KindergartenLearning about Community by Connecting to People, Places, and Stories
Core Competency Questions:
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- What makes West Vancouver a unique community?
- What is your role in our classroom, school and local community?
- What places in the community are most important to you and your family?
- What are the different roles and responsibilities of the people in our community?
The Context:
Through an explorative unit of inquiry about the local community in which we live, Kindergarten students deepened their knowledge about the diverse world around them. Students explored what makes a community unique by learning about and identifying with different community members. Professionals and key members shared their roles and responsibilities in keeping the community safe and livable. This inquiry included multiple interactive learning formats to showcase the important characteristics of our smaller school community and our larger neighbourhood, and the role each person, place or thing has in shaping our human experience. Thinking was further sparked through the visits from diverse members of our community, such as Bob Baker, West Vancouver’s cultural advisor and First Nation elder, By learning about, students recognized how a community works and what it takes to be part of a community.
Teacher
“Through stories and play, I watched students make connections about what ‘community’ means, what it looks like in the world around them, and who members of their community are. For example, students made the connection between what their parents do for work and how they might be seen as a community helper (e.g., a police officer, firefighter or dentist).
It was beneficial to have Bob Baker, West Vancouver’s cultural advisor and First Nation elder, come into the classroom to share what the community of West Vancouver was like many years ago. He described this former community through stories, singing, drumming and dance. It was a unique way for the students to understand the significance of community and gain respect and appreciation for other cultures especially that of First Nations people from the surrounding area.” –Ms. Radomski
Student Reflections
What is a community?
“A house where you live and some neighbours and you have to work to keep the community.” -Bardia
“Where you live and where buildings are and work.” -Piper
What places in your community are important to you and your family?
“Restaurants, shopping, soccer field, school, library and sometimes parks.” –Cyrus
“Parks, restaurants, community center, library, beach, walks to Lynn Canyon, Karate, piano.” –Kiyan
What are the roles of people in our school?
“Mrs. Ratz is important to keep the kids safe.” -Emily
What is Bob Baker’s role in our community?
“He tells stories about his life.” -Aryanna
Curricular Competencies
Social Studies Kindergarten – Our communities are diverse and made of individuals who have a lot in common.
- I can name places and events that are and people who are significant to me in my local community
- I can tell you some of the work people do in my family and in the community so we can meet our needs and wants
- I can name significant people, places and events in the local First Peoples community
English Language Arts Kindergarten – Engage actively as listeners, viewers, and readers, as appropriate, to develop understanding of self, identity, and community
Arts Education Kindergarten – Explore artistic expressions of themselves and community through creative processes
Key Questions:
What makes West Vancouver a unique community?
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- What is my role in our classroom, school and local community?
- How is my community important to me and my family?
- What are the different roles and responsibilities of the people in our community?
