Minds On

Different types of community helpers

There are many jobs that people can do to help a community. These jobs are important and can be found in different areas of the community.

A community needs to feel safe. Firefighters work at the fire station and help to keep the community safe.

A firefighter wearing all their equipment; jacket, hat and pants.

A community also needs hospitals and clinics where nurses and doctors work to keep people healthy.

A doctor comforting a child with an arm brace on.

In busy stores, clerks and shopkeepers help community members get items they need.

A grocery clerk at the checkout.

Brainstorm

How many community helpers do you know?

Take a moment to think to yourself. Who are the different community helpers you may come across in your daily life?

Where do you find these helpers? Why are they there?

Press ‘Hint’ to access some examples of where helpers work in the community.

Students from the community go to schools to learn from their teachers.

People from the community go to hospitals or clinics to visit a doctor.

Action

Service workers in the community

Another name for a community helper is a community service worker.

Press the following tabs to learn more about different community service workers.

A councillor is sitting at a table with an elder person. The counsellor is writing in a notebook.

Indigenous counsellors can be found in Indigenous community centres. They talk with Indigenous community members and help them stay healthy.

Two construction workers on a site. They are both looking at a clip board.

Construction workers can be found in areas where there is new building happening. This might be a new home in a neighbourhood or a new building where people will work in busy areas of the community. There are often signs out front of this building to let people know what is being built and who is building it.

A mail carrier delivering packages. They are outside someone’s door.

Mail carriers can be found in neighbourhoods where there are houses or community buildings. They bring mail to community members at their home or at a large box by the street where many small mailboxes are found.

A sanitation worker collecting garbage and placing it at the back of a garbage truck for disposal.

Sanitation workers can be found working in areas where garbage is sorted and placed on the street in bins or dumpsters for pick up.

A crossing guard is standing in front of a school bus holding a stop sign as school age children cross the road.

Crossing guards can be found in high traffic areas such as schools or busy intersections. They help keep people safe when they need to cross the road.

A bus driver is sitting in the driver’s seat and selling a ticket to a passenger who is boarding the bus.

Bus drivers take people in the community from one place to another. Bus drivers might take students to school or take community members from home to somewhere else in the community. There are often signs on the side of the road where bus stops are found.

A grocery clerk is cashing out a customer.

Grocery store clerks are found in large or small grocery stores in busy areas of the community. There are often other stores nearby as well. They help community members get food items they need.

Task 1: KWL chart

What community service worker do you want to learn more about?

Choose any one of the following videos to explore from the TVOkids series, Can You Imagine That!

Press the tabs to access the videos about various community service workers and where they work.

You can also explore more than one community service worker.

Now that you have chosen a community service helper job that you want to know more about, it’s time to work on a KWL chart. You will fill in each part of the chart with information you learned from the video.

Explore the KWL chart tips if you need a reminder of how to fill it in.

KWL chart tips

Explore the following definitions for each letter in the KWL chart.

Under the letter K - Share what you already KNOW about this community helper and where they can be found.

Under the letter W - What do you WONDER about this community service worker and where they can be found?

Under L - After watching the video, what did you LEARN about this community service worker and where they can be found?

Complete the KWL Chart in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document. You can also record your thoughts using another method of your choice.

KWL Chart
The community service worker video I chose is about a (Blank).

K – What I already know about this community service workers and where they work

W – What I am wondering

Three questions I have for this community service worker and where they work

L – What I learned from the video

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the KWL Chart. 

Activity(Open PDF in a new window)

Consolidation

What have you learned?

KWL chart

If possible, share your KWL Chart on one of the community service workers you learned about, with a partner, a member of your family, or a friend.

Then, think about the following question:

  • Why do you think community helpers are so important in the area that you live in?

Record your ideas in a notebook or another method of your choice.

Reflection

How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity?  Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel...

Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

Press ‘Discover More’ to extend your skills.

Let's create a guessing game!

Provide oral or written clues about the job of a community service worker previously learned in this learning activity.

Or, you can create your own descriptions.

Then, have a partner, member of your family, or peer guess the job you described!