Social Studies Grade One

Unit 4: Decision Making

Module Two - Family Rules

Concepts

Decision making

change, rules, consequences

Knowledge Objectives

Students will know that:

people make decisions to establish rules.
breaking rules may have consequences.
rules may be changed.

Skills/Abilities Objectives

Students will:

identify various family and school rules.
make connections among rules, their purposes, and the possible consequences of breaking them.
organize rules according to categories.

Attitudes/Values Objectives

Students will:

appreciate the importance of having and obeying rules.

Suggested Approaches

List rules students have at school. As students identify each rule, have them explain the reason for the rule. Discuss how different classes have different rules. Do the same for rules at home. The teacher may wish to have the students categorize the rules.
Explore consequences of breaking rules. Make up scenarios that are relevant to the students.
Make a list of rules and a list of reasons for the rules on strips of paper. Design a matching activity.
Identify rules that may change and rules that won't change as students get older. Discuss how rules might have to be adapted under special circumstances (e.g., toy accommodate a child in a wheel chair).

Module 2: Activity Guide

Rules

Discuss rules at school and at home. Discuss how different families and classes have different rules.

Consequences of breaking rules

Explore consequences of breaking rules. With the students write a story about rules being broken, identifying different endings. Have groups of students create and act out a play about a rule being broken.

Read or tell stories about rules being broken. Discuss consequences of actions. Diagram these consequences using pictures, and identifying immediate (now) and long term (a week) consequences. Learn about consequences of behaviour by hearing about characters in stories who were misguided. Use focused imagining to explore situations.

Have students write in their journals about rules in their home and tell about a time when they broke a rule. How did they feel? What were the consequences?

Learn about rules and consequences of breaking the rules in various cultures.

Punishment was and can still be a sensitive issue with Aboriginal families. There is the belief that a natural consequence is the best teacher especially if mother nature herself is the teacher. Instead of care givers saying "don't", children were allowed to find out some of the rules by themselves.

Ask students to share experiences when mother nature taught them valuable lessons.

In many cultures stories were used to guide and direct children. The story would often tie into the natural environment and show consequences for inappropriate behaviour. Tell stories that teach lessons.

The teacher may wish to have the students categorize the rules. Categories may include, "Rules at Home", "Rules in the Classroom", "Rules for the Playground", "Rules for the Street".

Rules change

Identify some rules that may change as students get older. Are there any rules that they used to have that they don't have any more? Guide the students to discover that rules that restricted and protected them when they were younger are changing as they change.

Read the following scenario and then retell it in story format or use focused imaging.

Rick had lived in the same house as long as he could remember. It was a nice house. There was a big field behind the house and every day Rick met his friends out there and they had a wonderful time playing. There was a busy street in front of the house. One of the rules Rick had to obey was to stay away from the busy street. If he wanted to go to his friends' houses he went down the back lane.
This year Rick is starting school. To get to the school Rick will have to cross the busy street.

What rule will have to change for Rick? What do you think the new rule will say? Can you think of a time in your life when a rule changed?

Have students identify what rules might need to be changed in the following examples:

Most of the Grade 1 students play soccer every recess. But there has been a lot of rain and the playground is very muddy.
Grade 1 students go in and out of the school through the side door. Barry broke his leg and he now has a big cast on. His mother drops him off at the front of the school.

Compile a Rules Book stating a rule and an explanation for the rule. Use a pattern such as:

You should never ___ because _____.
We should always ____ because _____.

Have each students complete a page and compile the pages into a book. Share the book with the kindergarten class.

Suggested Resources
(listed in other bibliographies and catalogues)

Binkley and Doinkle Safety Show (MHP, V5772)
(family rules)