Denise

Standbridge

Title:


Amish Communities

Grade Level:


2

^nd

-3

^rd

Length of Lesson:


45 minutes

Performance Expectation(s):


After a lesson about

Amish Communities, students will write a paragraph describing

similarities and differences between the two communities.

Materials:



Just Plain Fancy

by Patricia Polacco;

overhead projector, transparency, and markers; writing paper with

lines and space for a drawing

Procedures:

1. 
   Introduction
   

Read

Just Plain Fancy

to the students.

1. 
   Development
   

Amish live in communities. You also live in a community. A community

is a place where people can get the things they need and want.

Communities have places where people live and work. {Begin a list

on overhead transparency (left hand column) and title it Our Community}.

Ask students "Where do people live and work in out community?"

List answers (see example list). From the pictures of the story

we read, "Where do Amish people live and work?" {Begin

a list in the right hand column of overhead transparency and title

it Amish Community (see example list; re-open book and show pictures

to students again)} Continue with the following questions: "How

do people get from place to place in our community?; How do people

get from place to place in an Amish Community?; Do people dress

exactly alike in our community?; What about in an Amish Community?';

Continue listing, using background information to formulate questions

for discussion.

Ex: Our Community Amish Community

houses houses

families families

do various jobs primarily farm

cars, trucks, buses horses, buggies

wear different clothes wear same type of clothing

church buildings have church meeting in homes

school school (until 8

^th

grade)

buy our food and clothes raise most of their food and

from stores make their clothes

electricity, diesel power windmills

tvs, vcrs, phones no tvs, vcrs, or phones in the home

electric lights lanterns

speak English (Spanish) speak English and German

1. 
   Closure:
   

Today we have talked about what a community is and we compared

our community to an Amish community. "Were there any similarities

between the two communities?" (Both have houses, families,

and schools) "What were differences between the communities?"

(various answers from list)

Pass out paper to students. Have them write a paragraph about

similarities and differences between their community and an Amish

community. Teacher can assist in their writing by providing a

mode. (My community is similar to an Amish community because…

and my community is different from an Amish community because…)

Students may draw a picture when they are finished writing the

paragraph.

Assessment:


Use checklist for student participation

in discussion. Teacher can check each student’s paragraph for

a similarity and difference as they are writing them or papers

can be collected as an exit slip.

Adaptation/Consideration:


Create stations where

students can try on Amish style clothing and hats; sample Amish

food items; listen to and sing an Amish Children’s song; and look

at other books about the Amish.

Watch a video about Amish communities.

References:

Social studies communities.

(1991) Orlando, FL: Harcourt

Brace Jovanovich.

Faber, D. (1991)

The Amish.

NewYork: Doubleday.

Hartman, J. (1997)

Rural sociology.

Lecture. Columbia:

University of Missouri.

Polacco, P. (1990).

Just plain fancy.

New York: Bantam

Doubleday Dell Publishing Group.