Unit Plan 14 (PreK Social Studies): My City and the Countryside
Compare city and countryside features as preschoolers observe natural and human-made places, noticing differences like buildings vs. fields and traffic vs. open space.
Focus: Help children notice and compare features of a city (tall buildings, busy roads, traffic, sidewalks) and the countryside (fields, farms, fewer buildings, more open space), while describing natural features (trees, grass, sky) and human-made features (roads, houses, bridges, playgrounds).
Grade Level: PreK
Subject Area: Social Studies (Geography)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 15–20 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, children explore the idea that not all places look the same—some are busy cities, and others are quiet countryside. Through pictures, stories, play, and simple maps, they learn to notice what is different (big buildings vs. barns, lots of cars vs. tractors, many roads vs. open fields) and what is the same (trees, sky, homes, people). They practice describing what they see in both natural environments and built environments and begin to use words like city and country with understanding.
Essential Questions
- What does a city look and sound like?
- What does the countryside look and sound like?
- How are city and country places different? How are they sometimes the same?
- What natural things (trees, grass, sky) and human-made things (roads, buildings) do we see in each place?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify at least one feature of a city (e.g., tall buildings, many cars, busy roads).
- Identify at least one feature of the countryside (e.g., fields, farms, animals, fewer buildings).
- Describe at least one natural feature (trees, grass, sky, hills) in pictures of both city and countryside.
- Make a simple comparison, naming at least one difference between a city and the countryside.
Standards Alignment — PreK (C3-based custom)
- PK.C3.Geo.5 — Compare features of different places. Notices differences between locations (home vs. school, city vs. park).
- Example: “Our playground has sand, but the park has grass.”
- PK.C3.Geo.4 — Observe and describe the environment. Talks about natural features like trees, grass, and weather.
- Example: “It’s windy today, and the leaves are moving.”
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can tell something I see in a city.
- I can tell something I see in the countryside.
- I can name a nature thing I see (tree, grass, sky, hill).
- I can say one way city and country places are different.