RIC-20959 Early years People - Community Helpers

EARLY YEARS THEMES
People
Community helpers
A complete unit of lessons and activities

Early years themes—People
Published by R.I.C. Publications ® 2010
Copyright © R.I.C. Publications ® 2010
RIC– 20959
Titles in this series:
Early years themes—Places
Early years themes—People
Early years themes—Animals
Early years themes—Science
Early years themes—Fantasy
Early years themes—Fairytales
Early years themes—Special days and celebrations
Accompanying resources:
Early years themes—People Posters (set of 5)
Early years themes—People Stickers (set of 5)
Early years themes Interactive CD (Places, People,
Animals, Science)
Early years themes Interactive CD (Fantasy, Fairytales,
Special days and celebrations)
This master may only be reproduced by the
original purchaser for use with their class(es). The
publisher prohibits the loaning or onselling of this
master for the purposes of reproduction.
Copyright Information
Only the blackline masters contained within this
publication may only be reproduced by the original
purchaser for use with their class(es). The publisher
prohibits the loaning or onselling of these blackline
masters for purposes of reproduction. No other part of
this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval
system, without written permission from the publisher.
Internet websites
In some cases, websites or specific URLs may be recommended. While these are checked and rechecked at the time of publication,
the publisher has no control over any subsequent changes which may be made to webpages. It is strongly recommended that the class
teacher checks all URLs before allowing students to access them.
View all pages online
PO Box 332 Greenwood Western Australia 6924
Website: www.ricpublications.com.au
Email: mail@ricgroup.com.au

Early themes — People
Foreword
Early themes—People is one of a new series of teacher resource books designed to support teachers as they impart knowledge
about commonly-taught themes in early childhood classrooms. The books contain a variety of ideas for using the themes to
assist teachers as they convey early skills and concepts using cross-curricular activities in learning centres or whole class
activities.
Titles in this series include:
Supporting materials available from R.I.C.
• Early themes—Places
Publications ® to accompany these books
include posters, stickers and interactives.
• Early themes—People
• Early themes—Animals
• Early themes—Science
• Early themes—Fantasy
• Early themes—Fairytales
• Early themes—Special days and celebrations
Contents
Teachers notes ......................................................................... iv – xiii
The format of this series of books ............................................. iv – v
An explanation of the icons ........................................................... vi
About the artwork ......................................................................... vii
About the resource sheets/blacklines .............................................. vii
Curriculum links ......................................................................... viii
Sample social skills checklist ........................................................ ix
Sample language skills checklist .................................................... x
Sample fine motor skills checklist .................................................. xi
Sample fundamental movement skills checklist ............................... xii
Sample mathematics skills checklist ............................................. xiii
Me ............................................................................................. 1–20
Families.................................................................................... 21–40
Friends ..................................................................................... 41–60
Community helpers ................................................................... 61–80
People from other countries ..................................................... 81–100
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—People iii

Teachers notes
The format of this series of books
This series of books is designed to cater for early childhood teachers who use learning centres and cross-curricular activities as
a basis for planning activities to develop key concepts and skills. Teachers will easily be able to locate activity-based learning
within this complete compilation of ideas.
All of the five themes within each book follow the same format over 20 pages. Each theme consists of:
1. A title or cover page with
appropriate artwork which the
teacher can utilise for themebased
activities.
2. A number of pages of cross-curricular learning activities to develop the
theme. Those themes which relate closely to a specific learning area may
have more activities in key learning areas such as science. All themes
have activities which are predominantly ‘hands-on’.
3. Background information with
useful facts about the theme.
4. Concepts to be developed
provides suggested
developmentally-appropriate
learning outcomes to be
achieved by completing the
theme.
iv Early years themes—People www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Teachers notes
The format of this series of books
5. A small number of resource/blackline pages which can be used
to create games or oral language activities, as templates for art
and craft activities or as worksheets for more capable children who
are beginning to read and understand mathematical concepts.
6. Recipes relating to the theme—simple
cooking and non-cooking recipes,
including those for manipulative play,
such as ‘goop’.
7. Display ideas for art and craft or
specific learning centres.
8. A list of literature resources to
complement the theme, including
songs, action rhymes and fiction
and nonfiction books.
9. A notes section to enable the teacher
to record useful websites or resources
relating to the theme, or other
worthwhile activities or ideas etc.
Display ideas
A multicultural class
• Use a digital camera to take pictures of all the children. Pin to
a display board which has a large map of the world on it. Add
an appropriate sentence or poem. Connect lengths of wool from
the children’s pictures to the country where they, their parents
or grandparents were born. Encourage the children to view the
map as often as possible and follow the string ‘tracks’ with their
fi ngers to a country.
Leif
Zahra
Multicultural hand prints
• Mix paint to match each child’s skin tone. Paint
one of each child’s hands and have them press
the hands onto a large piece of butcher’s paper
or cardboard. When dry, write each child’s name
near his or her handprint. Children could then
create a decorative border.
Multicultural dishes
• Place labels next to pictures of international dishes—Irish stew, fi sh and chips, spaghetti bolognaise, pavlova, souvlaki, roast
beef and Yorkshire pudding, trifle, satay, curry, tabouli, pizza, garlic bread etc. Display on a map of the world, linking each
dish to its country of origin.
Multicultural world
• Provide coloured paper of different skin tones for the children
to trace around and cut out their hands. Glue them all
together, overlapping on a circular blue and green shape
representing the world. Display with a suitable caption such
as ‘All the children in the world have the same hands’ or ‘We
all live together in this world’ etc.
The world
• Display a large world map on the wall or board. Write a
label for each country the children know and pin them close
to each. Focus predominantly on the children’s countries of
origin.
Around the flag
• Display the national fl ag prominently in the room. Cut and glue pictures of different faces from magazines onto cardboard
rectangles, triangles, squares or circles in national colours. Pin or tape the ‘patriotic’ coloured shapes around the fl ag.
98 Early years themes—People—People from other countries www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—People v

Teachers notes
An explanation of the icons
A number of icons have been used throughout the cross-curricular activities sections to make it easier and quicker for teachers to
locate appropriate learning activities.
Fine motor activities—building with blocks, puzzles, sorting, sand and water play, sensory items
such as ‘feely boxes’, playdough or clay work, threading, chalkboards, construction using recycled
materials such as boxes
Outdoor play—sand and/or water play (see also ‘fine motor activities’); gross motor activities such as
climbing, balancing, bikes, scooters, jumping, throwing, obstacle course activities etc.; tracking activities
using balloons and bubbles etc.; other messy art activities
Dramatic play—home corner, dramatising stories, dress up, puppets, shop etc.
Art and craft—free painting, directed and supervised painting,
craft (assisted and independent)
Computer—suggestions for simple games or activities (usually
individual or pairs) or relevant internet activities
Cooking—supervised activities, some of which use heat and others which do not
Games—indoor or outdoor games relating to literacy such as card games, memory
games etc.; mathematics, singing games, any physical education games involving
movement etc.
Writing—tracing, copying, writing on, and with, different things—cards, different types of paper etc.;
adding patterns or stripes etc.; tracking and following paths, dot-to-dot activities etc.
vi Early years themes—People www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Teachers notes
About the artwork
All the artwork in this series of books is:
• age-appropriate
• teacher- and child-friendly
• an additional resource to help develop the theme
• suitable for enlarging for:
~ colouring
~ handwriting
~ dot-to-dot sheets
~ use as templates for art and craft activities
~ visual texts to encourage oral language development.
Some artworks are based on simple shapes to support learning in the mathematics area;
others are more elaborate. It is expected that early childhood teachers will view an illustration
based on shapes and be able to use this idea to develop concrete play activities using shapes
or as a technology and design project. More elaborate artwork is used to demonstrate a
teaching resource which needs to be made, a recipe, game or other activity.
Examples of artwork relating to art and craft activities have wide, bold, easily visible cutting outlines to allow the children some
variation in the cutting path they will use.
About the resource sheets/blacklines
Resource sheets/blacklines contain:
• simple, age-appropriate artwork
• prominent visual clues
• little or no text
• visual clues to support text pages
• few instructions, so as not to confuse beginning readers
• teacher instructions in the margins with a number of different
suggestions for using the resource sheet/blackline
• literacy and numeracy activities.
These resource sheets/blacklines are included as valuable timesavers
for teachers.
It is anticipated that the teacher will enlarge any pages to A3 size
and photocopy them onto more durable paper or card, to make
them easier for learners of this age group to manipulate.
The cross-curricular section of each theme includes a reference to
resource sheets/blacklines relating to specific activities.
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—People vii

Teachers notes
Curriculum links
All the learning activities in this series of books support the key learning areas of the current curriculum documents.
In particular, one or more activities also support each strand of the new English and Mathematics National Curriculum. The
specific strands from the National Curriculum relating to each activity are denoted by the words in brackets in the English and
Mathematics learning areas of the cross-curricular section.
For example, in the ‘Me’ theme:
English ‘Practise observation skills and initial sounds by playing ‘I spy’.’ (Language)
Mathematics ‘Children count how many of their steps it takes to: walk around the sandpit, walk around the perimeter of
the playground, walk to the library and so on.’ (Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry)
Reference to both is shown below.
Relevant curriculum reference
NSW
Qld
SA
Vic.
WA
National Curriculum: refer to pages 6 and 11 of Shape of the Australian Curriculum: English
National Curriculum: refer to pages 6 and 7 of Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics
National Curriculum: Science learning activities also support pages 6 and 7 Shape of the Australian
Curriculum: Science
Belonging, being and becoming: The early years framework for Australia (2009)
Refer to Early years curriculum guidelines page 55 (Table 9: A
summary of the learning statements in the early learning areas)
and pages 61–75.
Refer to ‘Early years band: Age 3–Age 5’. South Australian
Curriculum, Standards and Accountability at < http://www.decs.
sa.gov.au/ >.
Refer to Victorian essential learning standards Level 1 at
< http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vels/level1.html# >.
Refer to K-3 scope-and-sequence charts at < http://k-
10syllabus.det.wa.edu.au/content/syllabus-documents/earlychildhood-k-3-syllabus
>.
viii Early years themes—People www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Teachers notes
Sample social skills checklist
Date:
Student name
separates easily
from parents
interacts readily with
adults
interacts readily with
peers
shares with others
and takes turns
participates in group
activities
cooperates with
others
accepts
responsibility for
own behaviour
respects the property
of others
respects the feelings
of others
listens without
interrupting
expresses feelings
appropriately
solves simple
problems
is developing an
awareness of the
wider community
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—People ix

Teachers notes
Sample language skills checklist
Date:
Student name
communicates needs clearly
articulates most words correctly
relates personal experiences
contributes to discussions
uses age-appropriate
vocabulary
articulates most initial sounds
correctly
asks appropriate questions
speaks in complete sentences
relates events in order of
occurrence
able to tell a story from pictures
retells a familiar story without
pictures or clues
uses simple compound
sentences
responds appropriately to
questions about himself/herself
listens to a story for a given
length of time
follows simple two-step
instructions
knows his/her first and last
name
recognises rhyming words
answers simple oral cloze
questions
labels emotions such as happy,
sad, angry, scared …
x Early years themes—People www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Teachers notes
Sample fine motor skills checklist
Date:
Student name
completes simple puzzles
builds a tower of eight or more
small blocks
dresses himself/herself (apart
from buttons and shoelaces)
manipulates playdough to
create a specific object
places small pegs in small
holes
threads small beads
uses scissors to cut out simple
shapes and pictures
completes simple folding
activities
uses a knife, fork and spoon
correctly
holds a crayon or pencil
correctly
colours within lines
writes or copies own name
draws and copies simple
pictures
copies a sequence of letters or
numbers adequately
traces or recreates patterns
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—People xi

Teachers notes
Sample fundamental movement skills checklist
Date:
Explicit teaching
Exposure
Student name
balances on one
foot (static balance)
runs
jumps vertically
catches a ball or
beanbag
hops
throws a ball or
beanbag using an
overarm movement
gallops sideways
skips
leaps
kicks a ball
strikes a ball or
object using a twohanded
strike
dodges a ball or
object
xii Early years themes—People www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Teachers notes
Sample mathematics skills checklist
Date:
Number and algebra Measurement and geometry Statistics and probability
Student name
recognises numerals 1 to
writes numerals 1 to
rote counts to
places numerals to
in correct order
understands one-to-one
correspondence
understands ‘more than’ or ‘less
than’
able to do simple addition and
subtraction using concrete materials
shares collections
creates or completes a pattern
measures using everyday items
makes comparison of size and
length
recognises basic shapes
identifies attributes of objects and
collections
aware of use of devices for
measuring (scales, tape etc.)
shows awareness of
(money, temperature, time etc.)
sorts or orders objects
is aware of collections and
presentations of data
interprets data in a display
makes predictions about chance
events
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—People xiii

Cross-curricular activities
English
• Provide pictures depicting a
number of different situations
that would require the services of
various community helpers; for
example, a child with an aching
tooth would need a dentist. Show
children matching pictures of
those helpers. Discuss what each
community helper does and what
is happening in the pictures. (Refer
to blacklines on pages 71–73.)
(Literacy)
• Use the community helper pictures
on pages 71–73 (without cutting
them into sections) to create
cards. Copy a number of each on
card, cut out and laminate. Use
to play ‘snap’ and ‘concentration’
games.(Literacy)
• Create a ‘What am I?’ booklet for
each community helper in the
shape of his or her hat or piece
of equipment. Each page gives a
pictorial clue and a written clue for
children to identify the helper. The
last page shows the helper in full
uniform with all his or her tools and
equipment included. (Literacy)
• After learning about hospitals,
each child writes his or her name
on a thin strip of paper. Cover with
clear adhesive wrapping or tape
and attach to the child’s wrist as
a band similar to those worn in
hospital. (Literacy)
• Place note pads, blank ‘prescription
forms’ and a keyboard in the
writing area to create a doctor’s
surgery. (Literacy)
• Give names to a selection of
community helpers. Choose
names with the same initial sound;
for example: Felicity, the firefighter,
Nathan, the nurse. Laminate
pictures with names added and
hand out to children seated in
a circle. Using a large alphabet
display, ask ‘Does anyone’s helper
begin with the sound ‘a’? As
children put their hands up, they
say the name and occupation of
their helper; for example: Angus,
the ambulance officer. Continue
for other letters of the alphabet.
(Language)
• Children seated in a circle take
turns as they play, ‘I went to town
and met … (Patsy, the plumber)’.
Children have to remember all the
people met so far, in the correct
order. To help them, those who
have had a turn hold up their
pictures. (Literacy)
• Provide a variety of paper; envelopes and stamps; pencils, crayons and markers for the writing corner; and a bag (to put
mail in). Paint a large box in ‘postal’ colours, cut a slit to push mail through and allow the children to write or draw a ‘letter’
to place in the mail bag to ‘post’ to another member of the class. If desired, provide a postal worker’s hat to wear when
posting their letter. (Literacy)
• Read books about different community helpers. Make an illustrated list of those read to the children. Children draw images
or find pictures in magazines or newspapers. Use them for games such as ‘Who am I?’ or to place in the writing centre.
(Literacy, Literature)
• Watch TV productions related to different community occupations; for example: Postman Pat, Fireman Sam, Bob the builder,
Percy the park keeper, Construction site, Hilltop hospital. Discuss the characters. (Literacy)
• Collect pictures of specialised vehicles; for example: fire engine, police car, ambulance, IRB (inflatable rescue boats),
ferry, barge. Discuss what each does and the name of the community helper who uses it. If desired, label each (with the
initial letter printed in a different colour). Show the cards one by one, saying each name and emphasising the initial sound.
(Language)
• Over a weekly period, hold a ‘Job in a bag’ news time. On their special ‘news’ or ‘show and tell’ day, ask the children to fill
a brown paper or plastic bag with items relating to the jobs of their parents. Encourage them to borrow (with permission)
part or all of their parents’ uniform to wear, and place in the bag items relating to the job. Be sure that they are able to say
the correct name of their parents’ job; for example, ‘My mum is a graphic artist’ or ‘My dad is an engineer’. To aid word
recognition, write a sign for each child which says ‘My mum is …’ or ‘My dad is …’. If many children have both parents
working, have one week when the occupations of mothers are presented and a second week when the occupations of fathers
are talked about. (Literacy)
• Play ‘Who am I?’ One child selects a community helper from an illustrated list. The child gives clues, such as ‘My clothes
protect me. I use a hose’. The other children try to guess the community helper. (Literacy)
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Community helpers – 1
Mathematics
• Cut large, colourful pictures of community helpers into
four or six pieces and laminate to make puzzles for
the children to complete. (Refer to pages 71–73.)
(Measurement and Geometry)
• Collect and cut out a variety of used postage stamps. Let
the children sort them in a variety of ways, such as by
size or colour. Count the amount in each group.(Statistics
and Probability, Number and Algebra)
• The children make firefighter hoses of different lengths from
playdough. Order from longest to shortest. (Measurement
and Geometry)
• Glue fire engine, ambulance or hospital pictures to paper
plates. Paint with clear glue to coat. Write the numbers
1 to 10 on different plates in thick marker. Ask selected
children to place a given number
of plastic or cardboard figures of
fire people, ambulance officers,
doctors or nurses on the correct
plate. (Themed birthday party
plates could be used.) (Number
and Algebra).
• The children use plastic dolls
and bandages to make up number
stories; for example: ‘Polly needed four bandages on her
arms and three on her legs. How many did she need
altogether?’ (Number and Algebra)
• Give the children used envelopes of different sizes.
The children use 2-cm cubes to measure the area of
the envelopes. Count and record the number of cubes
needed for each. Decide which has the largest area.
(Measurement and Geometry)
• Draw around different mathematical shapes arranged to
create outlines of community helpers or their equipment.
For example, a square and three circles for a baker’s hat;
circles, squares and rectangles of different sizes for a fire
engine. (Measurement and Geometry)
• Provide pattern or construction blocks, and pictures for
inspiration, for the children to create fire engines, police
cars, hospitals, ambulances etc. Laminated block picture
cards may help guide some children. (Measurement and
Geometry)
• Use the outline of the fire engine on page 74 and ask
the children to cover the area with red sticky dots.
(Measurement and Geometry)
• Collect two of as many different kinds of disposable
bandages as possible and stick them to index cards and
laminate. Ask the children to match the pairs or sort them
into groups. (Number and Algebra)
• Provide a number of fire engine, hospital, ambulance or
police car shapes on a sheet of paper for each child.
Write the numbers from 1 to 5 or 1 to 10 on each. Call
out a number or roll a dice, then ask each child to stamp,
cross, tick or place a coloured dot on the correct amount.
(Number and Algebra)
• Place different-sized ‘firefighter’ buckets in the water trolley
for the children to experiment with volume. (Measurement
and Geometry)
• The children place two craft sticks on the floor or table
in front of them to form the sides of a firefighter’s ladder.
They roll a dice, collect that number of matchsticks and
place them to make the rungs of the ladder. More capable
children can roll the dice twice to make simple addition
problems to solve. (Number and Algebra, Measurement
and Geometry)
• Place a variety of 2-D and 3-D shapes in a postal bag.
Play ‘Pass the parcel’, with the children closing their
eyes, and choosing and naming a shape when the music
stops. (Measurement and Geometry)
• Create a ‘community helpers emergency phone book’. Children learn one phone number at a time. (Number and Algebra)
• Children watch as two plastic thermometers, two plastic syringes and two plastic stethoscopes are placed in a doctor’s bag.
They then put up their hands to indicate which item they think will be pulled out of the bag as it is emptied, one item at a
time. (Statistics and Probability)
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—People—Community helpers 63

Cross-curricular activities
Science
• If possible, obtain a real stethoscope for the children to use to listen to their own heartbeat in the same way that a doctor or
nurse does. Alternatively, use a paper cup with the bottom cut out. The children gently press the larger end of the cup to the
chest of a friend and place their own ear against the small end. (This works best if the children don’t hold onto the cup.)
• Trace the children’s hands on a sheet of paper. Ask them to colour an index card heavily with a lead pencil to
make a layer of graphite. Then ask them to rub each of their fingertips on the graphite and have an adult place
clear tape on each fingertip and press firmly. The adult pulls the tape off and sticks each to the corresponding
finger on the hand outline. When all fingers are completed, examine the fingerprints using a magnifying glass
and talk about the ways police officers use fingerprints in their work.
• List the names and jobs of people in the school who help
to look after the school environment; for example: Mr
Green, the gardener.
• Discuss ways in which the children can look after their
school environment; for example: putting rubbish in the
correct places, taking care of plants.
• Discuss parks or nature reserves found in the local area.
Name the people who work to look after the natural and
built features of these areas. Include the rangers and vets
who look after animals.
• Identify hot and cold objects and places in the home or
at school. Discuss which are safe and those which are
not. Reinforce the fire officer’s rules for safety around hot
objects and how to call emergency numbers.
• Discuss appliances in the home or at school that use
electricity or gas. Imagine what would happen if the
energy needed to make these appliances work was not
available. Name the people who help to provide energy
to the home and school. Talk about what an electrician
does.
Health and physical education
• Provide textured materials for
the children to use to cover large
outlines of emergency telephone
numbers (e.g. 000)
and encourage
them to feel and
memorise them.
• Create a ‘Body bandage’ book for
each child. Place different body
parts and their names on each
page. Ask individual children to
identify the body parts on his or her
own body and put a disposable
bandage on the picture of that
body part in his or her own book.
• Set up an obstacle course of
activities related to different
community jobs; for example:
climbing a ladder (climbing
frame) like a painter or a firefighter;
running like a police officer to
catch a criminal; cycling on a
trike, pretending to be a postal
worker delivering mail; running
like a firefighter and carrying a notso-heavy
load such as a beanbag,
or dragging a ‘skipping rope’ hose
over a short distance or rolling it
up.
• Discuss jobs which are very
physical (active) (such as
landscape gardening, tree lopping,
bricklaying, house painting etc.),
and those which are not physical
(such as a computer programmer,
writer etc.) Role-play to show how
these people mow grass, trim
bushes, water plants, dig soil,
build walls, paint a house, type
on a keyboard etc.
• Reinforce safety rules for
emergency situations, such as
there being a fire. Role-play what
to do.
• Invite various community helpers, such as a dentist or dental nurse, to the
classroom to show the children how to clean their teeth correctly.
• Discuss how to stay healthy (and not have to go to the doctor) by eating healthy
food, exercising, washing hands and using medicines correctly.
• Discuss a chemist’s job with regard to supplying medicines to make us feel
better when we are sick. Explain that only grown-ups should give out medicines
and tablets.
• Move to healthy action songs and
poems; for example: ‘The dentist
tells me’. (See page 80).
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Community helpers – 2
Society and environment
• Discuss the different community
helpers required to put food on
our tables. For example, milk: the
farmer tends and milks the cows,
the tanker driver collects the milk
from the farms, laboratory workers
check the milk is safe, plant
workers process the milk, truck
drivers transport the packaged
milk, store workers stack the milk
in the shops, cashiers sell the
milk to the customer. Count how
many people are needed, copy the
number onto a milk carton shape
and draw the correct number of
stick figures to represent them.
• Play variations of ‘Pin the tail on
the donkey’; for example: ‘Pin the
helmet on the firefighter’, ‘Pin the
badge on the police officer’.
• Make a collection of pictures of
the vehicles used by different
community helpers. Play
games matching the vehicles
to their helpers.
• Collect offcuts of plastic plumbing
pipes from a trade store and place
them in the construction corner
for the children to use to make
structures.
• Identify and match items to the
community helpers who use
them—a book to a librarian, a
chef’s hat to a chef, a paintbrush
to a painter, a hammer to a builder
or carpenter, brush to a hairdresser
etc. After matching each, role-play
how to use the tool or item.
• Join together several cardboard
milk cartons in layers, and paint
or cover them with clear adhesive
wrapping for the children to roleplay
postal workers sorting mail.
• With parental (and the shop’s)
assistance, visit the local
supermarket to see shop assistants
working and to buy ingredients
for a meal. The next day, use the
ingredients and allow the children
to be chefs to help cook a meal.
Select some children to be waiters
to take small plates of food (with
assistance) to other children.
Change places to ensure that each
child gets to role-play and receive
food to eat.
• Invite a ranger to talk to the class
to tell how she/he helps to look
after the natural features of a
specific area. Talk about the ways
children can help to look after their
environment.
• Look at the different modes of
transport used by police officers:
– bicycles, horses, motorcycles,
cars, vans, boats etc.
• Ask the children to relate personal
experiences of visits to the doctor,
dentist, barber etc. Arrange for the
children, with parental assistance,
to visit the local police station,
hospital, fire station, post office
etc. to see community workers in
action. Of course, be sure to obtain
permission for the visit.
• Talk about the different community
helpers at school and the jobs
they do (paid and unpaid).
Take photographs of the helpers
and display in an ‘Our school’s
community helpers’ gallery.
• Ask the children to draw a futuristic
vehicle or space vehicle that police
officers or firefighters may use.
• Discuss what mums and dads
and other adults wear to work.
Some wear uniforms: ‘Why do they
need them? What do their uniforms
look like?’ Show pictures of some
uniforms: ‘Are some uniforms worn
for safety reasons; e.g. warmth, to
keep them cool or to make them
easy to see?’ Ask the children to
describe the uniform of their mum or
dad (if they wear one). Ask relevant
children to bring in photographs of
their mums or dads in their work
uniform, or ask them to visit while
wearing their uniform.
• Show and discuss pictures of the
places where different community
helpers work; for example: a dental
surgery, a building site, a restaurant
kitchen, a fire station.
• Make a ‘Community heroes’ gallery
of pictures of those helpers who face
danger in their jobs; for example:
firefighters, air-sea rescue, miners,
gas and electricity power workers.
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—People—Community helpers 65

Cross-curricular activities
Technology (and design)
• Provide plastic ferry or cargo boats for
carrying toy cars, trucks and cargo
across a waterway (the water play
trough).
• Use large wooden blocks to construct
a ‘community’ with a hospital, library,
police station, fire station, school,
shopping centre, homes etc.
• Design and make a fire engine or
police vehicle model with moving
cardboard wheels.
• Design and make a fire engine; police
wagon, car or bike; or ambulance
using 2-D pattern blocks or coloured
paper shapes.
• Complete a week-long technology project: On day one, pretend to be architects
and construct a design for a playhouse. On day two, pretend to be builders
and, using a large packing box or similar, build the playhouse—complete with
a letterbox and windows—as a class (wear plastic hard hats and ‘workboots’
for safety). On day three, pretend to be house painters and, wearing paint
shirts, paint the playhouse. On day four, write letters to other class members
and place them in the letterbox of the playhouse. On day five, plant and water
seeds in soil in window boxes and, after the children have gone home on day
five, insert plastic or silk flowers in the window boxes. When the children next
arrive in class, they’ll receive a big surprise!
• Provide toy tools and explain how each is used to fix or make things. Allow
the children time to play with them in the play corner. If possible, provide
large nuts and bolts for them to join together (under adult supervision).
• Look at the checkered pattern on some police uniforms
and vehicles. Weave strips of blue paper between vertical
cuts on a large white outline of a police car to create the
pattern.
Visual arts
• Make creative outlines of medical tools. Place old tweezers,
bandage strips and medical scissors on a sheet of paper
and spatter with paint. When dry, remove medical tools
and attach outlines to a medical bag outline.
• Use cardboard rolls cut to size for the children to create
a gallery of community helpers. Cut out a rectangular
strip of paper to wrap around the roll, to make the body,
face, arms and legs. Draw specific features to show the
uniforms. Give each helper a name and use in creative
play.
• Have children trace the shape of a police badge onto
card. Assist them to cut it out and cover with aluminium
foil. The children use a thick marker to write their own
name carefully on the badge. Punch a hole near the top
to insert a safety pin for each child to pin the badge on his
or her chest to wear during
dramatic activities.
• Make a fire officer’s helmet
or police officer’s hat to wear
for dramatic play. (Refer to
the blacklines on page 69
and 70.)
Officer
• Provide each child with a plain
cotton or canvas garden glove
and thin colour markers to draw five different community
helpers—one on each finger. In the palm of the hand
write ‘Community helpers’. Use as finger puppets.
Jack
• Cut out two semicircular or rectangular shapes from black
cardboard to make a doctor or nurse’s bag for dramatic
play. Punch holes around the bottom and side edges
for the children to sew or lace both shapes together with
thick wool, making sure they leave an opening at the top.
Leave long ends of wool or tie a strip of material to the top
corners to make a handle. If desired,have
the children paint a large red cross
on it. Provide a bandage, a plastic
pair of scissors, cotton buds or
cottonwool, and a tongue depressor.
Alternatively, provide a blackline of outlined pictures of
items to be coloured, cut out and placed inside the bag.
(A similar shape in brown card can be used for a postal
worker’s bag. Capable students can copy the word ‘mail’
onto their bag using white crayon.)
• Provide orange, red and yellow chalk for the children
to draw flames on the cement outside the classroom.
Provide squeeze bottles full of water for the children to be
fire fighters who ‘put out the flames’. (Play this game on
a hot day and do not use excessive water!)
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Community helpers – 3
Music
• To the tune of ‘The farmer in the dell’, compose a
community helpers song with the children; for example:
‘The gardener mows the lawn, the gardener mows the
lawn. Up and down the grass he goes; the gardener
mows the lawn’. The children perform actions as they
sing.
• Attach simple outlines of hats of community helpers to
craft sticks. With children, label and name them before
playing the game. The teacher sings or chants a verse
and holds up one hat for the children to identify (call out)
who wears it. The verse is: ‘What can I be, when I wear a
hat like this? I can be a (name of worker), when I wear a
hat like this’. Selected children can be chosen to say the
verse and choose the hat.
• Puppets or pictures are needed to play this singing game.
Select one child to walk around a circle of children. All
sing: ‘When I went walking down the street, down the
street, down the street; a community helper I happened to
meet. Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, heigh-ho’. The child walking
selects a community helper puppet or picture to dance
with and the group continues to sing: ‘A rig, a jig-jig
and away we go, away we go, away we go; a rig, a jigjig
and away we go; heigh-ho, heigh-ho, heigh-ho’. The
next child is selected to walk around the circle. Refer to
pages 71 to 73 for pictures.
• Sing ‘Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?’ with
one child wearing a police officer’s hat and indicating a
particular child who is the cookie ‘thief’. Refer to
for words and instructions.
• Listen to and identify the sounds of emergency vehicles such as police and ambulance sirens.
• Sing songs, such as ‘Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick, sick, sick’, and ‘Who are the people in your neighbourhood?’
(from Sesame Street; see ).
• Provide simple child-size cut-outs of
different community helpers (police
officer, firefighter, doctor, nurse, dentist
etc.) and full-length mirrors. Cut out
head-size holes for the faces so the
children can use their own and see
themselves in the mirror. Play a game
where the children must place their face
in a cut-out without looking at who it is.
They then ask questions to guess who
they are. (Refer to pages 71 to 73 for
reference pictures.)
• Provide tweezers, gauze or a bandage
and a bowl of coloured water. The
children must pick up the bandage using
the tweezers and place it in the bowl of
coloured water. (Later, the bandage may
be used to create a picture.)
• Make pretend stethoscopes for dramatic
play by covering an egg carton cup with
aluminium foil. Tie string to the cup to
hang around the children’s necks.
Drama
• Teach, and ask the children to role-play, the procedure for making a
phone call to the emergency services.
• Make fire officer finger puppets from an oval
(about 3.75 cm x 6.25 cm) and a rectangle
(7.5 cm x 2.5 cm) of felt. Glue the rectangle
around the child’s ‘pointer’ finger, add marker
dots for buttons; fold the oval in half, cut a
semicircle on the fold and insert over finger for
a helmet. Use the marker to draw a face on the
child’s finger.
• Provide yellow raincoats, gumboots, plastic helmets (or ice-cream
containers cut and painted the correct colours) and pieces of garden
hoses or old vacuum cleaner hoses. Two 1-litre plastic bottles taped
together can be oxygen tanks. A fire truck can be constructed from large
packing boxes, painted red.
• Cut holes in used white pillowcases for a doctor’s or vet’s uniform. Place
stuffed animals in the play corner or dolls in beds. Provide bandages
for children to care for sick patients. The stove can become the X-ray
machine and the table for examining patients (dolls or stuffed toys).
Plastic doctor’s kits are readily available from toy shops.
• Provide bubble wrap, recycled postage stamps, envelopes, boxes, tubes,
paper, pens and a mailbox for post office play; or walkie-talkies, blue
shirts, notepads, pens, badges and hats for police officer play.
• Mark a road on a large rug or outside (using masking tape) for the
children to practise crossing the road safely.
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—People—Community helpers 67
FIRE
OFFICER

Teacher background information
The aim of the unit ‘Community helpers’ is to highlight the roles of the different occupations people have within the community
and to identify their uniforms, specific tools, equipment and transport. The focus of this unit is the following workers: police
officers, fire officers, doctors, nurses, dentists and postal workers.
Children will come to realise that community jobs are not performed in isolation but are part of an intricate web of needs and
responses to those needs, for everyone in the community.
Young children may have already had direct contact with a number of community helpers; for example: the doctor, nurse, dentist,
librarian, crossing patrol warden, teachers and mail carriers. They may also be aware of the emergency services, (the police,
firefighters, ambulance paramedics) and many of the domestic services; for example, the person who comes to fix the washing
machine, install the TV aerial or unblock the main drains.
In the early years, it is appropriate to consider only the occupations which are visible and obvious to the children.
It is important for children to appreciate that all jobs have their place within the community. A community has many parts, all of
which are essential to its smooth running. Ask the children to imagine what would happen if doctors, garbage collectors or bank
officers didn’t do their jobs for a week.
Many activities in the unit suggest using laminated colour pictures of different community helpers and their associated tools/
equipment/vehicles. If a large bank of these is prepared in advance, they can be used repeatedly.
A collection of uniforms, plastic tools, equipment and toy vehicles will also be very helpful.
Introducing a few unusual and interesting community occupations will capture their interest and imagination of children and
encourage them to ‘think outside the square’ when answering the question, ‘What job would you like to do when you grow up?’
• In the community, there are many people who help us.
• Different people do different jobs within the community.
Concepts to be developed
• Some people wear special uniforms, require special vehicles and/or work in special places.
• Some people help us in our homes, and others in our schools.
• Some people work to keep us safe, and others look after our health and well-being.
• A community relies on people in different occupations for its success and survival.
• All jobs can be done by men and women.
• Some people provide a service, others produce goods.
• The work of some community helpers is obvious, for others it is not.
68 Early years themes—People—Community helpers www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Fire officer’s helmet
Officer
Jack
Instructions: Copy the template onto yellow cards and assist the children to cut them out. Cover each badge shape with aluminium foil and write a child’s name on it. An adult will need to cut the dotted
section to be folded up.
56 cm
Fold
43 cm
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—People—Community helpers 69

Police officer’s hat
Instructions: Use as a template to trace around on coloured card or as a blackline copied onto card for the children to colour. Attach to a strip of cardboard stapled to fit each child’s head.
70 Early years themes—People—Community helpers www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Community helpers – 1
Instructions: Colour the pictures. Cut out each segment. Randomly order the segments within each body part, including with those on pages 72 and 73. Students match the segments to make whole
pictures. Teachers may wish to separate the name labels for ‘reading’ and ‘matching’ by more capable students. Teachers can also ‘white out’ the internal cutting lines and use the pictures as flashcards
or to make multiple copies for memory games.
Pete, the police officer
Dayna, the doctor
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—People—Community helpers 71

Community helpers – 2
Fred, the fire officer
Pam, the postal worker
Instructions: Colour the pictures. Cut out each segment. Randomly order the segments within each body part, including with those on pages 71 and 73. Students match the segments to make whole pictures.
Teachers may wish to separate the name labels for ‘reading’ and ‘matching’ by more capable students. Teachers can also ‘white out’ the internal cutting lines and use the pictures as flashcards or to make
multiple copies for memory games.
72 Early years themes—People—Community helpers www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Instructions: Colour the pictures. Cut out each segment. Randomly order the segments within each body part, including with those on pages 71 and 72. Students match the segments to make whole pictures.
Teachers may wish to separate the name labels for ‘reading’ and ‘matching’ by more capable students. Teachers can also ‘white out’ the internal cutting lines and use the pictures as flashcards or to make
multiple copies for memory games.
Community helpers – 3
Nick, the nurse
Deeta, the dentist
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—People—Community helpers 73

Cover the fire truck
Instructions: Cover each section of the fire engine with coloured blocks. (Or use as inspiration for the children to create a fire engine picture with coloured shapes or pattern blocks.)
74 Early years themes—People—Community helpers www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Missing numbers
Instructions: Read the numbers on each row and write the missing number(s) to complete the row. Teachers can ‘white out’ the numbers drawn and write any five numbers between one and 10.
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—People—Community helpers 75

Ingredients
Dentist delight
A sweet treat to keep the dentist very busy.
• 400 g icing sugar
• 400 g grated coconut
• 400 g tin condensed milk
• few drops red food colouring
Recipes
Mechanic mixed salad
Ingredients
• 125 g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. chopped basil
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 3 zucchinis, sliced into rounds
• 1 red capsicum, sliced into thin strips
• 6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
Instructions
• Grease and line a lamington tray. Sift icing sugar into a
large bowl. Add 200 g of coconut and all the condensed
milk and combine thoroughly with spoon. Add remaining
200 g of coconut, mix by hand and create a ball. Divide
the ball in half. Add food colouring to one half and blend
in. Press into prepared lamington tray. Press white mixture
on top. Cool in the fridge for one hour. Cut and serve.
Instructions
• Boil zucchini in water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse in cold
water. Dry with kitchen paper. Add all ingredients to salad
bowl. Season with salt and black pepper, add a dash of
salad dressing and mix gently. Chill for one hour before
serving.
Firefighter fish fingers
Ingredients
• 8 fish fingers
• 2 slices of cheese, each cut into four strips
• 2 slices of lean ham, cut into small pieces
• tomato paste
Ingredients
• 1 small can tuna
Teacher treats
• 1 small can creamed corn
• 1 beaten egg
• 6 slices of fresh bread, crusts removed
Instructions
• Spread tomato paste on top of each fish finger. Add a slice
of cheese to each finger. Sprinkle with ham. Arrange fingers
on a baking tray and bake at 200 ºC for 10–15 minutes.
Instructions
• Place tuna and corn in a bowl and mix well. Add the egg
and mix well. Spread the mixture onto the slices of bread,
make sandwiches and cut each into 4 triangles. Spray a
frying pan with oil and fry triangles until they are golden
brown. Place on kitchen paper to soak up excess oil and
serve.
76 Early years themes—People—Community helpers www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Ingredients
Librarian lips
A laughing treat to keep the librarian sweet.
• 2 slices of apple
• 6 miniature white marshmallows
• small portion of red jam
Recipes
Ingredients
Lifeguard loaf
• 100 g mixed dried fruit
• 125 mL milk
• 125 g butter
• 115 g caster sugar
• 3 beaten eggs
• 250 g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
Instructions
• Spread jam on curved section of each slice of apple.
Arrange marshmallows on the jam of one apple slice.
Place the second slice, jam side down, on top of the
marshmallow ‘teeth’.
Ingredients
Plumber platter
• 3 pickled cucumbers, quartered lengthways
• 2 carrots, cut into thirds with each third quartered
lengthways
• 6 thin slices fresh bread, crusts removed
• 12 stuffed green olives
• 12 pitted black olives
• 12 tinned button mushrooms
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 6 slices cheese
• 6 slices ham
Instructions
• In a bowl, add
milk to dried fruit
and set aside
for half an hour.
Grease and line a
1-kg loaf tin. Beat butter
and sugar until light and
creamy. Beat in eggs. Add
fruit, milk and lemon zest. Sift
in flour and blend gently. Pour into
loaf tin and bake at 180 ºC for one hour.
Ingredients
• 115 g plain flour
• 300 mL milk
• 2 beaten eggs
Police officer
pancakes
Instructions
• Place a slice of cheese and a slice of ham onto each slice
of bread. From a corner, roll the slices and secure with a
cocktail stick. Arrange all the ingredients in the segments of
a platter, with the ham and cheese rolls at the centre.
Instructions
• Sift flour into a large bowl. Add milk and egg and beat to a
smooth batter. Set aside in fridge until ready to use. Spray
a frying pan with oil and heat. Pour three tbs. of batter into
frying pan and tip to cover base of pan. When golden on
underside, flip and heat on other side. Top with favourite
filling and roll up, ready to serve.
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—People—Community helpers 77

Display ideas
Community helper mobiles
• Provide large outlines of different helpers and their equipment for children to decorate in appropriate colours using a range of
craft materials. Use different lengths of string to hang the finished work from wire coat hangers.
Life-size community helper
• Draw the outline of a child on butcher’s paper to create a model template.
Transfer to sturdy cardboard and cut out. Make a base so that the figure is
free-standing. From construction paper, cut out different clothes for children to
decorate with collage materials to make community helper clothes/uniforms.
Next to the models, have a box of community helper name strips with a small
picture of the helper for identification. Children take turns to choose a strip
and dress a community helper. The name strips can be attached to string and
hung around each model’s neck.
‘Who is hiding?’ chart
• Divide a large sheet of card into squares, each large enough to accommodate a picture of a community helper. Children draw
and colour the helpers and place them randomly on the squares. Divide a second sheet of card into the same size of squares.
Cut three sides within each square to make a flap. Staple the second card on top of the first. On each flap, glue pictures of tools
or equipment that will identify the helper. Children can take turns to guess which helper is hiding beneath the flap, and to name
the tools and equipment and explain how they are used.
Post office
Fire station
My neighbourhood
• Make a list of places in the community: zoo, museum,
library, hospital, petrol station, fire station, shopping centre
etc. Select a child to paint a picture of each place on a
large sheet of art paper. When dry, the children cut out
the places and attach them to a large board to create a
neighbourhood or community. Choose different children to
draw, using another medium such as markers or pastels,
different helpers actively engaged in their work; for example:
firefighters putting out a fire or rescuing a kitten from a tree,
a traffic control person helping school children across the
road, a lifeguard rescuing someone in the ocean/pool.
Attach the community helpers to the neighbourhood scene
with appropriate labels. Use the display for discussion.
Health helpers
• Paint or decorate large pictures of community helpers associated with looking after our health: doctors, nurses, dentists,
opticians, paramedics, sports coaches etc. Display two at a time, changing them each day. Under each, write a cloze sentence;
for example: ‘The (optician) looks after my (eyes)’. Provide name strips of all the helpers and the parts of the body the helpers
look after, each with a small picture for identification. Children take turns to place the strips in the correct places in the cloze
sentences.
Fingerprint flames
• Combine two community helpers with this fun activity! Fingerprint the children, using orange and yellow paint (just like a police
officer). When dry, have the children draw simple flame shapes (to associate with a fire officer) around the fingerprints, and then
cut them out. Glue onto black paper or card with brown rectangles at the bottom, representing logs in the fire.
78 Early years themes—People—Community helpers www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Literature resources – 1
Stories
Grandma drove the garbage truck by Katie Clark
The jolly postman and The jolly Christmas postman by Janet
and Allan Ahlberg
Postman’s dog by Lisa Shanahan
Hugo the flying firefighter and Hugo the lifesaving sailor by
Lorette Broekstra
Nonfiction
A day in the life of … series includes: a childcare worker,
a dentist, a doctor, a farmer, a firefighter, a police officer, a
teacher and a veterinarian by Heather Adamson; a zookeeper
and a garbage collector by Nate LeBoutillier; a nurse by
Connie Fluet; a librarian by Judy Monroe
Whose hat is this? by Shaton Katz Cooper
Whose tools are these? by Shaton Katz Cooper
Whose vehicle is this? by Shaton Katz Cooper
A day with … series by Jan Kottke, includes: firefighters,
paramedics, police officers and a mail carrier
I want to be a … series by Dan Liebman, includes: a doctor,
a librarian, a nurse, a pilot, a police officer, a teacher, a truck
driver and a vet
I drive a garbage truck by Sarah Bridges
Songs, action rhymes, fingerplays and poems
Rub-a-dub-dub
Rub-a-dub-dub,
Three men in a tub;
And who do you think they be?
The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker;
And all of them gone to sea.
Doctor Foster
Doctor Foster
Went to Gloucester
In a shower of rain.
He stepped in a puddle,
Right up to his middle,
And never went there again!
(Note: ‘Gloucester’ is a two-syllable word [Glouce-ster], and is
pronounced ‘Gloster’, rhyming with ‘Foster’.)
This is the way
(Sung to: ‘Here we go round the mulberry bush’.)
This is the way we mail a letter,
Mail a letter, mail a letter.
This is the way we mail a letter,
So early in the morning.
The big red fire truck
See the big red fire truck,
With a ladder on top,
Going to a fire where it will stop.
Hear the wailing siren,
‘Move over! Let me pass!’
Speeding to the fire,
It gets there at last.
Unwind the hose.
Turn on the tap.
Water shoots up
And the fire goes out.
The wind starts to blow
And the smoke drifts away
The fire truck goes home
Until another day.
000
(Sung to ‘Three blind mice’.)
Zero-zero-zero,
Help’s on the way. Help’s on the way.
If I need help, I know what to do.
I can call the police and the fire people too.
It makes me feel safe to know what to do.
Zero-zero-zero
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—People—Community helpers 79

Literature resources – 2
Songs, action rhymes, fingerplays and poems
The dentist tells me
The dentist tells me to brush my teeth,
Up and down and in between.
The dentist tells me to brush my teeth,
To keep them nice and clean.
The dentist tells me to drink my milk,
For good strong bones and healthy teeth.
The dentist tells me to drink my milk,
And look after the gums underneath
Where is the doctor?
(Sung to ‘Where is Thumbkin?’)
Five police officers
Five police officers, standing by the store;
One directed traffic, and then there were four.
Four police officers, watching over me;
One took home a lost girl, and then there were three.
Three police officers, dressed all in blue;
One stopped a speeding car, and then there were two.
Two police officers, how fast they can run;
One caught a bank robber, and then there was one.
One police officer, standing in the sun;
Sun went down, he went home, and then there were none.
Where is the doctor?
Where is the doctor?
Here she is! Here she is!
Making us feel better,
Making us feel better,
She’s our friend!
She’s our friend!
(Other verses may include: Where is the police officer? …
Chasing all the bad guys! Keeping us safe!; Where is the
nurse? … Helping out the doctor! He’s our friend!)
Notes:
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