Discuss with students the people in their households who help each other out: Mom, Dad, siblings and, in some cases, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. Ask the children what it would be like if these people did not work together, and why working together is so important.
Extend this lesson to the greater community; ask them who helps out in the community. If they have trouble thinking of people, ask who gives us food (grocers), who keeps us safe (police officers) or who helps if there is a fire (firefighters). Make a list of the people the students come up with to help in the community.
When you have enough community members, have each student chose one role and pretend to be that person. Have each student stand up and say who he is (police officer, firefighter, garbage collector, etc.) and what he does to help the community. Then discuss what the community would be like if this person did not help out. This simple concept will help students understand the importance of social interactions and cooperation in a community.
This topic will help students explore diversity and differences among cultures in a simple way. Ask the students to compare the types of houses and homes in which they live: Some will reside in apartments, others in houses, and others in shared houses with extended family members.
Discuss the purposes of houses and homes: safety from weather and bad people, storage, gather areas, etc. Move on to show the students different types of housing from different cultures and time periods, including mansions, huts and log cabins. Have students discuss why the housing is different in different areas, and how the different housing styles serve the same purposes. This activity will help students understand that just because things are different, they can be just as good.
Discussing each family history in the classroom will help students understand diversity and individuality. Have each student find out from his parents or guardians where his ancestors come from. Mark each location on a map of the world, then discuss each in depth. If possible, provide pictures from books or Internet sources so students can see how each area varies. Discuss differences such as size, location (urban or rural, mountains or flatland) and weather for each area.
Each student will gain an understanding of different areas of the world, and this will reinforce that differences are OK and that it doesn’t matter where people come from because we all have the same goals today.