Family Tree Explorer
Historical and Cultural Thinking45 minutesModerate
Overview
In this activity, students will create a family tree to understand family relationships and explore their cultural heritage. This activity connects to the Historical and Cultural Thinking strand of the curriculum, helping students appreciate how their past and present shape their identity.
Students will interview family members, gather information about their relatives, and create a visual representation of their family tree. This activity promotes research skills, cultural awareness, and an understanding of family relationships.
Learning Objectives
- Describe relationships to other family members
- Represent family relations using a family tree
- Know that family relationships can be represented on a family tree
- Appreciate that our family tree is made up of a diverse range of people who share a common heritage
Materials
- Large drawing paper or construction paper
- Colored markers, crayons, or pencils
- Scissors and glue
- Family photographs (optional)
- Sample family tree templates
- Interview question sheet
Preparation
- Prepare sample family tree templates for students to reference
- Create a simple interview question sheet for students to take home
- Send a note to parents/guardians explaining the activity and requesting their assistance
- Gather examples of family trees from different cultures to show diversity
- Prepare your own family tree as an example to share with students
Steps
- Introduction (10 minutes):
- Begin by playing the "Baby Shark" song, which mentions different family members
- Discuss the different family relationships mentioned in the song
- Show examples of family trees and explain how they represent family relationships
- Interview Preparation (5 minutes):
- Distribute the interview question sheets
- Review the questions with students and explain how to conduct a respectful interview
- Assign students to interview family members at home about their family relationships
- Family Tree Creation (25 minutes):
- Using the information gathered from interviews, guide students in creating their family trees
- Demonstrate how to organize family members by generation (grandparents, parents, siblings)
- Encourage students to add names, relationships, and drawings or photos if available
- Help students understand that their family tree should reflect either their maternal or paternal side
- Sharing and Reflection (5 minutes):
- Have students share their family trees with a partner or small group
- Guide students to discuss similarities and differences in their family structures
- Lead a class discussion about what students learned about their families
Differentiation
For Students Who Need Additional Support:
- Provide a pre-drawn family tree template with spaces to fill in names
- Offer one-on-one assistance during the creation process
- Allow students to create a smaller family tree focusing only on immediate family
- Provide picture supports for family relationship terms
For Students Who Need Additional Challenge:
- Encourage students to extend their family tree to include more generations
- Ask students to add information about where family members were born or lived
- Have students research and include cultural traditions associated with their family heritage
- Challenge students to create a digital family tree using appropriate technology
Assessment
Observation:
- Monitor students' understanding of family relationships during discussions
- Observe students' ability to organize family members in a logical structure
Conversation:
- Ask students to explain their family relationships using their family tree
- Have students reflect on what they learned about their family through this activity
Product:
- Evaluate the completed family tree for accuracy in representing relationships
- Check that students have correctly labeled family members and their relationships
Extensions
- Create a class book of family trees to celebrate the diversity of family structures
- Have students write stories about a special family member from their family tree
- Explore family traditions and celebrations connected to students' cultural heritage
- Create a "Family Bracelet" with letter beads representing different family members
- Develop a "Family Train" where each car represents a different family member
Curriculum Connections
Historical and Cultural Thinking
This activity directly supports the "Our Families" section of the Historical and Cultural Thinking strand, helping students understand family relationships and appreciate their cultural heritage.
Specific Curriculum Outcomes
- Know that family relationships can be represented on a family tree
- Represent relationships of families on a simple family tree
- Appreciate that our family tree is made up of a diverse range of people who share a common heritage
Cross-Curricular Integration
- Language Arts: Writing about family members, interviewing skills
- Art: Creating visual representations, design skills
- Mathematics: Organizing information in a hierarchical structure
- Technology: Using digital tools to create family trees (extension)
Teacher Tips
- Be sensitive to diverse family structures and use inclusive language
- Provide alternative options for students who may be adopted or in foster care
- Have extra materials available for students who may not have access to family photos
- Consider creating a digital template for students who prefer using technology
- Prepare for emotional responses as students discuss their families
Additional Resources
- Sample family tree templates
- Children's books about families and family trees
- Videos explaining family relationships
- Digital family tree creation tools
- Cultural heritage exploration resources