Canada and World Connections: Grade 1 - The Local Community

In Grade 1 the study of the local community focuses on the students' awareness of themselves and others. Students investigate family needs and how people in their community live, work, and interact together. They describe workers and their jobs, and also the buildings in their local community. They begin to develop observation and communication skills through an introduction to basic techniques of inquiry and basic skills in using maps and globes.

Overall Expectations (O.E. column below)

1. demonstrate an understanding that a local community is made up of groups of people;
2. locate the distinguishing physical features of their community (e.g., buildings, parks, roads);
3. describe how people in the community interact to meet basic needs.

Site Name	Online	O.E.	Description
Basic Directions		1	A lesson plan that is devoted to teaching students about directions and following instructions.
Community Helpers		1	The purpose of this lesson is to help the children realize that it takes many, varied jobs for a city or town to work as a community.
Developing Relationships with Older People		1	It contains a lesson designed to introduce students to the value of older people in society and includes a questionnaire that may be used as students conduct an interview.
Essex County Farm Life		1,3	A presentation made for Heritage Week outlining one person’s roots in Essex County.
Good Apples		1	A lesson designed to make students realize that any class is composed of a group of individuals all of whom have their own individual qualities.
Great Ports of Call - Windsor		1,2	Windsor has the unique attribute of being the most southerly city in Canada and lies south of Detroit on the same latitude as northern California and the French Riviera.
Kidsfarm.com		1,2,3	An easy to read site with lots of pictures and sound about the farming community, what one does on a farm, what animals are there, what the animals eat, who works there.
Learning a New Environment		2	This is a lesson and series of tips designed to have the student familiarize themselves with their school by locating various spots on a school map.
Orienteering: Map Skills		2,3	Orienteering is a popular sport, particularly in Australia and Sweden. It teaches the participants how to read and use a map and is an activity that can be easily adjusted to grade level.
The Sandwich, Windsor & Amherstburg Railway		2	This site contains an abbreviated history of the train line connecting Tecumseh and Amherstburg as well as a link to other Ontario railways.
Town Of Tecumseh		1	You can find a concise history of the town of Tecumseh, its current government and social and economic aspects of the the town.
Welcome to Leamington		1	Our Lakefront community has a little bit of something for everyone. We are only forty minutes from the Windsor/Detroit Border and 3 1/2 hours Southwest of Toronto.
Welcome to Researching in Essex County		2,3	This site features a wide collection of all things historical about Essex County. Libraries, museums, church records, histories, etc., are all topics that are addressed at this site.
Where do you live?		2,3	This lesson plan is designed to help students discover about their community.
Wilno Heritage Society		2	Wilno is the oldest Polish settlement in Canada. The area was initially settled in 1859 by Polish immigrants arriving from the Kaszubian region of Poland. Over a century and a half, the descendants of these strong-willed people have laboured and thrived in this still distinctly Kaszubian region of Canada.
The Windsor, Essex & Lake Shore Rapid Railway		2	This is an abbreviated history of the train line connecting Windsor and Leamington as well as a link to other Ontario railways.
Around Elgin County & St. Thomas		1,2	These are links to communities in Elgin County
Amherstburg, Ontario		1,2,3	Amherstburg is one of the oldest towns in all of Canada. Via this website, enjoy much of the culture and local points of interest.
Bruce County Welcomes You		1,2,3	This site offers background and descriptions of many communities and services found in Bruce County.
The Canadian Communities Atlas		1,2,3	The Canadian Communities Atlas offers a unique national network of geographic information by providing schools the opportunity to create an internet-based atlas of their community.
CAP Communities- Ontario CAP Sites		1,2	This site is a list of various communities in Ontario.
County of Oxford, Ontario Canada		1,2	These are links to communities in Oxford County.
Owen Sound Area Internet Community		1,2,3	Visit Owen Sound's, Professional Directory, Classified Ads, Help Section, Contacts, Events, Spirit Maps, Parks, History, Harbour, Weather, Conservation, Photo Gallery.
Orienteering for the Young		2	Welcome to an overview of basic orienteering skills and how to teach them as a parent, teacher or youth group leader. It is also useful as a quick primer for a newcomer wanting to learn some basic skills.
Postcards from Ontario		1	Students are able to select from a variety of postcards of Ont ( in the categories of entertainment, heritage, wildlife and outdoors). By filling in the blanks students address their postcard and type a message, pick a stamp for their postcard and send it. Multilingual site.
Western District Heritage Home-Page		2	This web site includes historic and heritage areas within the geographical region in southern Ontario that encompasses Essex, Kent and Lambton Counties.
Windsor Harbour Commission		2	Welcome to the Port of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. We are located on the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System on the south shore of the Detroit River, directly opposite Detroit, Michigan.
Windsor Onlne		1,2	See the sights, go to the park and visit a museum. Many topics are covered regarding “The Local Commuity”. Maps and weather are available at this site.
Windsor Police		3	This site provides teachers with a good insight as to the operations of the Windsor Police Services as well as Crime Prevention tips.