neigh-bor-hood,
your neigh-bor-hood. The mail carrier is a per-son in your neigh-bor-hood, a person you
meet that you meet each day.
Instructions:
Add different community helpers to the verses. *Notes and more verses are attached to
this lesson.
“Who’s Who?”
Verse 1. Dad-dy has a white truck that’s filled with mild and cheese. He works while I
am fast a-sleep. Who is he, tell me please?
Verse 2. Dad-dy drives a red truck and wears a bright red hat. He works when-ever there
is a fire. Who is he, tell me please?
Verse 3. Dad-dy drives a blue car and wears a sil-ver star. His clothes are blue, his hat is
blue. Who is he, tell me please?
Verse 4: Dad-dy wears some white shoes, his u-ni-form is white. He helps the doc-tor
day and night, who is he? Yes you’re right!!
***All the daddies can be mommies, change the he’s to she’s and explain to the children
that men and women can be anything they choose. Doctors, nurses, fire fighters, dentists
and mail carriers can be men or women.
Dramatic Play Area
This area will become a hospital and dental office throughout the unit.
Ask parents or friends to donate items for this center. Items such as; cots, doctor’s bags,
surgical masks, scrubs, lab coats, bandages, dentist chair, x-rays, charts, fluoride tablets,
etc.
Give students a list of items in this center and have them make labels for the items in the
center. Students can decorate the center, ie: A sign that says, “The Doctor Is In!”
Allowing students to decorate and create this center encourages independent thinking and
builds classroom community. Students will take pride in this center because they have
created it and hopefully will take the time to clean up the center during “clean-up time.”
Materials Needed:
Poster Board
Markers
Clip Boards
Glue
Pencils
Scissors
Art Activities
Media Center Experiences: Art Center Activities
“Paint with Dental Floss” - Students can paint with dental floss. Provide thin tempera
paint, paper, and dental floss. The children can spoon a small amount of paint onto their
paper and can hold on to the dental floss while moving the free and through the paint to
make a design.
“Wheels” – Have the children dip the wheels of fire trucks in paint and drive them back
and forth across their papers to make tracks.
“Stamps” – Have the children use stamps and ink pads to make designs all over their
papers or paper bags.
“Design a Postal Stamp”
Supply the children with white paper, paint, crayons and/or markers. First, show the
children how to cut the edge of their paper to resemble a stamp. Next, encourage them to
use the crayons/markers or paint to create their own design on their stamp. Older
children may even want to determine a price to write on their stamp.
Group Art Activities
***“Wanted Posters”- Let each child create their own “wanted” poster. Provide them
with white paper, black construction paper, crayons/markers, scissors and glue. Have the
children draw a picture of their ”criminal” on the white paper with crayons/markers.
When they are finished, have each child cut strips from black construction paper. Show
the children how to glue the strips over their “criminal” to make it appear that he is in
jail. When finished, each child may want to dictate a sentence or write a story about their
“criminal.”
Butcher Paper Project
Have the children draw on butcher paper what they saw at the post office or fire station.
Use big butcher paper and have a variety of makers, crayons and pencils out for the
children to explore.
Nurse Bag Puppet
Supply the children with white paper lunch bags, construction paper, scissors, glue and
crayons/markers. Let them use these materials to create their own nurse bag puppet.
Encourage each child to give their nurse a name and tell you about him/her.
Extended Activity: Students may want to dictate or write a story about their nurse.
Easel Painting
Paint with discarded toothbrushes.
Paint on tooth-shaped easel paper.
Charcoal drawing-provide real charcoal at the easels to be used as an application tool.
Cut easel paper in the shape of envelopes, letters, stamps or mailbags.
Physical Education Activities
Group Games/Large Muscle Activities
“Deliver the Mail”- To play this game, divide the children into two teams and give each
child an envelope. Place a box approximately 25-30 feet from each team. On you signal,
the first child on each team must run to the box, drop their envelope inside and then
return to the team. Then, the next child on each team repeats the process. The team to
deliver all of their mail first is the winner.
Stop, Drop and Roll – Review the importance of this safety concept with the children.
Talk with them about what they should do if their clothes were to catch on fire. Show the
children how they should stop, drop to the ground and roll over and over. As you
demonstrate this concept for the children, explain that the rolling takes the oxygen from
the fire and this causes it to go out. Let the children take turns practicing this safety
technique.
Red Light, Green Light- To play the game, choose one child to be the “traffic light.”
Have the “stoplight” stand approximately 25-30 feet away from the rest of the group with
his or her back facing them. Have the remaining children stand side by side in a long line
at a predetermined start line. While the children are moving, the “stoplight” may not
look. However, when the “stoplight” says, “red light!” All of the children must freeze
and the “stoplight” quickly turns around. If the “stoplight” sees a child move, they must
return to the start line. The object of the game is to sneak up on the “stoplight” and the
game starts over again.
“Ambulance Races” – Have the children all stand side by side on a predetermined
START line. Explain to the children that they must pretend that they are ambulances
hurrying to help an injured person. When you say, “GO!” the children should all run to
the predetermined FINISH line. The first person to cross the line is the winning
ambulance.
Individual Warm Up Activities
“Fire Hose Toes”
Equipment Needed: Garden Hose
Lay the hose on the floor in the shape of a circle. The children stand around the hose,
facing the inside of the circle. The children should stand with their toes on the hose and
their heels on the floor. You lead the children in the following exercise: Raise your arms
up and stand on your tiptoes on the hose. Now bring your arms down and put your heels
on the floor. Repeat this several times. Can you do this standing on one foot?
Body Stretches
Have students sit/stand in a large circle where they can’t touch anyone next to them.
Students will be asked to reach up high with their hands and stretch up tall on their
tiptoes. Ask students: “Where do you feel the stretch?”
Have students sit down, with their legs straight out in front of you. Reach your hands as
far forward as you can. Ask students: “Where do you feel your body stretching?”
There are many stretches and warm-ups that students can do before participating in a
phy-ed activities.
Mulitcultural Elements in Our Classroom
Classroom Environment:
Display posters of community helpers around the room. Add multicultural community
puppet set and Lego’s to learning centers.
A variety of books everywhere!!! Book list is located in Comprehension section of this
unit.
As a center activity we will provide the children with the community careers match up
lotto set from the Lakeshore learning store. The children will match an item to the
correct career.
Accommodations for Disabled, ESL and LEP Readers
We will organize instruction around community helpers and focus on real, meaningful
learning. In this approach, students will be able to engage in a variety of individualized
and small group activities so that readers of all levels can contribute.
Pick out the child’s strengths and accentuate the positive’s of that child. Build on the
strengths and encourage the child to grow.
Journal writing, phonemic awareness, pattern book reading, K-W-L activities and cloze
passage exercises are all integrated in this unit.
Field Trips/ Resources Person
Ideas for field trips:
Fire Station
Police Station
Dentist Office
Post Office
Doctor’s Office
Tour the School
Hospital
Resource People
Police Officer
Doctor
Dentist
Nurse
Fire Fighter
***Invite parents into the classroom to discuss their jobs!! The students like to have their
parents involved in their school.
Extended Activity:
Encourage students to write in their journals after going on a field trip or listening to a
speaker. Have students write thank you letters. Students should journal their thoughts
each day.
EXTRA FUN COOKING ACTIVITIES
Bake a Fire Truck Cake!
Ahead of time, bake a pound cake in a loaf pan (or purchase one). Cool. Provide the
children with vanilla icing, red food coloring, pretzel sticks, chocolate sandwich cookies,
a small red gumdrop, shoestring licorice. First, have the children help you mix several
drops of red food coloring into the icing. Use the red icing to cover the entire cake.
Next, use square cookies to make windows on the front and sides of the cake. Add four
chocolate sandwich cookies to the bottom corners for wheels. Use shoestring licorice to
make fire hoses, pretzel sticks to make a ladder and a small red gumdrop for the
siren/flashing light.
Traffic Light – Ups
Ingredients: 1 graham cracker for every four children
Peanut butter
1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green M&M per child
Utensils and Supplies:
Napkins for each child
1 plastic knife per child
Teacher preparation: Break each cracker into its four sections. Arrange the ingredients
and utensils near the step-by-step direction card. SEE ATTACHMENT
Fire Truck Cookie
Ingredients:
1 whole graham cracker per child
Red frosting
1 chocolate sandwich cookie per child
3” length of thick, black licorice
Utensils:
Napkins
Plastic knife per child
Arrange the ingredients and utensils near the step-by-step cards, so that each student
creates their own cookie. SEE ATTACHED RECIPE