Homes Around World

Grade: 2

Duration: 1 minute

Class Size: 20 students

Subject: Social Studies

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Curriculum Connection

Ontario Social Studies Curriculum 2023 (Grade 2: Individuals, Families, and Communities)

• Overall Expectation:

  • B1. Communities in Canada and Around the World: Demonstrate an understanding of different types of homes and how they reflect the culture and geography of the people who live in them.

• Specific Expectations:

  • B1.1: Identify and describe a variety of homes found in different communities around the world, including Indigenous peoples’ homes.
  • B1.2: Recognize how homes reflect the environment and culture.

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Learning Objectives

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

• Identify different types of homes found around the world (e.g., igloos, mountain homes, huts).
• Understand how homes are adapted to different environments and cultures.
• Appreciate diversity in living styles globally.

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Materials Needed

• Presentation slides with large, colourful images of different homes (igloos, mountain homes, huts, yurts, tipis, apartments, etc.)
• Brief, age-appropriate descriptions for each home type in the slide notes
• Whiteboard and marker (optional for quick notes or student volunteer)

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Lesson Outline

Time	Activity	Details
0:00-0:10	Introduction	- Greet students and introduce daily question: "What kinds of homes do people live in?"
0:10-0:40	Presentation of Homes Around the World	- Show each house type with a picture.

• Provide a 1–2 sentence description highlighting environment and culture.
• Ask quick check-in questions, e.g., "Why do people build igloos?" | | 0:40-0:55 | Think-Pair-Share | - Students pair up and discuss: "What kind of home would you like to live in and why?" | | 0:55-1:00 | Wrap-up and Recap | - Invite 2-3 students to share ideas.
• Summarize the key idea: homes reflect where and how people live. |

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Presentation Slide Content (Example)

Slide Number	Image Description	Notes for Teacher
1	Igloo (snow house)	Made by Inuit people; keeps warm in cold Arctic.
2	Mountain homes (stone huts)	Built on high land; strong against wind and cold.
3	Yurt (round tent)	Used by nomads in Central Asia; easy to move.
4	Tipi (cone-shaped tent)	Used by Indigenous peoples on the plains; portable and strong.
5	Apartment buildings	Found in cities; many families live close together.

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Assessment

• Observation: Teacher observes student engagement during Think-Pair-Share.
• Oral Responses: Evaluate ability to describe at least one type of home and its environment during sharing.
• Follow-up: Use a quick drawing task later asking students to draw a home they learned about and a sentence explaining it.

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Differentiation Tips

• For learners needing support, provide sentence frames ("I like the ___ because ___").
• For advanced learners, prompt connections to local Indigenous homes in Ontario (e.g., wigwams).

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“Wow” Element

Use a Virtual Globe: As you introduce each home, briefly spin a virtual globe to show the home’s location. This visual helps young learners connect homes to real places globally, sparking curiosity about geography and culture with just a quick motion—making the 1-minute lesson dynamic and memorable!

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Notes for Teachers

• Keep pace brisk to fit 1 minute: 5 homes × ~10 seconds each, quick engagement.
• Focus on visuals and concise descriptions only.
• Use expressive voice and gestures to maintain attention.
• Reinforce curiosity with a closing question to encourage further exploration later.

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This tightly focused, curriculum-aligned lesson introduces second graders in Ontario to diverse homes worldwide and their connections to culture and environment—perfect for sparking early global awareness!