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| Books | Family Shields | Family Tree |
| Family Traditions | Family Bottles | My Family is a Community |
| Links to other Family Unit Resources | ||
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| Books | Family Shields | Family Tree |
| Family Traditions | Family Bottles | My Family is a Community |
| Links to other Family Unit Resources | ||
Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells
A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman
Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers: A Collection of Family Poems by Mary Ann Hoberman
All Kinds of Families by Norma Simon
Family Scrapbook by Marilyn Goffstein
Peter’s Chair by Ezra Keats
A Baby Sister for Frances by Russell Hoban
Ira Says Goodbye by Bernard Waber
Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say
The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournay
Some Things are Different, Some Things are the Same by Marya Dantzer-Rosenthal
What Mommies Do Best/What Daddies Do Best by Laura Numeroff
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
A Chair for my Mother by Vera Williams
Families are Different by Nina Pellegrini
Me and My Family Tree by Paul Showers
On Mother's Lap by Ann Herbert Scott
Animal Families by Gene Stuart
Families by Meredith Tax
I Have a New Family Now: Understanding Blended Families by Robin Prince Monroe
Song and Dance Man by Cynthia Rylant
Materials:
construction paper shields (either pre-cut or provide a tracer for students to use)
markers or crayons
family photo
Examine a variety of family crests and shields on the Internet. Talk about how people used crests or shields as a symbol to represent their families. Provide a list of colors and what they represent and a list of animals and what they represent. Have students create a list of adjectives that describe their family. Then, create a shield that represents the class as an example. Afterwards, invite students to create a crest to represent his or her family. Tell students to think carefully about the colors and animals they choose to represent their families. Students may use the family photo as part of their shield or draw a picture of their family. Include a family saying, motto, or verse. These look wonderful on a bulletin board!
Materials:
magazines
family photos (Students will only use the heads of the family members for this project. So, photos with larger heads work best!)
green, brown construction paper
tree trunk and tree top tracers
I got this idea from my teammate Cindy Gibson! Students trace a tree trunk and tree top and glue it onto large paper. Then, students look through magazines to find a body to represent each family member. Students glue the body on to the tree poster and paste the heads of family members on the bodies. The posters turn out really cute and the students enjoy giggling over how silly their family members look!
Family Graphing
Integrate math into this family heritage activity by having students graph how many brothers, sisters, and pets are in the class.
The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy is a wonderful book that talks about family traditions and the impact they have on family members. During your study of this book, have students create a page for a class book on family traditions. I send this assignment home for homework and invite students to bring in mementos or special items that relate to their family traditions to share with the class. In class, invite students to draw a picture of their family tradition on a square of paper. Afterwards, create a class quilt bulletin board representing family traditions.
Since so many families take vacations together, I also have my class create a class book on family vacations. This is a good book to create as part of a show and tell project. The student completes the page at home and then brings the page and a souvenir from a favorite family vacation to share with the class. Click on the buttons to download reproducibles for my traditions book.
Create a list of chores that students do at home. Talk about the roles of each family member and how each person helps the family function. Discuss what would happen if each person did not do his or her job. Define the word community and talk about how families are communities. Have students complete the family job book. Afterwards students can share their books with a partner or play chore charades in small groups. Click on the buttons to download my book and visit the Georgia Learning Connection lesson plan, "Roles and Responsibilities."
Idea from Dr. Jean
Materials:
Clear plastic bottle (a small water or soda bottle will work great)
Photos of family members, special vacations, pets, hobbies, etc.
Trinkets or Family Mementos
Optional: Glitter, sequins, alphabet letters, ribbon
Fill a clear plastic bottle with cut out photographs of family members, special vacations, pets, hobbies, etc. Then, add other small trinkets and mementos that represent you and your family. Decorate the bottle and be sure to label it with your name. Be creative and have fun! Display these in the social studies center. I send this project home with my welcome to my class letter before school begins. I ask students to bring it to school on the first day of school.
Download family reproducible family puppets from DLTK. Use the puppets in a center, to create family plays, family trees, etc.
Family Lesson Plans from Georgia
Georgia Learning Connections provides detailed and sequenced social studies lesson plans. Many of these lessons are family focused. Excellent lesson plan resource!
Michigan's website provides clear and easy to follow lesson plans. This website has three units on family: Our Families, Schools and Families of the Past, and Families Near and Far. Great resource!
Download books on families and find ideas for crafts!
A great lesson to teach students about family heritage! Good for linking personal experience with map skills.
A lesson plan for graphing. There is a downloadable cut and paste graph.
Lesson plan for creating and giving a special award to a family member! Teaches love and appreciation for family members.
A collection of family poems from Can Teach.
A beautiful page detailing a pre-k family unit! Cute hands-on ideas!
Family
Shields
