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What Is a Healthy Community?

Grades: 
3, 4, 5
Author(s): 
Subjects: 
Health and PE
Social-Emotional Learning
Keywords & Concepts: 
Communities
Compare/Contrast
Health
Respect
Advocacy
Teamwork
civic engagement
Common Good
Physical Fitness
Character Education: Responsibility

Students explore the meaning of community and describe traits of a healthy classroom community. They develop a class definition of a healthy community and learn how to promote healthy habits in the school community.

Duration 
PrintOne 45-Minute Class Period
Objectives 

The learner will:

  • define community.
  • play an active team game.
  • write a description of a healthy classroom community.
  • teach others about healthy communities.
Materials 
  • chart paper and markers
  • YouTube video Community
  • paper for flyers or bookmarks
Home Connection 

Discuss ideas to share this lesson with their family, which is also a community. Students may work as a whole class or in small groups to carry out a plan to promote healthy community habits with others. For example, they may make bookmarks or posters with messages to build healthy community and give them as gifts for special occasions or just because.

Reflection 

As an exit ticket, students write one healthy community habit they want to share with their family that night.  

Related Resources 

Instructions

Print

  1. Anticipatory Set

    Play this brief video about what makes up community. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv2gamsvMcE) Discuss the different parts of community named in the video.

  2. Make a T-chart on chart paper. Brainstorm on the left side with students what makes a community. Remind students that communities can be made up of people who live in the same area, like a town, or when people gather for a shared interest, like a club.

    Tell the students that just like our bodies perform better when they are healthy, communities (and the people in them) perform better when they are healthy. Ask, “What makes a community healthy? What makes a community a good place or reason to be together?” Brainstorm on the right side of the T-chart (clean, full of resources, people getting along, helping each other, a safe place to learn and grow, common interest in doing well together – cooperation over competition, and made up of different people).

  3. Write a class definition of a healthy community.

    Say, “Our classroom is a community. If it is a healthy community, we will all do well in it together.” Play the following name game together as a community, with the goal to practice healthy community habits from the brainstormed list.

  4. Active Name Game

    Stand in a circle. The first person says their name and does a body action. The whole group repeats the name and action. The second person says their own name and a different body action. The whole group repeats the names and actions of the first and second persons. The third person adds their own. The game builds as the group cooperates, shows respect for each person, practices memorizing, and is physically active.

    *Note: you can make a rule about the actions, such as at least one foot must leave the ground, or the movement must be bigger than one appendage.

  5. Discuss the following questions after the game:

    • What are things you did that showed respect and responsibility to the whole group?
    • What are the benefits to you and to the classroom community of playing this game?
    • How do we all want to feel when we interact with each other in a game or classroom?
    • How do healthy community habits help everyone in the community?
    • How do we handle disagreements or react when others aren’t showing healthy community habits?
    • How can we extend healthy community habits beyond a game to the classroom and school?

  6. Complete the lesson with a discussion about ideas to share this lesson with the whole school, which is also a community. Students may work as a whole class or in small groups to carry out a plan to promote healthy community habits with others. For example, they may make bookmarks or posters with messages to build healthy community and post them in the media center or hallway. They may organize games on the playground.

Philanthropy Framework

  1. Strand PHIL.I Definitions of Philanthropy
    1. Standard DP 01. Define Philanthropy
      1. Benchmark E.1 Define philanthropy as the giving and sharing of time, talent, or treasure intended for the common good.
      2. Benchmark E.3 Recognize that citizens have a responsibility for the common good as defined by democratic principles.
    2. Standard DP 02. Roles of Government, Business, and Philanthropy
      1. Benchmark E.2 Explain the difference between wants and needs.
  2. Strand PHIL.II Philanthropy and Civil Society
    1. Standard PCS 01. Self, citizenship, and society
      1. Benchmark E.3 Describe a benefit of group cooperation.
    2. Standard PCS 02. Diverse Cultures
      1. Benchmark E.4 Demonstrate listening skills.
    3. Standard PCS 05. Philanthropy and Government
      1. Benchmark E.1 Define community as the degree that people come together for the common good.
    4. Standard PCS 07. Skills of Civic Engagement
      1. Benchmark E.2 Discuss an issue affecting the common good in the classroom or school and demonstrate respect and courtesy for differing opinions.
  3. Strand PHIL.III Philanthropy and the Individual
    1. Standard PI 01. Reasons for Individual Philanthropy
      1. Benchmark E.4 Give an example of how citizens act for the common good.