ADST PROJECTS - Our Community in Motion

Our Community in Motion

Grade 1 | Social Studies, Math, Arts Eduation, ELA, ADST

Learners explore the roles and responsibilities of different community helpers by creating a model community. Learners will create paper representations of community workers and helpers (eg. doctors, teachers, firefighters, grocers, etc), and/or vehicles (eg. fire trucks, ambulances, delivery trucks, etc.), and, with the use of Sphero robots, navigate their paper creations through challenges. Learners will demonstrate their understanding of how community members work together to meet the needs of their community.

How it supports the curriculum

Big Ideas

People and places within a community are connected and work together to meet the needs of others.

Content Connections

Curricular Competencies

Social Studies: Recognize the contributions, roles and responsibilities of people in their local community; build a map of their community.
Language Arts: Develop oral language by describing the parts of a community and its people; explain thinking through reflection.
Optional ELA extension: create a backstory for their character.
Art: Create artistic works individually or collaboratively to represent neighbourhoods, buildings, roads, vehicles and people.
ADST: Choose appropriate tools and materials; Use technology to solve a problem or complete a task; Create a model or map of a local community.
Math (optional): Recognize and create simple patterns; measure length and width; explore 3D shapes.

Classroom Things Needed

Technology: Student iPads, Sphero Robots, Sphero App

Services: Seesaw

Materials: Large chart paper, craft supplies

Teacher Skills needed

👉 Note: We can help build your confidence with all of these skills before and during the project!

iPads: Managing a class set of iPads, and connecting bluetooth devices.

Sphero App: Navigating the basics of the Sphero App.

Student Skills needed

👉 Note: Just like the teacher skills, we can help build students' confidence with all of these skills before and during the project!

iPads: Responsible use of iPads.

Seesaw: Signing in and capturing reflections.

Project Outline
Duration: 6 Lessons

Phase 1: Community Inquiry

Launch Activity: Explore the purpose of community and discuss the roles of different community helpers. Share resources such as books, videos, read-alouds, and invite students to share their experiences in their communities. Take a walk and explore the community around the school.

Phase 2: Community Building

Students work collaboratively to create a floor map of their local community, highlighting important places such as schools, parks, hospitals, roads, homes, and other important locations, based on what they discovered from the inquiry phase.
Students craft paper representations of different community helpers and/or their vehicles. Examples include: firefighters & fire trucks, paramedic or nurses and ambulances, police officers and police cars, garbage collectors and trucks, etc.

Phase 3: Exhibition

Students place their paper cup characters over the Spheros, and take turns completing missions (eg. Deliver the mail, drive students to school, return a library book). Students choose a path on the map and explain why they chose that route. Add additional challenges like road closures for parades, accidents, construction, etc.

Optional Extensions

Math: to recognize numbers 1-20, community helpers can deliver a quantity of packages to a specific address, a number of books to the library, etc. Introduce the concept of time: (eg. “get to school before 9:00AM”, “deliver a package before 12:00PM”, “navigate home before sunset”)
Science: Pollinators in Motion Students learn about bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Same concept but crafting paper bees, and navigating from the hive to different types of flowers to collect pollen, back to the hive. Colour and pattern recognition.

Page updated

Report abuse