This lesson is the first in the series “Family Tapestry [1].” One goal of these lessons is to help students recognize and accept differences among themselves and within the larger community. Another is to recognize how each student’s unique family contributes to a richer society. As students begin to understand themselves better, learning opportunities will likely emerge to explore biases and prejudices. In this introductory lesson, students explore the definition of family, learn about different kinds of family structures and explore what makes their own family unique.
This lesson is the first in the series “Family Tapestry [1].”
Framework
We live in an increasingly diverse world, and that’s true even for
family structures. The “nuclear” family is not as prevalent in our society as
it once was. More children are being raised by single parents, by same-sex
parents, by grandparents, in blended families and in families with mixed race,
religion and ethnicity. Even though variety is common, children are not always
comfortable with their own family situations or with differences in their
peers’ families. As they encounter other family structures, it is important to
help children recognize and accept differences.
If we reinforce these lessons, children will learn to appreciate, rather than fear, differences and to recognize bias and stereotypes when they see them. As children begin to compare their family situation with others, they may start expressing concerns about being different—they need to be reassured that differences are fine. The exposure to families that may not be like their own, in particular, should encourage acceptance as they see that, even within their own classroom, everyone’s family is unique!
Recommended Resources
Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves by Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen
Edwards (2010)
Starting Small: Teaching Tolerance in Preschool and the Early Grades [2]
Objectives
Activities will help students:
Essential Questions
Glossary
diversity [dih-vur-si-tee]
(noun) variety
family [fam-uh-lee, fam-lee]
(noun) a group of people going through the world together often adults and
the children they care for
extended family [ik-sten-did fam-uh-lee, fam-lee]
(noun) all of the relatives or people making up a family, whether or not
they live together; often this includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.
guardian [gahr-dee-uhn ]
(noun) a person other than a parent who is legally responsible for a
child or children
immediate family [ih-mee-dee-it fam-uh-lee, fam-lee]
(noun) a person’s smallest
family unit, often consisting of parents/guardians and children
unique [yoo-neek]
(adjective) having
no like or equal
Materials
Activities
(Note: Before students enter, place the five numbered signs in different areas of the room.)
Extension
Sometimes people in the same
family can have different viewpoints. Interview each of your family members to
see why they think your family rocks. Then find a way to incorporate their
opinions into the family portrait.
Standards
Activities and embedded
assessments address the following standards from McREL 4th edition [6] and Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts [7].
Language Arts
Standard 4. Gathers and uses information for research purposes.
Standard 5. Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process.
Standard 6. Uses skills and strategies to read a variety of literary texts.
Standard 8. Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes.
Civics
Standard 9. Understands the importance of Americans sharing and supporting
certain values, beliefs, and principles of American constitutional democracy.
Level II [Grades 3 to 5]
1. Understands how Americans are united by the values, principles, and beliefs
they share rather than by ethnicity, race, religion, class, language, gender,
or national origin.
5. Knows some of the costs of diversity (e.g., people sometimes
discriminate unfairly against others on the basis of age, religious beliefs,
race, or disability; members of different groups sometimes misunderstand each
other and conflicts subsequently arise).
6. Knows conflicts that are caused by diversity (e.g., unfair discrimination on
the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, language, and gender; alienation of one
group from another; efforts to impose beliefs and customs on others).
Standard 11. Understands the role of diversity in American life and the importance of shared values, political beliefs, and civic beliefs in an increasingly diverse American society.
Life Skills: Working With Others
Standard 1. Contributes to the overall effort of a group.
Standard 3. Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations.
Standard 4. Displays effective interpersonal communication skills.
Life Skills: Self-Regulation
Standard 2. Performs self-appraisal.
Standard 5. Maintains a healthy self-concept.
Family/Consumer Sciences
Standard 1: Understand the family as the basic unit of society.
Standard 2: Understand the impact of the family on the well-being of individuals and society.
Visual Arts
Standard 4: Understands the visual arts in relation to history and culture.
Standard 5: Understands the characteristics and merits of one’s own artwork and the artwork of others.
Common Core State Standards, English Language Arts
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
Standard 1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations
and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Standard 3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Standard 4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that
listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Standard 6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
Standard 1. Writes arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive
topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Links:
[1] http://www.tolerance.org/activity/family-tapestry
[2] http://www.tolerance.org/kit/starting-small
[3] http://www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/family scavenger hunt k-2.pdf
[4] http://www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/family scavenger hunt 3-5.pdf
[5] http://www.tolerance.org/activity/who-we-really-are
[6] http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp
[7] http://www.corestandards.org