Week 4: September 21 - September 25
- Daisy Ross
- Sep 21, 2020
- 12 min read
Updated: Sep 25, 2020
My Community
Most communities have characteristics that are the same and some things that are different. This week, we will discuss similarities and compare different community. You will make observations about your own community and together we will visualize how we can make our neighborhoods better. Please review the vocabulary words for this lesson and participate in this week learning exercises.
Monday, September 21, 2020
Session A :
My Neighborhood, Your Neighborhood
Today is a nice day for a walk (unless there’s lightening). If you and your parents can go for a walk or drive in your neighborhood today, bring a notepad and pencil. What kinds of buildings do you see? Are there stores? Do you see lots of trees or do you see trash on the road?
Our communities are the neighborhoods we live in and the people who live and work around us. Today, people have expanded the use of the word community to include any group of people who have similar values or ideas.
Throughout history, groups of people have formed communities to increase their chances of survival. They may have shared an interest in providing food for their families so they joined with others to hunt or farm. They may have formed a community to protect themselves from other groups that wanted their resources. Often people shared a common interest, such as a religion, which gave them a sense of community. Members of a community typically feel a sense of responsibility to one another.
"Communities are not built of friends, or of groups with similar styles and tastes, or even of people who like and understand each other. They are built of people who feel they are part of something that is bigger than themselves; a shared goal or enterprise; like righting a wrong, or building a road, or raising children, or living honorably, or worshipping a god. To build community requires only the ability to see value in others, to look at them and see a potential partner in one’s enterprise." ~ Suzanne Goldsmith, 2020
Let's use the above paragraph to learn a bit about our own ideas regarding community. First, let's paraphrase the author's words to pull out what Suzanne Goldsmith really meant in this writing. In order to do this we can chunk the paragraph into smaller parts. Breaking the sentences down into smaller parts is a way to make the mind focus on the meaning of the words being used.
A paragraph can be chunked into phrases and sentences, while a reading of several pages can be chunked into paragraphs or sections. It is often helpful to write down information about each “chunk” in a graphic organizer or notebook, which you may want to prepare in advance.
Go back and reread the paragraph and follow as many of these recommendation as you can;
Circle words that are unfamiliar.
Use context clues to help define these words.
Look up the meaning of unknown words.
Write synonyms for these new words in the text.
Underline important places and people and identify them.
Read aloud.
Read multiple times.
Here is the chunking worksheet.
Use this worksheet to help you learn how to chunk the paragraph into parts and paraphrase. Once you have completed this, write down or record yourself describing what "community" means and if you agree or disagree with the author of the above paragraph.
Remember, you are in control of your own thoughts and you do not have to agree with someone else's opinion simply because that person is an author or has a title. The fact is, an opinion is not a fact. A fact is proven and based in evidence.
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Session A:
My Community's in the House!
Did you go walking in your neighborhood yesterday?
What did you see that makes you proud of your community? Some things make us more proud of the neighborhoods that we live in and the groups we share values with.
Let's read a little about other communities and discuss.
Reading Passage 1
In my community, we love to go on adventures. All of my friends meet in a virtual world to search for unique creatures and catch them all! When we catch them, we use the animals special abilities to teach them to fight. It's kind of like how my sister and my track coach teaches us different techniques to use to run and build endurance. We are naturally fast but we need a coach to show us how to use our speed to win races against other fast runners. My friends Javaris, Shea, and I are all trainers. Yesterday, I caught Persian. Persian has six bold whiskers that are supposed to help it look tough. But I think it's very cute. The whiskers sense air movements to determine what is in the Pokémon's surrounding vicinity. It becomes docile if grabbed by the whiskers. Shea caught Onix. Onix is a terrifying creature that digs in the ground and absorbs rocks to make it bigger and heavier. Javaris caught Kingler which is basically a crab. Kingler is really strong but it is hard to move him. There are many others in our community who have caught amazing creatures as well.
Reading Passage 2
I live in a city called Nairobi. Nairobi is in the Eastern hemisphere in a country called Kenya. In my city there are many different neighborhoods that have interesting things to do. My city is very urban, too. That means we have many tall buildings and heavy traffic. The area where I live is South B. There is a lot to do in South B. South B is very loud. There are many churches, masjids and temples that use loud speaker phones to call people to prayer or preach their message to their members and the entire community. There are also people who play loud music at night. It doesn't bother me much because I like the music they play and I dance until I fall asleep in my family's apartment. My favorite place to go is the the Nairobi Cinema. We travel about 30 minutes through heavy traffic to get there. We ride on Mombasa Rd. where there are many signs advertising local businesses. The closer we get to the Nairobi Cinema, the more people we see walking along the roads. They are all mostly happy or very busy because they are rushing home from work in the afternoon. My big brother and I watched Black Panther at Nairobi Cinema. Then we ate at our super grocery store called Tusky's. Sometimes my school goes to August 7th Park. It is beautiful and quiet there.
Now that you've read a these paragraphs, what do you think is the main idea of Reading Passage 1. What about Reading Passage 2? The main idea of a story or reading passage is the one topic that the passage is talking about. It is the most important idea of the story. A passage may mention other things to support the main idea or to better explain the topic. We can identify the main idea by chunking or simply asking what is the story talking about and what the author is saying about it.
When reading Reading Passage 1 you can see there are several ideas shared in the paragraph. We can see that the narrator of the passage has a "community" of friends who all enjoy a similar activity. How would you describe the main idea of this reading passage?
In Reading Passage 2, the author lives in a "community" in a city. She tells the reader about some places she often goes to in her community. She also explains some of the things she enjoys most about her community. How would you describe the main idea of Reading Passage 2?
When reading both passages, you may have noted that the word community is used differently. In Reading Passage 1, it is used as a term that describes how friends interact with one another. In Reading Passage 2, community is a place and the people who live together in that place; like neighbors in a neighborhood. Please share some pictures of your community? Your community might be people who enjoy the same things as you or hold similar values. It may be the neighborhood or city where you live. What do you like best about it? Who are the people who live in your community.
Product:
Answer the question, what does community mean to you?
Identify the main idea of Reading Passages 1 and 2.
Please share some pictures of your community?
Describe what you like best about your community.
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Session B:
My Community's in the House!
Tuesday, September 23, 2020
Session A:
Flag City
In Flag City, on June 14, 1968, every house in the entire City of Findlay, Ohio, flew replicas of the flag of the United States. Fourteen thousand small flags were distributed for community-wide display. The John Hancock Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) were largely responsible organizing the event.
There were ceremonies all day to dedicate a plaque to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces at the Courthouse.
On that day the flags waved and the enthusiasm was set for flying of the U.S. National Flag in communities all over the country. Every year they held this event until 1974. Many people wanted to start the event again every Memorial Day. A Congressman from the area was approached and Findlay was officially declared Flag City, USA.
Did you know that every nation of people has a flag. Not only does every nation have a flag, but every U.S. city also has a flag. Let's look at some city Flags.
Is your city flag on the images above? What does your city flag look like it? What are the elements you can find on it? Why do you think these particular elements are there? Most flags include some imagery that is relative to a product that is important to the city or State's economy or a value that unites the community. Cities and communities are usually built around a common goal, usually an industry that provides the needs of the families who will live there. Usually, special architects called city planners design what will go into the city and where things will go. This job can be called different names; urban planning, strategic planning, city development, etc. All of these are under the title city planning. The city planner has to think about the goals the people (usually public officials) who hired him or her share. A major question that city planners have to answer is if the area is expected to be urban or not and how to make the city safe for people to live, play and work. Will the city have a tourist based economy or will it be a fishing-based one? Will the city be focused on older people who want to enjoy free time in the city or community or will it be for families with young children. This will help determine if the communities will have many schools or restaurants or hospitals or playgrounds.
If you could create your own town, how would it look? Where would children learn, would you have an urban, rural, or suburban community. What kinds of problems could you face and how could your design overcome those problems. For example is the city being developed on a mountain? If so, think about what could go wrong and how your plan could fix that. What would your city flag look like? Will your flag show something that the city produces, a shared value, or an important symbol?
How can you design a city that is safe, healthy, and fun to live in? What needs can be met there?
Product: Create a map of your imagined city. Include important places like hospitals, grocery stores, banks, shopping centers, & business districts. Additionally, develop a city flag. You can use this document to help you with the flag.
Tuesday, September 23, 2020
Session B:
Building A City
Materials you may need:
1. markers
2. tissue rolls
3. glue sticks/super glue
4. plastic bottle
5. buttons
6. poster board
7. shoebox
8. notebook & pencil 9. pipe cleaners
10. construction paper
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Session A:
Visiting Other Communities
Have you or your family ever visited another city? State? Country?
There are communities similar to yours all over the world. Children live and play in their own neighborhoods, visit the local farmers market and grocery store, and have parents who love them, just like you. Let's pretend to go on a trip together. Our trip is to a small community outside of Nairobi, Kenya. Here we will meet a new friend and learn more about other communities and our own.
Your parents just told you that you are going to Nairobi this weekend.
You may ask yourself, "Where is Nairobi?"
Your Mama says, Nairobi is in the country, Kenya. You find a world map and look for the country Kenya. Can you locate it on this globe?
Kenya is in the Eastern hemisphere of the planet Earth. It is also in the continent of Africa. Kenya borders the Indian Ocean, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Sudan. There are lots of farmers in Kenya and agriculture is the biggest part of their economy. Kenya's capital is Nairobi. It is a very busy city and many people there work in city development, banking, and international trade. Now that you know where Kenya is, you have to get ready to go.
Your parents have your passport ready. Do you remember the day you went to get your picture taken? Both of your parents had to be there to sign some papers for you. You had to stand against a white background and look at the camera with your head tilted up just slightly. It took much longer than it normally takes to get a picture to get your passport. Your passport is a small book with a bunch of empty pages, except for the one with your picture and personal information on it.
Your Daddy says, "Never lose this. This is worth more than money while we are traveling. You got it?"
He tells you all the steps that had to be taken to get your passport. He shows you the special place where the family will keep your passport as well.
Why do you think your passport is so valuable?
Everyone in your family has a passport. You have to get a VISA too. Your Daddy goes to the national website for Kenya and buys each family member a tourist VISA.
Daddy says that everyone in the family has to get a COVID19 test before getting on the flight and when you land at the airport. He grumbles a little because of its added costs.
How is the weather in Kenya. Well, its almost rainy season. In September, it is just now Spring. The weather is warm although the nights can be a little chilly. It can get as cold as 47° F in the evenings so you should probably pack a sweater or two just in case you are out with the family at night. In the hottest part of the day, it is under 80° F. So a T-shirt or two and a few overshirts will probably be helpful.
On Saturday, you get to the airport early in the morning to catch your flight. The Sun hasn't risen yet. Your family must present your flight ticket, passports, and COVID 19 tests before you get on the plane. This is called checking in. It takes about an hour. Your bags are weighed. You have two suitcases that will be checked and you have a backpack that you will carry on the plane with you. When you check your bags, the airport staff takes them and puts a tag on them with your information. You won't see those bags again until you land. Mama made sure all of your medicine, your favorite game, some shea butter and your tooth brush are all in your backpack. Your backpack is called a carryon bag.
The flight seems like it lasts forever; 8. The plane lands and you think, "YAY! We are here!" Not so fast. You are in Berlin, Germany. Your family has to get off of the plane. The wait is 2 hours in Berlin. Daddy buys you a dish called Filderkraut at a local restaurant inside the airport. He says, "No bacon, please."
Once you all are back on the airplane it should be another 10 hours before you reach your destination. You fall asleep so it doesn't seem long before you are landing in Nairobi, Kenya.
Could you imagine that you were goin on a trip? Sometimes it is fun to pretend and travel to real places that are far away. We can learn a lot. Let's visit a friend who lives just outside of the busy city of Nairobi. Her name is Selian (See Lee Ann).
Selian lives in a small subdivision outside of Nairobi. Selian and the people she lives with speak the language Kiswahili (Swahili language). She plays behind their houses with her best friend. Does Selian's community remind you of your own? Do you play with your own friends outside? What games do you play with your friends?
Selian visits a farmers market to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. There are many farmers in her community so she has a wide variety of food to choose from. Do you see any foods that you eat at home?
If you could visit a community you've never been to before, where would you go? What makes you want to go there and how do you believe it would compare to your own. Find out about another community and pretend to go on a trip to that place. Answer the following questions in your presentation.
What is the name of the community?
Where is it located in the world?
Will you travel by plane, car, train?
Will you need a passport?
What is the name of someone you might meet there?
What do people do in this community?
What is a popular food people like to eat?
Describe some characteristics of this community that are similar to your own.
What is different?
What do you think is the best part about visiting this community?
Friday, September 25, 2020
Friday Fun Day
What was the best part of this week? we definitely hope you have had some fun learning about communities, including your own. A fun activity that you may enjoy today is the Community Wild Goose Chase!
Using Google Maps visit your own community, city, or neighborhood. Find the following;
1. Where can your family go to eat the best jerk or tacos in the world?
2. Where can you buy shoes?
3. Where is the park that is furthest from your home?
4. What roads take you to your favorite family members’ house?
5. How many miles away is your Mama’s job?
6. What’s the name the closest site or historic landmark related to African American history?
7. Where were you born?
REMEMBER: You have the brilliance to make your community better.
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