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The purpose of this lesson is to explore how families work together to help one another, to discover how all families are different from each other, and to understand that families grow and help one another.
The activities in this lesson will help your students reflect on their own families. They will have opportunities to see how there are many different kinds of family structures (single families, blended families, grandparents as parents, foster families, etc.) and how all families are made up of people who love and care for one another. Children will also have an opportunity to reflect on how family members have different needs: babies need lots of help, but children can be big helpers as they grow. Families are also connected to extended family members, and grandparents in particular hold an important place in families.
Please note that “my grownup” has been used interchangeably with “my parent” to be inclusive of the many children whose living arrangements include adults who are not their parent.
Prior to this week’s lessons, send home the Family Photo Request Note to the parent/guardian of the children. You will use these photos throughout the week.
Activity 1: (20 minutes) MY FAMILY, YOUR FAMILY
Every family is the same in some ways, and every family is different. Some families are big with lots of people, and some are small. Some families are loud, and some families prefer quiet. Some families live together, and some families live apart. Read or watch the read-aloud videos for the following books: The Family Book, by Todd Parr (read-aloud video by Center for e-Learning), or My Family, Your Family, by Lisa Bullard (read-aloud video by MsCarrollsBookNook). Talk about all the different families in the book, then show one of the family pictures you have collected from the students and have a discussion.
This conversation will elicit a lot of conversation. Allow plenty of time for each child to tell something about their family.
Activity 2: (30 minutes) EVERY FAMILY MEMBER IS IMPORTANT
Families are made up of people who love each other and who help take care of one another. Regardless of who is in our families, we all contribute to our families.
Use the Families Help slideshow presentation to teach and learn about how families help one another.
Extend the conversation by asking the children what kinds of jobs or responsibilities their families have to take care of each family member. Here are some examples of conversation starters:
Discuss all the different kinds of jobs that family members do and how each child plays an important role in the family.
Extend the activity by having the children create their own “My Family Helps” Booklet.
Add or remove pages as needed for the diverse needs of each child in the class (i.e., include additional grownups pages for children with multiple parents or other loved adults, add or remove sibling pages as needed). Collate and bind each story and allow the children to share their stories with the class throughout the week.
Set up the dramatic play area as a home center this week.
Activity 3: (20 minutes) FAMILY ARTIFACTS
A few days before this activity, make a copy of the “Artifact Bag” Parent Note and staple it to a brown lunch sack for each child. Have the children share their family photograph and their “artifact” (an object that represents something important to the family) with the class. Have each child explain about their family artifact, and why it has meaning to their family.
Set up a family artifact museum. Place a sheet of black construction paper on the table for each child’s family. Set the artifact on the center of the paper. Fold a piece of cardstock into a tent, and attach each family picture to the tent. Write the child’s name on the card and stand it up behind the artifact. Provide hand lenses for students to use to explore the artifacts, and explain to the class how each of these items is really important to the person that brought them. This is a “look, don’t touch” activity, where students are encouraged to explore and observe details and ask questions, but they should not handle any of the items in the family artifact museum (even their own artifact). Encourage the children to make observations about the artifacts.
Activity 4 : (20 minutes) BABIES NEED CARE AND LOVE
Talk about how each one of the children used to be a baby, but now they are growing up.
Show one of the baby pictures that the students have provided from home. See if the children can guess which child is in the picture? Identify the child in the picture and ask if they remember being a baby. As we grow older, some things are harder to remember, but we were all babies once. Talk about the kinds of things that the children can do now that they couldn’t do when they were a baby.
Read Pig Pig Grows Up, by David McPhail or watch the read-aloud video by The Raconteuse. Talk about how when Pig Pig was a baby, he needed lots of help. But then he got bigger and could see that his mama needed help too. Discuss the things that children can do now that they could not do as a baby, and the ways they can be helpers in their families either with a younger sibling, or to their adult grownup.
Have each child create a small “sock baby” by filling an old sock with dried beans or stuffing. Tie a knot in the open end of the sock. Attach googly craft eyes to the sock with a glue gun. Then help the child draw a face on their baby with a marker, and swaddle their baby in a small blanket or square cut from cloth or flannel. Encourage the children to take care of their baby throughout the day by feeding it, rocking it to sleep, singing to it, etc.
Activity 5: (20 minutes) GRANDPARENT MEMORIES
Some grandparents live nearby. Some grandparents live far away. Sometimes, when you don’t have a grandparent, you can “borrow” a neighbor or friend to be your grandparent. Having a grandparent in your life helps you and your grandparent live happier, healthier lives. You help your grandparents be happier, and they help you be happier, too. What can the children tell you about their grandparent or a beloved adult in their lives?
Place inflated balloons in a big bag or box. Read The Remember Balloons, by Jessie Oliveros or watch the read-aloud video by Read-Aloud with Mr. Manny. Talk about how the balloons represent memories. The grandfather’s balloons are his memories, and the boy’s balloons are his memories.
Can you remember the silver balloon memory that the child and the grandparents share?
Show the children an inflated balloon. Tell them that this is your “remember balloon” about a time you had with your grandparents. Relate your favorite memory of your grandparents and write a short 1- to 2-word summary on the balloon with a permanent marker. Select another balloon from your bag and toss the balloon to a child and invite the child who is holding the balloon to share a story about their grandparents. Write their “memory” on the balloon and repeat with all the children until everyone is holding their memory balloon. Play some lively music and have the children tap, bounce, toss, or flip their balloon into the air as they dance to the music.
Using the Memory Balloon Image Handout, have each child dictate their favorite memory or thing to do with their grandparent or a loved one. Have the children draw pictures to illustrate the memory, or color as desired. Give each child a second, blank balloon template, and fold both pages and place them into an envelope. Include the Balloon Memory Grandparent Note with the pictures inside the envelope. Attach the Memory Balloon Parent Note and encourage the children to mail their picture to their grandparent and bring their grandparent’s balloon memory after they’ve mailed it back to the child.
Extend the fun by arranging in advance for 1 or more of the children’s grandparent(s) to visit the class in person or virtually via video conferencing. Brainstorm different questions that the children can ask the visitor such as:
Invite a caregiver or parent with a young baby to come in and demonstrate simple baby care activities like feeding, diapering, playing, calming, etc., with a real baby, if possible. Discuss how babies communicate, how to calm a fussing baby, and demonstrate what they can and cannot do on their own.
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