Kindergarten Social Studies: Myself and Others SS000102

Unit 1: Who Am I? Lesson 2

Lesson 2: I Go to School

Big Ideas of the Lesson

Children go to school.
School is a place where children learn.
Classrooms have regions.
Stories have a beginning, middle, and end.

Lesson Abstract:
In this lesson students begin to explore their role as a student. The lesson begins with the teacher
posing the following question: How did you feel about coming to kindergarten this year? Students
share their responses. The teacher then shares one or both of the following books: Molly McSholly
Conquers Kindergarten or Off to Kindergarten. (Note that students are guided to make text to self
connections and if both books are used students can be guided to make text-to-text connections as
part of language arts.) As the book is read the class identifies how the main character prepared for
kindergarten, how she/he felt during kindergarten, and how she/he felt at the end of kindergarten.
The teacher creates a 3-column chart labeled: Beginning, Middle, and End. Using one or both of the
books, students help fill in the chart. Returning to the book the teacher shows students the illustration
of the main characters classroom. Students will describe the classroom in the story and compare it to
their own. As they describe the classrooms, the teacher introduces the concept of region. Classroom
regions include the reading area, play area, etc. Finally, the students return to their I Am a Person
drawings from the previous lesson and add a picture of something they like about their classroom.

Content Expectations
K - H2.0.3: Identify the beginning, middle, and end of historical narratives or stories.

K - G2.0.1: Identify and describe places in the immediate environment (e.g., classroom, home,
playground).

Integrated Content Expectations

R.NT.00.03: Discuss setting, characters, and events in narrative text. (English Language Arts)

R.CM.00.01: Begin to make text-to-self and text-to-text connections and comparisons by activating
prior knowledge and connecting personal knowledge and experience to ideas in text
through oral and written responses. (English Language Arts)

Key Concepts
geographic theme of place
school
sequence

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Kindergarten Social Studies: Myself and Others SS000102
Unit 1: Who Am I? Lesson 2

Instructional Resources
Equipment/Manipulative
Butcher (chart paper), 2 large pieces
Computer (optional)
Crayons, colored pencils, markers, etc. (class set)
I Am a Person pictures from previous lessons
Internet access
Markers (for teacher use)

Student Resource
Going to School is Your Job. United Learning. 1998. Discovery Education. 12 August 2009
<http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/>.

Here in the Classroom. Songs for Teachers. 2008. 7 August 2009.

<http://www.songs4teachers.com/classroom1.pdf>.

Johnston, Tony. Off to Kindergarten. New York: Cartwheel Books, 2007.

Uttley, Tracy. Molly McSholly Conquers Kindergarten. Edina, MN: Beavers Pond Press, 2004.

Welcome to our Classroom. Songs for Teachers. 2008. 12 August 2009

<http://www.songs4teachers.com/backsample.pdf>.

Teacher Resource
Clark, Jennifer. Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 2). Teacher-made material. Michigan
Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum, 2009.

Lesson Sequence
1. Ask the students, How did you feel about coming to kindergarten this year? Provide students
ample time to share their responses.

2. Read a book such as Molly McSholly Conquers Kindergarten or Off to Kindergarten. Before
beginning to read, tell the students to listen for clues that identify how the main character feels
about kindergarten in the beginning, in the middle, and in the end of the story. As the students
share responses, write (or draw pictures to represent their responses) on a 3-column chart
labeled: Beginning, Middle, End. There is a sample chart provided: Beginning, Middle, End
(Story 1) located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 2). Beginning, Middle, End
(Story 1) Answer Key located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 2) has been provided
for your reference as well.

3. Guide students to make text-to-self connections as they identify similar personal feelings about
going to kindergarten and the characters in the book have.

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Kindergarten Social Studies: Myself and Others SS000102
Unit 1: Who Am I? Lesson 2

4. If time permits, read the second book to the students. Again, point out how the main character
feels about kindergarten in the beginning, in the middle, and in the end of the story. Have students
respond to how the main character feels in the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Again,
record the students answers in words or pictures on a second 3-column chart called Beginning,
Middle, End (Story 2), located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 2). Beginning,
Middle, End (Story 2) Answer Key is provided in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 2) as
well.

5. If both stories are shared with the class, guide students in making text-to-text connections that
identify how both characters felt about kindergarten in the beginning, middle, and end of the
stories. Using the charts that were created earlier in the lesson, the students help circle all the
similarities and underline all the differences they see between the two characters and their
feelings about going to school in the beginning, middle and end of the stories. (Several other
stories are suggested under Teacher Resources if further development of beginning, middle, and
end is needed.)

6. Return students attention to one of the books. Have students look at the illustrations to describe
the classroom from the story. Using a Venn-diagram, guide students in comparing their classroom
to the one being described in the story. For example, The classroom in the book has a drinking
fountain. We also have a drinking fountain in our classroom. Another example might be, The
classroom in the book has desks. When I look in our classroom, I do not see desks. I see tables.
Allow time for students to identify similarities and differences between their classroom and the
classroom in the story.

7. As the students are comparing classrooms, introduce the concept of regions by identifying
regions.of the students classroom (play area, reading area, work area, etc).

8. Show the Going to School is Your Job video from Discovery Streaming
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=423FDB79-F3AA-4683-BBC2-
FC25E99C2119 . Remind students that being a student is one of their roles.

9. Teach the song Here in the Classroom or Welcome to our Classroom located in the
Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 2). After singing Here in the Classroom, ask students to
look around as the song says and describe or draw things in the classroom.

10. The students will continue to build their I Am a Person bodies that they started in the previous
lesson. Remind students in the last lesson they drew an outline of their body. They also described
what they like about themselves and a role they have. In this lesson instruct the students to add
something that shows their role as a student. In addition, have students draw or describe their
favorite part of the classroom.

Assessment
The chart that the students create together can be used as an assessment to determine who
understands the concepts of beginning, middle, and end. The pictures added to the students body
outlines can also be used as an additional assessment to determine if the students can describe their

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Kindergarten Social Studies: Myself and Others SS000102
Unit 1: Who Am I? Lesson 2

favorite parts of the classroom. If needed, students can create vocabulary cards, or picture cards,
similar to the Word Cards located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 2).

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