We are about to begin one of my favorite units--community! Each year, we go all out and make a huge 3-d map of our city, complete with the most adorable kid-created milk carton houses. I hope to share pictures of the finished product by next week. This year, I have added a community scrapbook that I hope the kids will love and keep forever! As we study our community, we will glue in maps, go "shopping" at local stores, add menus from local restaurants, create paper cars and driver's licenses to learn about our major highway, and more. I can not WAIT to get started with this project!
Here is an example of the "Shop 'Til You Drop" page. The kids will glue in a paper sack, and cut out food pictures from a magazine. They will pop the bag out and put their "purchases" inside. They will also glue a logo from a local grocery store to the front of the bag!
***Parents...this is where I will need your help! Please send in magazines for us to cut apart!
P.S. In case you are wondering, HGTV Magazine ROCKS!***
They will also draw their favorite restaurants. I think I might go around to a few local restaurants and ask them to donate bags, fry boxes, etc. to glue in our books.
So, that is my paper car. It doesn't look like a car at all! Oh well. Also, 280 never has just one car. I need to add many more to make it look like the crazy traffic jam it always is--sad, but true! For this page, I also want to take pictures of all the kids, and shrink them down so I can add their real photo to the driver's license. So fun! If I were a kid, I would probably totally cut that out when I got home, and pretend to "drive" my bike like a car. HA! I don't want to tell them that, though.
We are also beginning a cool little project to get our families out into the community! Meet "Flat Chelsea" and "Flat Chip":
These little cuties are going home with my first graders this week. They will take a picture of themselves and their new flat friend somewhere in our community, and then write about their adventures! I know they will be so excited to know they can take these home tomorrow!!!
Teachers, what is your favorite idea for teaching communities?
I will give away one of my scrapbooks to the 10th person to comment!!!!
What a cute idea!
ReplyDeleteWe used to do the milk carton houses, but we recently switched to paper sack houses. It is much easier for the kids to make their houses more unique and their little hands do better with the bigger surface to decorate.
ReplyDeleteLisa! That is SO smart! I love that idea! I might try that this year!!! Thank you!
DeleteThis is so cute! I love it :) I like to have the kids make dioramas as a take-home project. I love this idea though!! :)
ReplyDeletethepolkadotowl@gmail.com
SARAH! This is precious...as always! LOVE YOU AND YOUR WORK! :)
ReplyDeleteLyndsey, you are precious! Thank YOU!!! :)
DeleteToooo cute! I'm crossing my fingers I'm the 10th comment!
ReplyDeleteGladys
teachinginhighheels@gmail.com
Last year, we took the kids on a tour of four community places (library, ambulance hut, newspaper, and police station). I guess everyone is waiting to be the 10th commenter. :)
ReplyDeleterepete_21@yahoo.com
I'd love to have your scrapbook - too cute!!
ReplyDeletedbtrout@hotmail.com
So cute!!!
ReplyDeleteAshley.e.thurston@gmail.con
This is a great idea -- I'm going to do this for sure!
ReplyDeleteHope it's me!
ReplyDeleteKate
dancinqueenks23@aol.com
It's you! :)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLove it! Looks adorable!
ReplyDeleteasponn@evdio.org
This is even cute for 2nd grade!
ReplyDeletenadostaler@yahoo.com
This is even adorable for 2nd grade!
ReplyDeletenadostaler@yahoo.com
What a cute idea! I love it!!! Amber ~ Kindergarten Rocks Blog
ReplyDeleteThis is a GREAT idea. I love it!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this!!!!!! Will you be selling the pages and Flat Chelsea/Chip on TPT? I will be your first customer! : )
ReplyDeleteI adore your work, so many great ideas!
I'm not the tenth, but I still want to comment about how cute this is!!! Will totally do something similar with my Firsties! Will this be sold on tpt?
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, it is available on TpT!
DeleteLOVE this! You always know how to make everything so cute and fun.
ReplyDeleteSarah
Sarah's First Grade Snippets
By the way, is this available to purchase? :)
ReplyDeleteSarah
Sarah's First Grade Snippets
Thanks Sarah Paul!! Yes, it is on TpT!
ReplyDeleteLOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!! How cute and creative, yet VERY relevant!
ReplyDeleteWow, such a cute idea!! I love it! :)
ReplyDeleteAmanda
First Grade Garden
Even if I don't win can i get the ideas for each page please. This is such a hands-on GREAT way to teach about the community the child lives in. It is so personalized that it will be a fun momento!
ReplyDeleteUmmmm... I can't even wait to use this with my kiddos to link to prior learning when we jump into our third grade community unit!!!! Cute!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a darling idea!!! LOVE it!!! Our school is close to a post office and an ice cream shop. I've always wanted us to walk and tour the post office and then go to the ice cream shop.
ReplyDeleteVery cute! Awesome idea.
ReplyDelete~Jane
rsmiramo@smsd.org
Our kids make an Itty Bitty City using milk cartons. We also make Hot Spots in Claremont where the kids take a pic of themselves at the favorite place in town. They are adorable!
ReplyDeleteOur kids make an Itty Bitty City using milk cartons. We also make Hot Spots in Claremont where the kids take a pic of themselves at the favorite place in town. They are adorable!
ReplyDeleteOur kids make an Itty Bitty City using milk cartons. We also make Hot Spots in Claremont where the kids take a pic of themselves at the favorite place in town. They are adorable!
ReplyDeleteLove this!! What an amazing idea ;)
ReplyDeletelove this idea, I have been trying to come up with an idea to do a community projects with first graders, after years of teaching second grade. thank you!
ReplyDeleteSUPER SUPER SUPER CUTE!!
ReplyDeleteWe have our community unit in February!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Thanks for sharing something that is likely sooo motivating to students!!
Sarah
shetrick@gmail.com
that is absolutely adorable!! :)
ReplyDeleteashley
ashleysanderson1@hotmail.com
flyinghighinfirst.blogspot.com
I love the Flat Chip and Chelsea idea! Last year in grade two we had the students take a stuffed toy around everywhere they went for a week. They had to take photos and make/present the project. The kids all had a ton of fun.
ReplyDelete- Amanda {avphilli@gmail.com}
Inspired in Second
Our kinder team actually made an entire "Kinderville" city and we constrcuted roads, billboards, traffic signs, lakes/trees/etc. The kids brought in there community building and we "built" the city outside and the rest of the school was able to see our beautiful display!
ReplyDeleteLOVE your scrapbook :)
Holly
Learning Adventures with Mrs. Gerlach
I love the Community Scrapbook!! I was wondering is Flat Chip and Chelsea be available for purchase?! I love the idea of taking pictures out in the community! :)
ReplyDeleteI love the Community Scrapbook idea!!! I love Flat Chip and Chelsea... Are you going to offer them on TPT? I think it is a great idea taking pictures with them out in the community!!
ReplyDeleteI love this idea! I will be starting a community unit with my students next week and this scrapbook would tie it all together. This is my first year teaching first grade and I am a bit overwhelmed right now. I keep telling my self that it will get better once the routines are in place.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! How can the rest of us get this? I would love to have it for our community unit.
ReplyDeletefaithfulinfirst.blogspot.com
Hi Sarah! I just bought your community scrapbook on TpT. Any suggestions for some community read alouds to go along with this unit? Just trying to compile a list. THanks so much!
ReplyDeleteSuch a great idea! I pinned this for my unit (doesn't start until April). I hope you are able to post some examples of your kiddos with their flat friends. I love that idea!
ReplyDeleteI love your community scrapbook and the Flat Stanley people. Could you please e-mail them to me elliskirsty1@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this idea! Our mascot is a bricklayer named Yohan who is quite popular in the community... the kids would have a blast taking him around town! I just purchased this book on TpT and can't wait to use it. So adorable! :)
ReplyDeleteRhiannon
www.slidingintofirstgrade.blogspot.com
I purchased your scrapbook and am doing it with my students right now. It is adorable.I love the idea of flat Chelsea and Flat Chip. What a great way to get family involved and make Social Studies fun - something there is too little of in 1st grade now!
ReplyDeleteHi there!
ReplyDeleteI bought your community scrapbook and am excited to start using it tomorrow! Today we went on a walk outside for a community scavenger hunt and looked for things l like a pool, a mailbox, apartments, a store, etc...so much fun!
I noticed "Flat Chelsea" and "Flat Chip" aren't on sale in your store. Where did you find that cutie clip art that you used to make them? I really want to use your idea....love it!!!
Elyse
Happily Teaching
Thank you! Found you on Pinterest!
ReplyDeletehello i love this idea i would like to know how i can use it to were can i download it or buy it please!
ReplyDeleteWhere can I get a copy of this scrapbook? We are learning about communities in my Year 1 class, and this is a wonderful teaching tool!
ReplyDeleteAshley
halo_2003@msn.com