Title: Exploring Our Community

Objective: - To introduce preschool students to the concept of community and help them understand the importance of being a part of a community. - To develop an appreciation for the people, places, and services that make up their community. - To encourage empathy, cooperation, and respect for others within the community.

Materials: - Picture books about community (e.g., “The Little House” by Virginia Lee Burton, “The Berenstain Bears’ Neighborly Deed” by Stan and Jan Berenstain) - Large world map or globe - Pictures or flashcards of community helpers (e.g., doctor, firefighter, police officer, teacher, mail carrier) - Art supplies (crayons, markers, colored pencils, construction paper, glue, scissors) - Community-themed puzzles or matching games - Community-themed songs or rhymes (e.g., “The Wheels on the Bus,” “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)

Lesson Plan:

Introduction (10 minutes): 1. Gather the students in a circle and begin by asking them if they know what a community is. Encourage them to share their ideas and thoughts. 2. Explain that a community is a group of people who live, work, and play together in the same area. Emphasize that communities are made up of different people, places, and things that help us live happy and safe lives. 3. Show the students a large world map or globe and point out their location. Explain that their preschool is a part of their community, and there are many other places and people in their community.

Book Reading (15 minutes): 1. Read a picture book about community, such as “The Little House” or “The Berenstain Bears’ Neighborly Deed.” Pause occasionally to ask questions and engage the students in discussions about the story. 2. After reading, ask the students to share what they learned about communities from the book.

Community Helpers (15 minutes): 1. Show pictures or flashcards of different community helpers. Explain that community helpers are people who work to make our community a better place. 2. Discuss each community helper and their role (e.g., doctor helps us when we are sick, firefighter helps put out fires, teacher helps us learn, mail carrier delivers our mail). 3. Encourage the students to share their experiences with community helpers or ask questions about them.

Art Activity (20 minutes): 1. Provide art supplies and ask the students to draw or create a collage of their community. Encourage them to include people, places, and things that they see in their community. 2. After they finish their artwork, ask each student to explain what they included and why it is important to their community.

Community Games (15 minutes): 1. Engage the students in community-themed puzzles or matching games. This will help reinforce the concepts learned and encourage critical thinking skills. 2. Sing community-themed songs or rhymes together, such as “The Wheels on the Bus” or “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”

Conclusion (5 minutes): 1. Gather the students back in a circle and recap what they have learned about communities. 2. Ask the students to share one thing they appreciate about their community or one way they can help make their community a better place. 3. End the lesson by emphasizing the importance of being kind, helpful, and respectful to others in their community.

Note: The duration of each activity can be adjusted based on the attention span and needs of the preschool students.