Unit 2 · Our Community

Look out your window. You see houses. You see a store. You see people walking. Those people are your community. A community is people who live and work near each other.

You live in a community. So does your teacher. So does the person at the store. You do not need to know every name. You share the same streets. You share the same park.

People in a community need each other. The baker sells bread. The bus driver drives the baker to work. You ride the same bus. Everyone helps in some way.

Some communities are big. A city has tall buildings. It has many streets. Many people live close together. Chicago is a city in Illinois.

Some communities are small. A town has a few streets. It has one school. People often know each other by name.

Some people live in the country. Houses are far apart. Farms and fields are all around. Neighbors may live a mile away. They are still a community. They still help each other.

A firefighter puts out fires. She wears a heavy coat. She drives a big red truck. She also helps when a car crashes. She teaches kids what to do in a fire.

A nurse helps sick people. He checks your ears. He gives you a shot. He puts a bandage on a cut. Nurses work in clinics and in schools.

These are community helpers. A helper has a job that helps others. Firefighters and nurses keep us safe and well. They are ready every day.

A mail carrier walks the same streets each day. She carries a heavy bag. She puts letters in each mailbox. Rain or snow, she comes. A birthday card comes because of her.

A bus driver takes people places. He drives kids to school. He drives workers to their jobs. He stops at every corner. He waits for you to sit down.

Think about your day. Did a bus bring you to school? Did a letter come to your house? Helpers bring and carry. Without them, things would not get where they need to go.

A librarian works at the library. She helps you find a book. She reads stories out loud. She shows you how to use a computer. Books are free to borrow because of her.

A farmer grows food. He plants corn in spring. He picks it in fall. In Illinois, farmers grow lots of corn. Your cereal may come from an Illinois farm.

Some jobs are loud. Some are quiet. Some are far from town. Every job matters. Take away the farmer, and there is no food. Take away the librarian, and there are no books.

A community has special places. A school is a place to learn. A library is a place for books. A park is a place to play. A clinic is a place to see a nurse or doctor.

A store is a place to buy food. A place of worship is where some families pray. A church, a mosque, a temple, a synagogue. Each family may go to a different one.

Some places are shared by everyone. The park is for all. The library is for all. Rosa, Mr. Bell and Ms. Kim all use the same park. That is why they all fixed the swing.

A problem is something wrong that needs fixing. The swing was broken. That was a problem. Rosa could not fix it alone. She was too small. She had no chain.

Rosa told her dad. Her dad told a neighbor. Soon many people knew. Each one asked, what can I do? One brought a tool. One brought a chain. One brought water.

This is how a community works. You do not fix a big problem alone. You cooperate. That means you work together. Each person does a small part. The big job gets done.

Some things you must have. You must have food. You must have water. You must have a place to sleep. You must have clothes. These are needs.

A need is something you cannot live without. Without food, you get weak. Without water, you get sick. Without a home, you get cold and wet. A home is shelter.

Think about your day. You ate breakfast. You drank water. You put on clothes. You slept in a bed last night. You met your needs. Every person has the same four needs.

Leo wants a bike. He wants an ice cream cone. He can live without both. They are wants. A want is something you would like but do not need.

A toy is a want. A treat is a want. A video game is a want. Wants are fun. It is fine to have wants. But needs come first.

Sometimes it is tricky. Shoes are a need. Your feet must stay safe. A second pair with lights that blink? That is a want. You already have shoes.

Leo’s mom goes to work. She is a nurse. At the end of the week, she gets paid. She earns money. To earn means to get money for work you do.

Almost every grown-up works to earn money. The bus driver earns money. The farmer earns money. The librarian earns money. Then they use it to buy what they need.

Leo worked too. He made lemonade. He sold it. He earned eleven dollars. Work first. Then money. That is how earning goes.

Money buys two kinds of things. The first kind is goods. Goods are things you can hold. A bike is a good. Bread is a good. A cup of lemonade is a good.

The second kind is services. A service is work someone does for you. A haircut is a service. A bus ride is a service. A doctor visit is a service. You pay for the work, not a thing.

Leo sold a good. The lemonade was a thing. Leo’s mom sells a service. She cares for sick people. Both earn money. Both help others.

Leo has eleven dollars. The bike costs more. The cone costs two dollars. He cannot have the cone and the bike. Money runs out. So Leo must choose.

Every person chooses. Your family chooses at the store. Milk or juice? New shoes or a new coat? No one can buy everything. There is never enough money for it all.

When you choose one thing, you give up another. Leo picks the bike. He gives up the cone. That is the cost of his choice. Think before you choose.

Leo puts his money in the jar. He does not spend it. He is saving. To save means to keep money for later. Every dollar in the jar is a step toward the bike.

Saving is hard. You have to wait. The cone is right there. The bike is far away. But each week the jar gets fuller. One day it is enough.

Many people save. A family saves for a car. A grown-up saves for a trip. Some people keep money in a bank. A bank keeps money safe until you need it.

You do not always need money. Sam has two apples. Ana has two cookies. Sam gives Ana an apple. Ana gives Sam a cookie. They trade. Each gets something new.

Long ago, most people traded. A farmer traded eggs for shoes. Today we mostly use money. But kids still trade cards. Neighbors still trade help.

You can also share. Leo shares his lemonade with his little sister. She pays nothing. Sharing is giving without getting. It makes a community stronger.

Look at the milk on your table. Where did it come from? Not the store. The store is just one stop. Milk starts on a farm. A cow makes it. A farmer milks the cow.

Next a truck picks up the milk. It goes to a place that puts it in jugs. Another truck takes the jugs to the store. A worker puts them on a shelf.

Your family buys the milk. You bring it home. You pour it on your cereal. Farm, truck, store, table. Many workers helped. Each one earned money. Each one did a job.

A farmer in Illinois plants corn in spring. All summer she waters and weeds. In fall she picks it. That is months of work. Then she sells the corn.

Your family pays for food at the store. Some of that money goes to the farmer. Some goes to the truck driver. Some goes to the store worker. Buying food pays for their work.

Not all food comes from a farm. Some people grow tomatoes in a garden. Some catch fish in Lake Michigan. But most food takes many hands. Every meal is a gift of work.