Watching the Video

Before You Watch
Respond to the following questions:

• How do you define service learning? How is service learning different from community volunteer work?
• What does a teacher need to consider in helping students become involved in a community project?
• What are some ways to connect social studies to issues and projects in the school or community?
• How does students' understanding of social studies concepts like community involvement change across different grade levels? What does a teacher need to think about when planning lessons that include different age groups?

Watch the Video
As you watch "Caring for the Community," take notes on Ms. Lerner's instructional strategies. Note what you find interesting, surprising, or especially important about the teaching and learning in this lesson.

Reflecting on the Video
Review your notes, then respond to the following questions:

• What struck you about the classroom climate, background, preparation, strategies, and materials used in this lesson?
• Consider the ways in which this class is different from yours. How might you introduce a service learning project in your own community?
• What prior learning experiences did students need in order to succeed in this lesson?
• What was especially effective about the way Ms. Lerner taught social studies in this multiage classroom?
• How are the learning needs of all the students in Ms. Lerner's multiage classroom addressed? What evidence indicates that Ms. Lerner is aware of the range of needs in her multiage classroom?

Looking Closer
Let's take a second look at Ms. Lerner's class to focus on specific teaching strategies. Use the video images below to locate where to begin viewing.

Students have prepared questions about the school's remodeling project and invited the district superintendent to visit the class and discuss the project. The conversation with the superintendent addresses the students' questions, but it also reveals some misconceptions that the students have.

• What misconceptions do the students have? How are they addressed?
• Why is it important to address students' misconceptions?
• How would you address the same misconceptions?
• What evidence is there that the students' misconceptions will not or do not persist after the conversation with the superintendent?

Students work in steering committees to brainstorm possible community resources and to consider whom they might enlist to help with the project.

• How does Ms. Lerner prepare students for group work?
• How does the structure of the groups ensure success for individual students?
• What evidence do you see of different-age students working successfully together?