Reading Enrichment Unit

First Grade
Allison Kelly
Objectives:
Students will learn that there are three types of communities: urban, suburban, and
rural.
Students will learn characteristics of each community through nonfiction books and
technology.
Students will write a sentence about an urban, rural, or suburban community. They will
share their knowledge through the use of a digital tool.

Essential Questions:
What kinds of places do people live?
What are urban, rural, and suburban communities?
How are communities alike and different?
How can I use technology to show what I learned?

Diocese of Savannah Standards:

LA.1.31 Identify similarities and differences between colors, shapes, objects, people,
pictures, and actions
LA.1.33 Discuss stories and information read aloud.
LA.1.34 Use new vocabulary words relating to the concept discussed
LC.1.60 Increase vocabulary to reflect a growing range of knowledge and interest
across the curriculum.
D.1.67 Recall important facts and details from a selection.
LG.1.89 Draw pictures and use letters and phonetically spelled words to write about
experiences, stories, people, objects, or events
LG.1.92 Write a minimum of 3 sentences about a topic.
L L.1.106 Explore the uses of the media center and available technology.

AASL Standards
3.1.3 Use writing and speaking skills to communicate new understandings effectively
4.1.7 Use social networks and information tools to gather and share information.
4.1.8 Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning
4.3.4 Practice safe and ethical behaviors in personal electronic communication and
interaction.

Lesson Plans
Day 1:
Define community
Tell students Today we will learn about a city. In a city you can see such things as
shops, libraries, and parks. There is a fancy name for city. It is called an urban
community. What would you like to visit in a city?
For an interactive component, pull up the following Web 2.0 tool ThingLink.
Students can click on the picture that shows a city. An interactive map will appear with
the types of things you might find in a city.
Read aloud the Big Book: A City. Read the title. Review that books about real people
and real things are nonfiction. Nonfiction books often have photographs as this book
does.
As you read, ask the following questions:
What are some ways people travel around a city?
Why do many people walk or use public transportation like buses or taxis?
Pass out the graphic organizer. Students will write one fact they learned about cities.
Color the picture of the tall building.

Day 2:
Review characteristics of an urban community.
Tell students Today we are going to learn about another type of community. Some
people live in rural areas. This means that there is lots of big open spaces and less
people than a city. In a rural area you will find a lot of farms for crops and livestock.
Open the Thinglink to show a short video about urban and rural communities.
Read aloud the non-fiction book Living in Rural Communities.
For an interactive component, play the BrainPopjr game. In this activity students will
come up to the Promethean Board. They will drag and crop images into two categories:
things you would see in a rural community and things you would see in an urban
community.

Day 3:
Review urban and rural communities. Read aloud the nonfiction book Living in
Suburban Communities.
Write one fact you learned and color the picture.

Students will be given a blank piece of paper. They will draw a picture of an urban,
suburban, or rural community. This will be used on Day 4.

Day 4:
Students will finish illustrating a picture of an urban, suburban, or rural community from
Day 3. As they finish, students will individually record themselves by saying the
following information:
My name is _____________________. This is a __________________ community
because _____________________.
The photos will be scanned on the computer and uploaded to VoiceThread for a
presentation to share with their families.