Mirabelle's Place in the World: An Introduction to Social Studies

Materials Needed

• Large sheets of paper (or a roll of craft paper)
• Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
• Child-safe scissors
• Glue stick
• Optional: Building blocks (like LEGOs or wooden blocks), toy figures, and toy cars

Day 1: Me in My Home (15-20 minutes)

Learning Objective

Mirabelle will identify herself as an individual and her home as her special place by creating a two-layer drawing that shows herself inside her house.

Lesson Activities

1. Warm-Up: "My Favorite Things" Chat (3-5 minutes)

   Start by asking Mirabelle about her favorite things to do in her house. "Mirabelle, what is your favorite spot in our whole house? Why do you like it there? What is your favorite toy to play with in your room?" This connects the idea of "home" to her personal, happy feelings.

2. Main Activity: "Me and My Home" Portrait (10-12 minutes)
   • Step 1: Give Mirabelle a small piece of paper. Ask her to draw a picture of herself. Encourage her to include her favorite shirt or a toy she loves. This is "Mirabelle." As she draws, talk about how everyone is unique and special.
   • Step 2: Give her a larger piece of paper. Say, "Now, let's draw the place where you live! Let's draw our house." Help her think about details. "What color is our front door? How many windows can we see from the front?"
   • Step 3: Once both drawings are done, help Mirabelle cut out her self-portrait and glue it right in the middle of the house drawing. Say, "Look! There is Mirabelle, right in the center of her home. This is your special place in the world."
3. Wrap-Up: Tour Guide (2-3 minutes)

   Hold up the finished picture and pretend to be a tourist. Ask, "Ooh, what a wonderful house! Can you tell me who lives here?" Let Mirabelle proudly point to her picture and explain that she lives there. Keep this drawing safe for Day 2.

Day 2: My Home in My Community (15-20 minutes)

Learning Objective

Mirabelle will demonstrate an understanding of "community" by creating a simple map of her neighborhood and identifying people who help the community.

Lesson Activities

1. Warm-Up: "I Spy a Neighbor" (3-5 minutes)

   Look out a window with Mirabelle that faces the street or other houses. Say, "Let's play a game. What do we see that is NOT part of our house?" Point out a neighbor's house, a street, a stop sign, a park, or a mailbox. Explain that all these things together are part of our "community" or "neighborhood."

2. Main Activity: "My Community Map & Helpers" (10-12 minutes)
   • Step 1: Take out the "Me in My Home" drawing from yesterday. Now, take an even bigger sheet of paper. Say, "Let's put your house on a map of our community!" Glue her house drawing onto the giant paper.
   • Step 2: Ask, "What's in front of our house?" Help her draw the street. "Who lives next door?" Draw a simple square for a neighbor's house. Add other simple landmarks she knows: "Where is the park we go to? Let's draw a green square for it over here. Where is the mailbox? Let's draw a blue box." This is her very first map!
   • Step 3 (Optional Block Play): Using building blocks, have Mirabelle build a 3D version of her community map on the floor. Use blocks for houses, a flat blue block for a pond, and toy cars for the roads. This is great for kinesthetic learners.
3. Wrap-Up: "Community Helpers" Chat (2-3 minutes)

   While looking at the map (or the block city), ask, "Who are the people who help us in our community?" Talk about the mail carrier who brings letters to the houses, the garbage collectors who keep the streets clean, or the firefighters who keep everyone safe. If you have toy figures, you can have them "visit" the community she built.

Extension Ideas (Optional)

• Take a "Community Walk": Go for a short walk and have Mirabelle point out the things she put on her map in real life.
• Thank You Card: Create a thank you card for a community helper, like your mail carrier, and leave it in the mailbox for them.
• Read a Book: Find a picture book about neighborhoods, maps, or community helpers to read together (e.g., "The Listening Walk" by Paul Showers or "Me on the Map" by Joan Sweeney).