Title: Community Exchange
Project Authors: Kathy DeMott, Steve Hines, Carmen Imai, and Cynthia Mason
Subject Area: Social Studies
Intended Grade Level: K-1
Description: This project focuses on children getting to know other children from a different region of the United States.
Learner Outcomes: Students will learn and begin to understand how a region effects people's lives. Students will use language to communicate with a variety of audiences and to explain and use courtesies. They may also become aware of language differences as a function of linguistic and cultural group membership. We are planning and delivering a presentation to an audience. In Michigan, we will cover social studies GLCE KG2: Identify how people use their environment to meet human needs and wants, KC8: Identify situations in which they demonstrated self-discipline and individuals responsibility.
Time: Our community exchange will take place on October 12th. The day of the exchange the conference will take place 2 times that day 8 am in TX(10 am in MI) and 10 am in TX (12 am in MI) for about 40 minutes.
Preparation: Kathy/Steve email each other the week of September 17th with contact information. A test call will be made the week of September 24th. Discuss and gather objects that represent our community, discuss describing words about objects, write questions for the review game using the descriptions from earlier, practice presenting the objects and reading the note cards for the game individually,and practice sharing them in front of others. Introduce and locate the other school on a map.
Materials: Note cards, name tags, and community objects
Videoconferencing Agenda:
Laura Witten will call (15 minutes ahead) from the port in Kathy's classroom to Steve's classroom.
Introduction:
5 minutes - Marcellus Elementary introduce themselves (school colors, logo)
5 minutes - Stanton Elementary introduce themselves
Presentation:20 minutes
Stanton will present one community item then Marcellus. Examples from Marcellus may be a piglet, corn, pumpkins, apples, colored leaves, cotton candy or fudge. Examples from Stanton may be a giant vinegaroon, scorpion, tarantula, pinata, cactus and Mexican candy. We will continue to exchange until all items are shown.
Debrief :5-10 minutes
Play review game. We will take turns describing an object that we presented while the other group guesses which object it might be. All objects should be visible to the other class.
Post Activities: Classroom discussion on what did we learn about the other community and what did they learn about videoconferencing.
Assessment and Evaluation
Marcellus (K) Draw 2- 3 items that we saw during the exchange.
Stanton (1st) Draw at least 3 items we saw during the exchange and write one sentence about each item.
Inspiration for Template: JAZZ Booklet
Additional Resources: