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Tanenbaum Curriculum

Religions in My Neighborhood, p.68

Lesson Name

Understanding the Importance of Family
Grade Band

Elementary (Grades 3-5)

Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Required Material/s

  • Copies of “The People in My Family” handout

  • Copies of the poem “A Family is Like a Circle”

  • Chart paper titled “Our Families”

  • Tape for posting handouts
Standards / Competencies

CASEL Core Competencies

  • Self-Awareness

  • Self-Management

  • Social Awareness

  • Relationship Skills

  • Responsible Decision-Making

Common Core ELA-Literacy Standards

  • Speaking and Listening

  • Writing

  • Reading Literature

Social Studies Themes

  • Individual Development and Identity

  • Culture

  • Individuals, Groups and Institutions
Recommended Time 1 hour
Essential Question Why is it important for us to know about our own family and the families of our classmates?
Learning Objectives

  • Identify the characteristics of a family

  • Recognize that families have different structures, relationships, and sizes

  • Describe the kinds of relationships that make up their family

  • Explain why it is important to know that members of the class come from different kinds of families
Important Vocabulary

  • Family: A group of individuals related by blood, marriage, or other significant relationships.

  • Structure: The way in which family members are organized or related.

  • Relationships: Connections between family members and how they interact with one another.
Activating Prior Knowledge Read Nicole M. O’Neal’s poem “A Family is Like a Circle” to the class. Distribute copies of the poem and ask students to think about the people in their lives who are part of their family circle. Encourage students to consider people who may not be related by blood or marriage but are still considered family.
Core Instruction Distribute The People in My Family handout and explain that students should use it to represent their family members. Allow students to fill in the handout with drawings or names of family members, including pets. Have students share their family structures with the class and chart responses on the “Our Families” chart paper. Discuss the similarities and differences in the families and why understanding these differences is important.
Wrap-up Have students post their completed handouts around the room.
Learning Beyond Classroom Walls My Circle-Family Poetry: Ask students to write a poem about their family or someone in their family who they are especially close to.

Download this lesson to access handouts.