The students will be introduced to the concept of community through exploring maps of their local area, including locations of the police station, library, and fire station. Over three weeks, the students will walk to these three locations, with the teacher discussing the routes. At each destination, the students will make maps of the routes. After the third trip, the students will make an overall map labeling all three routes and locations. The goal is to deepen the students' understanding of community roles and locations.

2.  The students will be introduced to the concept of community
including those people/places that make up their local
community. They will also be exposed to three maps of the local
area detailing the locations of the Police Station, Library, and
Fire Station. Over the course of three weeks, the students will
walk to the Police Station, Library, and Fire Station. The teacher
will discuss in great detail the routes that they will take on each
field trip.
 At the conclusion of each fieldtrip, the students will make their
own map of the route taken to get to each destination. After the
third field trip, the students will be asked to make a map
detailing all three routes with each destination labeled. The
purpose of this lesson is to enlarge the students understanding
of the importance of each person in the community as well as
deepening their understanding of the locations of various places
in the community.

3.  K.3 Students match simple descriptions of work that people do
and the names of related jobs at the school, in the local
community, and from historical accounts.
 K.4 Students compare and contrast the locations of people,
places, and environments and describe their characteristics.
 1. Determine the relative locations of objects using the terms near/far,
left/right, and behind/in front.
 4. Construct maps and models of neighborhoods, incorporating such
structures as police and fire stations, airports, banks, hospitals,
supermarkets, harbors, schools, homes, places of worship, and
transportation lines.

4.  The World in Spatial Terms
 2. How to use mental maps to organize information
about people, places, and environments.
 Places and Regions
 4. The physical and human characteristics of places.

5.  The students will gain understanding of the concept of
community. They will be brainstorm on the people and places
found in their local community. The students will gain a deeper
understanding of maps and their usefulness. They will be
exposed to three maps of the local community detailing the local
Police Station, Library, and Fire Station. The students will also
be exposed to a compass and will briefly discuss direction. The
students will also enlarge their mental maps of their local
community by constructing three maps of the community over
the course of three weeks. The students will gain added
appreciation for the people in their local community.

6. Walking directions to
the La Quinta Police
Station
From school parking
Ben Franklin lot, turn left onto
Elementary School Calle Tampico
At the stoplight, we
must use the
crosswalk to head
south on Avenida
Bermudas
La Quinta
Police Station We will pass Ace
Hardware on the left
as well as Village Gas
Station and The Post
Office.
Immediately after we
pass the Post Office,
the Police Station will
be on our left.

7. La Quinta Police Station

8. Walking directions
to the La Quinta
Public Library
From the school parking lot,
we will turn left onto Calle
Tampico
Ben Franklin La Quinta
Elementary School Public Library At the stoplight, we must
use the crosswalk to head
south on Avenida Bermudas
We will then use another
crosswalk to head east on
Calle Tampico.
We will pass the Civic
Center Park on our left and
will then see the Library on
our left.

9. La Quinta Public Library

10. Walking directions to
the La Quinta Fire
Station
From the school parking lot,
turn left onto Calle Tampico
At the stoplight, we must use
the crosswalk to head south
Ben Franklin on Avenida Bermudas
Elementary School
We will pass Ace Hardware
on the left as well as Village
Gas Station and The Post
Office.
Immediately after we pass
the Post Office, we will pass
the Police Station and several
houses.
We will continue to head
south on Avenida Bermudas
until we get to the
intersection of Avenue 52
La Quinta
and Bermudas.
Fire Station
We will then use another
crosswalk to head East on
Avenue 52.
We will pass Fritz Burns Park
on our right and then will
immediately see the Fire
Station on our right.