Family Unit Plan

Social Studies/Literacy Integrated Thematic Unit

Family

First Grade

By Diana Pyatigorsky

Abstract

Students in grade one will explore the topic of families throughout a unit spanning two weeks.  This unit is primarily a Social Studies unit but integrates components of literacy such as reading, writing, grammar, speaking, listening and art.

Six stories from the curriculum will be read: My Family, Who’s Who in my Family, Houses and Homes, Rush Hour, A Chair for my Mother and Loving. The major project of the unit will be the creation of “Family Books,” where students will design pictures and write narratives about their families. The books will be shared on the final day of the unit. Other assignments will include: illustrating pictures, writing about family events, discussing stories, and publishing. Mini-lessons on sentence structure, grammar and writing will deal with noting details, writing components, identifying and defining action words, and sequencing stories.                  

                   

Related Literature and Internet Resources

My Family by Sheila Kinkade

Who’s Who in my Family by Loreen Leedy

Houses and Homes, by Ann Morris

Rush Hour by Christine Loomis

A Chair for my Mother by Vera B. Williams

Loving by Ann Morris

New York City K-8 Social Studies Scope and Sequence

New York City English Language Arts Standards

 

Principles of Learning

Academic Rigor in a Thinking Curriculum

Learning may be less effective when information is simply delivered to the student and expected to be retained. A more effective approach is when the student combines knowledge, thinking and learning to actively participate in his or her own instruction. When actively involved in the learning process, the student can establish, test, and reflect on their own meaning of the learning situation.

Lessons within the Family Unit provide for immeasurable engagement opportunities. Given that the subject relates to their primary life circumstances, students can create their own connections inside and outside of the classroom. This direct experience with the subject stimulates and engages an active learning situation.

Learning as Apprenticeship

During learning interactions, students need a considerable amount of personal support. This can be done through direction and apprenticeship, where the expert instructor adopts the corrective role as means to bring the novice student to a higher level of subject comprehension.

Lessons and activities within the Family Unit use instructional methods such as modeling and direct/explicit teaching to set a framework where students can begin to build their knowledge. Lessons are then followed by share-outs or class presentations where students can receive feedback from peers and the instructor in a non-threatening environment. This design allows the subject to be constructed for the student throughout the learning process. This also provides the opportunity for students to practice and test their abilities in the classroom with the aid of direction and support.

Self-management of Learning

As part of the Principles of Learning, self-management of learning is a necessary component that students reach to develop a deeper understanding of the subject. With reflection and feedback from others, the learned material can be processed in alternative ways and used in future situations. More importantly, self-management allows the students to take control of their own learning by way of self-assessment.

Each lesson within the Family Unit enables the students to self-manage and self-assess their own work. During the brainstorming, creating, and designing, students practiced reflecting on their skills, recognizing what worked and what needed to be improved. After the culminating activity, students could reflect on all of the learned material and self-assess their completed projects.

Essential Understandings

The essential understanding in the Family Unit is: Families are unique. The understandings of this concept are weaved into every lesson, allowing the students to continually build upon their prior knowledge. Students learn and discuss questions such as:  How are families different? How do families change over time? How do families meet their needs and wants? Each lesson integrates a new theory that can be applied to their real-life prior experience and can thus be applied to each subsequent lesson.  After covering all aspects of the Family Unit, students use their new knowledge and understanding to complete the culminating activity.

Social Studies Core Curriculum

The Family unit is connected to the first grade Social Studies Core Curriculum because it covers the essential understanding of families, their components and their functions. Additionally, the unit relates to how families interact with outside world and how their environment shapes the family.

 

Social Studies Standards

The thematic unit of family meets the following standards:

Social Studies

4.1a Economics- Families provide for their needs and wants

3.1a Geography- Study how people live, work and utilize resources

Additional Standards

Math-Counting, Data, Measurement

1.A.6.Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10.

1.MD.4. Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories

1.MD.1.Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object.

1.MD.2.Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units

Reading

RL.1.1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

RL.1.2. Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

RL.1.3. Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

RL.1.7. Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

RF.1.1. Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.

RF.1.4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Writing

W.1.2. Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic.

W.1.3. Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened.

SL.1.4. Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

Speaking and Listening

SL.1.5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

SL.1.6. Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation.

SL.1.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

L.1.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

L.1.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Essential Questions	Content	Standards	Skills	Assessments
1.How are families unique?	1.a.Families are diverse	+ss3.1a.  Study how people live, work, and utilize natural resources	+Name and discuss information +Draw as a means to provide information	+Questioning+Discussions+Observations T-Chart
	1.b.Families come in different shapes and sizes	+ss3.1b. Draw maps and diagrams that serve as representations of places, physical features, and objects	+Label to help organize information	+KWL-Chart+Graphic Organizer+Drawing +Peer Feedback +Anecdotal Notes
	1.c.Families live in different kinds of communities	+ss3.1d.  identify and compare the physical, human, and cultural characteristics of different people	+Draw maps and diagram	+Conferences+Probing Questions+Individual writing +Writing Rubric
2.What do families do to meet their needs and wants?	2.a.Families go places together	+ss4.1a know some ways individuals and groups attempt to satisfy their basic needs and wants by utilizing resources	+Identify and compare physical and cultural characterizes of different people	+Oral Presentation Rubric+Team Feedback+Self-Assessment
	2.b.Family members help each other	+SL.1.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups	+SL.1.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
	2.c.Families care for each other in many way	+SL.1.4. Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.	+SL.1.4. Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
3.How do we get information about our families?	3.1.There are a variety of ways to present knowledge and ideas	+SL.1.5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.	+SL.1.5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
	3.2.We can deepen comprehension through collaboration and conversation	+SL.1.6. Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation	+SL.1.6. Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation
	3.3.People can compare information by representation of numbers	3.1.a. Draw a picture graph and a bar graph	3.3.1.a.1.Read and interpret a bar graph
	+ Applies to all

         

Lesson 1

Name: Diana Pyatigorsky                                          

Grade: First Grade

Lesson Title: What is a family?

Materials:

Large construction paper, Crayons, markers, pencils, Family or household pictures or drawings from home that show every member of the household

My Family by Sheila Kinkade

Pre-assessment of Student Knowledge: Children discuss the components of a family

Content-Specific Standards

Social Studies

4.1a Economics- Families provide for their needs and wants

3.1a Geography- Study how people live, work and utilize resources

English Language Arts

SL.1.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

SL.1.4. Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

SL.1.5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings

Objectives:

Student will explore the family or household unit, of which they are an essential member, as a community.

Students will begin to create their “Family Book.”

Instructional Objectives: Objectives:

Students will understand the family unit as a community.

Students will identify that families are different in many ways

Introduction and Motivation:

Read aloud My Family by Sheila Kinkade.

Create a chart of the things we learned about families.

Brainstorm and discuss how families show their love, where they can live, what they do for fun, what they do together, where they go and the possible roles of each family member and their contribution to the family unit. Include traditional families, single parent families, blended families and extended family members in one household [grandparent(s), cousin(s)] as part of the discussion.

Activities:

Students will now begin their “Family Books.”

Model how I begin to draw my family and illustrate it with pictures

Students will create their book covers with drawings of themselves and their families.

Closure: Pair and Shares. Students share their book cover to the class.

“Students, today we talked about our families and the many different parts of families. We learned that there is so much to learn about every family.”

Assessment:  Assess understanding during conference time and during the share. Ask follow up questions if students are not confident with their explanations. Assessment of student work based on Rubric.

Diversity: Student word choice, organization, idea development, sentence fluency, conventions, and voice.

Differentiation: collaborative and flexible grouping, scaffolding, varied time allowance, multiple intelligences, varied demonstrations, simulations and role play.

Connections Across Curriculum: Language Arts: Writing, Reading, Speaking and Listening, Art and Social Studies

 

Lesson 2

Name: Diana Pyatigorsky                                                      

Grade: First Grade

Lesson Title: My Family Tree

Materials:

Who’s Who in my Family by Loreen Leedy outline of a large tree and tape.

Pre-assessment of Student Knowledge: Children identify and understand the many members of their family.

Content-Specific Standards

Social Studies

4.1a Economics- Families provide for their needs and wants.

3.1a Geography- Study how people live, work and utilize resources.

English Language Arts

SL.1.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

SL.1.4. Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

SL.1.5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings

Objectives:

Student will understand what makes up a family.

Students will understand that families come in different shapes and sizes.

Instructional Objectives: Students will be able to identify a family tree and what information

it contains. Students will develop a connection between their family tree and history.

Procedure

Introduction and Motivation:

Introduce key vocabulary: mother, father, sister, brother, adopted, step parent, grandparents, cousin, uncle, aunt, niece, divorce.
Explain the concept of the family tree by displaying your own tree.  Family trees help us have a better understanding of our family. Explain that a family tree is also a graphic organizer that helps us gather information about our families. Use a tree shaped chart. Begin by asking students what they know “family trees”. Continue by asking students what they would like to know.

Explain to students that they will be learning how to complete their own family tree like the one used for the KWL chart Brainstorm with children to get ideas that could represent their family.

Activities:

Students begin to draw, color, label and display their family tree.

Closure: Pair and Shares. Review the topics and conclusions learned during the lesson

Students present their family tree to the class

Have children share-out many different types of families

“Students, today we learned about the members of our family. We also learned about the members of other families and how they are different. We also learned how to make our own family trees.”

Assessment:  Assess understanding during conference time and during the share. Ask follow up questions if students are not confident with their explanations. Assessment of student work based on Rubric.

Diversity: Student word choice, organization, idea development, sentence fluency, conventions, and voice.

Differentiation: Collaborative and Flexible grouping, scaffolding, varied time allowance, multiple intelligences, varied demonstrations, simulations, role play

Connections Across Curriculum: Language Arts: Writing, Reading, Speaking and Listening, Art and Social Studies

Lesson 3
 

Name: Diana Pyatigorsky                                                      

Grade: First Grade

Lesson Title: Families Live in Different Homes and Communities

Materials:

Houses and Homes, by Ann Morris

Pre-assessment of Student Knowledge: Children understand that families live in different places.

Content-Specific Standards

Social Studies

4.1a Economics- Families provide for their needs and wants

3.1a Geography- Study how people live, work and utilize resources

English Language Arts

SL.1.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

SL.1.4. Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

SL.1.5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings

Objectives:

Student will understand that families live in different places

Students will understand that families live in different homes

Instructional Objectives: Students will be able to identify different types of homes that families can live.

Procedure

Introduction and Motivation:

Create K-W-LChart with students of the many possible places that families can live.

Discuss that families around the world can live in the city, country, farm, mountains, forests, big and small houses, short or tall buildings

Activities:

Read Aloud Houses and Homes, by Ann Morris

Discuss the many homes in the books that families can live in.

Explain to student that we will be adding to our “Family Book” by creating a page for our homes.

Model drawing my own home, including details.

Closure: Review the topics and conclusions learned during the lesson.

Students present their My Home Page to the class.

Have children share-out many different types of families

“Students, today we learned about the many places that families live. We traveled all over the world to see how families live in different places and in different houses. We also talked about where we live.”

Assessment:  Assess understanding during conference time and during the share. Ask follow up questions if students are not confident with their explanations. Assessment of student work based on Rubric.

Diversity: Student word choice, organization, idea development, sentence fluency, conventions, and voice.

Differentiation: collaborative and Flexible grouping, scaffolding, varied time allowance, multiple intelligences, varied demonstrations, simulations, role play

Connections Across Curriculum: Language Arts: Writing, Reading, Speaking and Listening, Art and Social Studies

 

Lesson 4

Name: Diana Pyatigorsky                                                     

Grade: First Grade

Lesson Title: How does my family get around the city?

Materials:

Rush Hour by Christine Loomis, pencils, crayons, paper

Pre-assessment of Student Knowledge: Children identify and understand the many forms of transportation that their families use.

Content-Specific Standards:

Social Studies

4.1a Economics- Families provide for their needs and wants

3.1a Geography- Study how people live, work and utilize resources

English Language Arts

SL.1.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

SL.1.4. Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

SL.1.5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings

Objectives:

Students will understand that families use different types of transportation to go places.

Students will understand that families get around the city in different ways.

Instructional Objectives: Students will understand how their family goes to different places

Procedure

Introduction and Motivation:

Explain that today we will be adding to our “Family Book.”

Go over vocabulary words such as, bus, train, car, taxi, bicycle, scooter, subway and boat

Create K-W-L Chart with students of the many possible ways that families get to places in the city.

Activities:

Read Aloud Rush Hour by Christine Loomis

Discuss the many ways that families can travel around the city.

Explain to students that we will be adding to our Family Book by creating a page for the way their families get around the city.

Model drawing my bicycle and how I get to school. Include details.

Closure: Review the topics and conclusions learned during the lesson.

Students present their page to the class .

Have children share-out many ways that families get around the city.

“Students, today we learned how families travel around the city. We learned that there are so many ways that we can use to go places.  We also talked about how our own families get around the city.”

Assessment:  Assess understanding during conference time and during the share. Ask follow up questions if students are not confident with their explanations. Assessment of student work based on Rubric. KWL Chart, Retelling.

Diversity: Student word choice, organization, idea development, sentence fluency, conventions, and voice.

Differentiation: Collaborative and Flexible grouping, scaffolding, varied time allowance, multiple intelligences, varied demonstrations and simulations.

Connections Across Curriculum: Language Arts: Writing, Reading, Speaking and Listening, Art and Social Studies

Lesson 5

Name: Diana Pyatigorsky                                                      

Grade: First Grade

Lesson Title: My Family Helps Each Other

Materials:

A Chair for my Mother by Vera B. Williams, pencils, crayons, paper

Pre-assessment of Student Knowledge: Children identify and understand the many ways that families help each other.

Content-Specific Standards:

Social Studies

4.1a Economics- Families provide for their needs and wants.

3.1a Geography- Study how people live, work and utilize resources.

English Language Arts

SL.1.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

SL.1.4. Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

SL.1.5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings

Objectives:

Students will understand that families use different methods to help one another.

Students will understand that families can help each other different reasons.

Instructional Objectives: Students will understand how their family helps each other.

Procedure

Introduction and Motivation:

Explain that today we will be adding to our “Family Book.”

Create K-W-L Chart with students of the many possible ways that families help each other.

Activities:

Read Aloud A Chair for my Mother by Vera B. Williams

Add to K-W-L chart with the ways we can help our families discussed in the book.

Explain to students that we will be adding to our Family Book by creating a page for the way they help their family.

Model drawing my mother and helping her carry groceries including setting and details.

Closure: Students will regroup and complete K-W-L chart.

Review the topics and conclusions learned during the lesson.

Students present their page to the class .

Have children share-out many different ways that families helps each other.

“Students, today we learned the many ways that families can help each other. We also learned how other families help in each other We talked about how we help our own families and how they help us.

Assessment:  Assess understanding during conference time and during the share. Ask follow up questions if students are not confident with their explanations. Assessment of student work based on Rubric. KWL Chart and retelling,

Diversity: Student word choice, organization, idea development, sentence fluency, conventions, and voice.

Differentiation: Collaborative and Flexible grouping, scaffolding, varied time allowance, multiple intelligences, varied demonstrations, simulations, role-play

Connections Across Curriculum: K-W-L Chart, Language Arts: Writing, Reading, Speaking and Listening, Art and Social Studies

 Lesson 6

Name: Diana Pyatigorsky

Grade: First Grade

Lesson Title: My Family Cares for Each Other

Materials:

Loving by Ann Morris, pencils, crayons, paper

Pre-assessment of Student Knowledge: Children identify and understand the many ways that families care each other.

Content-Specific Standards:

Social Studies

4.1a Economics- Families provide for their needs and wants.

3.1a Geography- Study how people live, work and utilize resources.

English Language Arts

SL.1.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

SL.1.4. Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

SL.1.5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings

Objectives:

Students will understand that families use different methods to care for another.

Students will understand that families care for each other in different ways.

Instructional Objectives: Students will understand how their family cares for each other.

Procedure

Introduction and Motivation:

Explain that today we will be adding to our “Family Book.”

Create K-W-L Chart with students of the many possible ways that families care for each other.

Activities:

Read Aloud Loving by Ann Morris

Add to K-W-L chart with the ways we care for our families discussed in the book.

Explain to students that we will be adding to our Family Book by creating a page for the way they help their family

Model drawing my mother and I hugging, including setting and details.

Closure: Students will regroup and complete K-W-L chart

Review the topics and conclusions learned during the lesson

Students present their family tree to the class

Have children share-out many different types of families

“Students, today we learned about how families care for each other. We talked about the many different ways that families can care for each other and discussed how our own families show we they care.”

Assessment:  Assess understanding during conference time and during the share. Ask follow up questions if students are not confident with their explanations. Assessment of student work based on Rubric. K-W-L Chart, Retelling.

Diversity: Student word choice, organization, idea development, sentence fluency, conventions, and voice.

Differentiation: Collaborative and Flexible grouping, scaffolding, varied time allowance, multiple intelligences, varied demonstrations, simulations, role play

Connections Across Curriculum: K-W-L Chart, Language Arts: Writing, Reading, Speaking and Listening, Art and Social Studies

Family Worksheet Rubric

	Excellent 4	Good 3	Fair 2	Poor 1
Illustration Construction	Excellent Illustration is extremely attractive. Many different colors were used	Good Illustration is attractive. Some different colors were used.	Fair Illustration is attractive. Very few colors were used.	Poor Illustration is poorly made. Almost no color used.
Illustration Theme	Excellent Illustration shows important characters, setting and event.	Good Illustration somewhat shows important characters, setting and event.	Fair You cannot easily understand the scene. Characters, setting and events are not very recognizable.	Poor Illustration does not show a scene.
Written Description	Excellent The sentences include a thorough explanation of the scene. Punctuation used correctly	Good The sentences include a good explanation of the scene. Punctuation is often used correctly	Fair The sentences include a fair explanation of the scene. Punctuation is used correctly sometimes	Poor The sentences include very little information about the scene. Punctuation is not used correctly.
Quality and Effort	Excellent Student’s work displays high quality and put forth great effort	Good Student put forth some effort.	Fair Student puts forth little effort.	Poor No effort put into project and lack of quality.

 

Student Work: Illustration Rubric

Illustration Concept	4	3	2	1
Color	Uses 4 or more colors	Uses 2 to 3 colors	Uses 0 or 1 color	No use of color
Outlining	4 or more things outlined	2 to 3 things outlined	0 or 1 thing outlined	No use of outlines
Background	Both ground and sky	Either sky or ground	No background	No background
Details	4 or more additional details	2 to 3 additional details	0 or 1 additional detail	No details
Tells the Story	Tell and supports the story	Tells part of the story	Tells little or none of the story	No use of the story

Student Work Examples