Jobs in My Community

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Provide clear information when asking questions.
  
• Analyze information to determine a solution to a problem.

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Materials

For the children:

• Pen or pencil

For the whole group:

• Slips of paper naming jobs and needs (See attached PDF file.)
• 2 small containers to hold the slips

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 Jobs and Needs

Preparation

• Read through and familiarize yourself with the entire activity.
• Print the handout and cut it into slips, with 1 job or 1 need on each slip. Put the job slips in 1 container. Put the need slips in the other.

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Activity Steps

1. Explain that communities are filled with people who do different kinds of jobs. That is how things get done every day. Ask children to name some jobs they know.
2. Tell children that in this activity, each of them will be assigned a job by picking a slip of paper out of one container. They will also be assigned something they need, which they will pick from the other container. They will use questions and answers to figure out who in the room has a job that can help them with the need they have.
3. Model the activity with 3 children, telling 1 child that they are a nurse, the second that they are a painter, and the third that they are a gardener. Say that you need someone to rake leaves in your yard. Ask each of the 3 children with the assigned jobs if they do a job that could help you in your yard. Make sure all children understand why the correct job is a gardener.
4. Instruct each child to pick 1 job slip and 1 need slip from each of the containers.
5. Tell children to walk around the room explaining to each other what they do at their job and also what they need. They should try to find a person with a job that can help them and a person they can help.
6. When children find their match, ask them to write on the back of the job slip the name of the child they were able to help. Ask them to write on the back of the need slip the name of the child who had a job that could help them and what that job was.
7. As children ask and answer questions, walk around the room to make sure they understand the directions.
8. Reconvene as a whole group. Discuss what jobs and needs the children picked.
9. To wrap up, ask children what they learned from this activity. Ask:
   
   1. What jobs did you learn about that you did not know about before? What did you learn about them?
   2. Do you think you would like to have any of these jobs when you grow up? Which ones? Why?
   3. What are other jobs in your community? What do people in those jobs do to help others?

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Variations

1. Have half the group select a job slip and the other half select a need slip. Instruct the children with the job slips to sit at desks around the room, while the children with the need slips walk from desk to desk. After the children have matched up all the jobs with needs, have the children switch roles.

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