Unit Context

This is Lesson 1 of 4 in the unit "Exploring Our Community" tailored for Year 2 students. The lesson introduces the concept of community, exploring its components — people, places, and services — alongside different roles within their local community, fostering awareness and connections.

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Curriculum Alignment

Victorian Curriculum – Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)

Content Descriptions:

• VCSSU035: The roles people take in communities and how they contribute (Year 2 level)
• VCGGK039: The features of places and the importance of caring for them (foundation to Year 2)
• VCIAVC036: Participate in discussions, ask questions and share observations about familiar places and community (Year 2 Civics and Citizenship foundational skills)
• HASS Skills:
  • Locating, collecting, and recording information from observations and sources
  • Developing narratives and sharing observations using subject-specific vocabulary

These align to teaching students to understand communities, roles, services, locations, and to communicate their learning clearly and confidently .

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this 45-minute lesson, students will be able to:

1. Define the concept of a community and identify key people, places, and services within their local community.
2. Recognise various roles and responsibilities people have in their community.
3. Share their own experiences of community connections through discussion and group activities.
4. Use simple subject-specific vocabulary to describe community features and roles.

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Lesson Outline & Timing

Time Allocation	Activity	Description	Resources
5 minutes	Welcome and Introduction	Welcome students and introduce the topic: What is a community? Use a simple interactive question: "Who lives or works in our community?"	Whiteboard, marker
10 minutes	Class Brainstorm – What Makes a Community?	Conduct a whole-class brainstorming session. Guide students to identify people (e.g., teachers, doctors), places (e.g., school, shops), and services (e.g., fire station). Record ideas on a large chart. Include first talk about their own experiences.	Large chart paper, markers
15 minutes	Small Group Role-Play & Drawing	Divide the class into six groups of five. Each group chooses or is assigned one community role (e.g., shopkeeper, firefighter, nurse, teacher, bus driver, police officer). Groups discuss what that person does, then draw or act out short skits about that role.	Paper, crayons, role-play props (hats, badges)
10 minutes	Group Sharing & Discussion	Each group presents their role-play or drawings to the class. Facilitate sharing by asking guiding questions like "What would happen if this role was missing in our community?"	None (presentation by groups)
5 minutes	Reflection and Summary	Summarise what a community is and why each person’s role is important. Ask students to name or draw something about their role or community experience.	Individual whiteboards or paper

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Teaching & Learning Strategies

• Use explicit modelling when introducing the concept of community, showing examples.
• Employ scaffolding by prompting with questions and example answers during brainstorming.
• Encourage cooperative learning in small groups to promote communication and empathy.
• Incorporate multimodal learning through drawing, acting, and speaking to engage multiple senses.
• Use age-appropriate language and real-life examples to enhance understanding.
• Validate students’ prior knowledge and experiences to align the lesson content with their context.

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Assessment for Learning

• Formative Observation: Monitor student participation during brainstorming and group work — note use of vocabulary and conceptual understanding of community and roles.
• Anecdotal Records: Take notes on students’ contributions during presentations and reflections.
• Student Work Samples: Collect drawings or simple written/drawn reflections on what they learned about community roles.
• Oral Responses: Check students’ ability to articulate their understanding during group sharing and class discussions.

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Differentiation & Inclusivity

• Provide visual aids (pictures of community helpers and places) for students who need additional support.
• Allow alternative communication modes during sharing for ESL or speech-language learners, for example, simple drawings or 1–2 word phrases.
• Encourage peer support within groups for students needing social or cognitive assistance.
• Consider cultural diversity by including roles and community members relevant to your class context.

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Links to Cross-Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities

• Personal and Social Capability: Developing understanding of roles and responsibilities in communities.
• Critical and Creative Thinking: Encouraging students to brainstorm and imagine what different roles involve.
• Ethical Understanding: Recognising the importance of caring and contributing to the community.
• Intercultural Understanding: Discussing diverse community roles which may reflect cultural diversity.

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Notes for Teachers

• Keep the pace lively but allow enough time for students to express themselves.
• Encourage positive peer listening during presentations.
• Adapt role-plays to include family/community members known to students for deeper engagement.
• Revisit this lesson throughout the unit by adding to the community chart as students learn more.

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If you want me to assist with the remaining lessons or provide printable materials based on this plan, just ask!

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References:
The lesson content aligns with Victorian Curriculum HASS Year 2 standards, especially on understanding community roles and developing narratives from observations and discussions .