Course Title: Community & Public Services

Course Overview

This 4-week course is designed for a multi-age homeschool group (grades K–5) to explore the theme of "Community & Public Services." Using the mentor text "Civic Square: The Grand Opening," students will engage in real-world civic tasks, roleplay simulations, and hands-on activities. The course emphasizes reading, writing, grammar, and math skills through practical applications related to community services.

Course Objectives

By the end of the month, students will:

Develop understanding of community helpers and public services.
Apply reading, writing, grammar, and math skills through role-play and service-based projects.
Document real-world events and reflections on problem-solving, responsibility, and teamwork.

Monthly Conclusion Wrap-Up

Students will compile their learning into a final presentation involving a community safety expo, case investigation, or civic simulation. They will reflect on their experience through weekly writing journals, completed task checklists, and learning guides.

Weekly Breakdown

Week 1: Postal Workers

Theme Objective: Understand the role of postal workers in the community.

Lesson 1: Introduction to Postal Services

Objective: Students will identify the duties of postal workers.
Activities: Read a section from Civic Square about postal workers. Discuss their importance in the community.
GSE Standards: ELA.1.R.C1.2, ELA.2.W.C13.1

Lesson 2: The Journey of a Letter

Objective: Students will describe the journey of a letter through the postal system.
Activities: Write a letter and use math to compute postage.
GSE Standards: ELA.1.W.C13.1, MATH.2.NBT.B.5

Lesson 3: Postal Route Mapping

Objective: Create a map of a postal route.
Activities: Using a simplified city map, students design postal routes (K-2 use visual aids; 3-5 create detailed maps).
GSE Standards: MATH.1.G.A.3, MATH.3.G.B.2

Lesson 4: Designing a Post Office

Objective: Apply engineering skills to design a post office.
Activities: STEM Builder’s Blueprint: In Minecraft, create a virtual post office.
GSE Standards: MATH.2.MD.A.1, SCI.3.ETS1.A

Lesson 5: Reflection and Sharing

Objective: Reflect on the week's learning.
Activities: Share what they learned about postal workers through presentations.
GSE Standards: ELA.1.SL.C.C.1, ELA.2.W.C10.4

Week 2: Fire Careers

Theme Objective: Learn about the roles and responsibilities of firefighters.

Lesson 6: Firefighter Duties

Objective: Identify different roles within fire departments.
Activities: Read a chapter from Civic Square; discuss various firefighter duties.
GSE Standards: ELA.1.R.C1.2, ELA.2.W.C13.1

Lesson 7: Fire Safety Basics

Objective: Understand fire safety measures.
Activities: Create fire safety posters (K-2 use drawings; 3-5 write informative content).
GSE Standards: ELA.2.W.C13.1, ART.K-5.C.2

Lesson 8: Building a Fire Station

Objective: Create a fire station.
Activities: STEM Builder’s Blueprint: Use Minecraft to design a fire station.
GSE Standards: MATH.2.MD.A.1, SCI.3.ETS1.A

Lesson 9: Math in Emergencies

Objective: Use math to calculate response times and distances.
Activities: Solve problems related to fire response scenarios.
GSE Standards: MATH.2.OA.A.1, MATH.3.OA.A.1

Lesson 10: Final Presentation on Fire Safety

Objective: Present fire safety knowledge.
Activities: Group presentations using the fire safety posters.
GSE Standards: ELA.2.SL.C.C.1, ELA.3.W.C10.4

Week 3: Law Enforcement

Theme Objective: Explore the duties of law enforcement personnel.

Lesson 11: Understanding Law Enforcement

Objective: Identify the roles of police officers.
Activities: Read about police roles in Civic Square and discuss.
GSE Standards: ELA.1.R.C1.2, ELA.2.W.C13.1

Lesson 12: Crime Scene Procedures

Objective: Learn basic crime scene investigation techniques.
Activities: Introduce concepts of gathering evidence and role-play a mock investigation (K-2 act out the scene; 3-5 write a scenario).
GSE Standards: ELA.2.W.C10.4, SCI.3.ETS2.B

Lesson 13: Building a Police Station

Objective: Apply engineering principles to design a police station.
Activities: STEM Builder’s Blueprint: Mental design in Minecraft of a police station.
GSE Standards: MATH.1.G.A.3, SCI.3.ETS1.B

Lesson 14: Math in Law Enforcement

Objective: Use math for understanding statistics in crime rates.
Activities: Create graphs representing crime statistics (K-2 use pictographs; 3-5 use bar graphs).
GSE Standards: MATH.2.MD.B.10, MATH.5.MD.B.2

Lesson 15: Role Playing as Officers

Objective: Reinforce knowledge through role play.
Activities: Pretend to solve a community issue with safety strategies.
GSE Standards: ELA.1.SL.C.C.1, ELA.3.SL.C.C.3

Week 4: Forensic Science

Theme Objective: Understand basic forensic science concepts.

Lesson 16: What is Forensic Science?

Objective: Identify contributions of forensic science to law enforcement.
Activities: Discuss the role of forensic science; read relevant sections from Civic Square.
GSE Standards: ELA.1.R.C1.2, ELA.2.W.C13.1

Lesson 17: Forensic Investigations

Objective: Learn about fingerprint analysis.
Activities: Collect and analyze fingerprints using ink and paper.
GSE Standards: SCI.3.ETS2.B, MATH.K.MD.B.3

Lesson 18: Constructing a Forensic Lab

Objective: Design a forensic science lab.
Activities: STEM Builder’s Blueprint: Build a forensic lab in Minecraft.
GSE Standards: MATH.2.NF.A.1, SCI.3.ETS1.B

Lesson 19: Group Investigation Challenge

Objective: Apply forensic knowledge to solve a mystery.
Activities: Group work to analyze clues presented.
GSE Standards: ELA.3.SL.C.C.1, SCI.3.ETS1.A

Lesson 20: Final Presentation of Investigative Skills

Objective: Final presentation of what was learned about forensic science.
Activities: Share findings in a community expo format.
GSE Standards: ELA.2.W.C10.4, ELA.5.SL.C.C.3

Conclusion

This course encourages students to think critically about their community and role in public service, applying diverse skills through hands-on activities and simulations, culminating in a comprehensive understanding of community functioning and civic responsibility.