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GRADE 2: Lesson Plans
(click here for corresponding communication projects)

Lesson Plan 1:

Subject:	Costa Rica Curriculum Social Studies (lesson plan 1 / lesson plan 2)
Title:	Understanding how a community in Costa Rica is like/different from the students' own community.
Timeframe:	Five 30 minute periods
Materials:	World map, map of Central America, map of Costa Rica, clay replica of a Costa Rican village, Costa Rica by Ricardo, Zuniga, Venn diagram worksheets, slides of various types of communities, Costa Rica Is My Home by Eileen Foras
Objective:	The student will show understanding of how Costa Rican communities in rural areas, urban areas, and small towns areas are like/different from his/her community.

Lesson Procedure:

1. Engagement: Begin the class by asking the students if they know what a community is. Brainstorm and discuss their definitions. Review definition of a community. Ask if they know what kind of community they live in. Ask why they think that. Tell students they will be learning about communities in Costa Rica. Point out the location of Central America on a world map. Locate Costa Rica. Point out the location of San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica.
2. Explanation and Modeling: Tell students just as we have different types of communities, so does San Jose. We have urban, suburban, and rural communities. San Jose has urban, small town and rural communities. Show slides of different communities in Houston and Costa Rica. Elicit from the students how the communities are different and alike and how the communities in the two countries are different and alike. Point out buildings, plants, trees, and animals in each. Ask the following questions:
1. What types of work do you think people in urban areas do?
2. What kinds of buildings do you see?
3. Which community helpers would be needed?
4. What kinds of transportation might they use?
5. What might their homes be like?
6. What kinds of jobs might be available for them to do?
7. Where do you think they would do their shopping?
3. Elaboration: Read stories about life in urban and rural areas in Costa Rica. Using the figures in the Costa Rican village, divide the class into four groups and let each group make up a play about a day in the life of a family. Each group will then present the play to the class.
4. Independent Practice/Student Product: Put children in groups to draw murals on butcher paper of the different types of communities in the two countries. Put murals on wall for display.
5. Summation: Each group of children will report to the class on all the characteristics of the area they illustrated, using information form slides and stories. Complete several Venn diagrams with the whole class comparing the different communities in the two countries. Elicit knowledge that most things are similar in the countries, but different in the different communities.
6. Evaluation: Have students fold a sheet of white paper in thirds. Have them draw one of the following on each third: urban Costa Rica, small-town Costa Rica, rural Costa Rica.

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Lesson Plan 2:

Subject:	Costa Rica Curriculum Social Studies (lesson plan 1 / lesson plan 2)
Title:	Costa Rican National Symbols
Timeframe:	Two 45 minute periods (This should be taught after a unit on America/the United States which includes symbols and their meanings has been completed.)
Materials:	The World Book Encyclopedia Volume Ci-Cz, work sheets of symbols of Costa Rica to be colored, pictures of U.S. symbols, pictures of Costa Rican symbols
Objective:	The students will be able to recognize Costa Rica's national symbols and know their meanings: Flag Coat of Arms Tree -- Guanacaste tree Flower -- wild purple orchid Bird -- Clay-coloured robin Currency -- colones

Lesson Procedure:

1. Engagement: Hold up pictures of U.S. symbols. Ask what these are called and what each represents.
2. Explanation and Modeling: Tell the students that Costa Rica also has national symbols and that we will be learning about them. Hold up pictures of their symbols and discuss them.
1. Flag - a wide red stripe across the middle is flanked by two white stripes. Blue stripes are at the top and bottom. It was adopted in 1848.
2. Coat of Arms - shows volcanoes, the Caribbean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. Each star represents a province.
3. Guided Practice: Color the Coat of Arms, the flag, and the state flower. Use pictures to be sure colors are correct.
4. Evaluation: Each child will be able to identify various Costa Rican symbols when given several from which to choose. (Example an American flag, a Honduras flag, and a Costa Rican flag.)

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