1. Lesson 2 Families Are Special and Different in Their Own Ways
-- Share
I’m going to tell you about my family.
(Tell students about your own family. Mention how many people it has. Tell about parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives.)
(Help students understand that some family members live with us, and others don’t. Point out that there are people of many ages who play various roles in a family.)
Take turns with a partner telling each other about your family.
(Give students a few minutes to complete the activity.)
-- Ask & Discuss
What did you notice about all our families?
-- Summarize
Some things about all our families are the same.
Many things about our families are different.
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2. -- Show Image
Look at this picture. What do you see?
-- Summarize
The people in these pictures belong to families of all different shapes and sizes.
These family people might be moms, stepmoms, brothers, sisters, dads, stepdads, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents or foster parents.
Every family, including your own, is special and different in its own way. Your family, no matter what shape or size it is, can help you be healthy.
-- Survey
What is one way your family helps you be healthy?
(Allow students to share. Affirm and validate their responses.)
-- Ask & Discuss
Why do you think it’s important to know about and accept all different kinds of families?
Families are an important part of our lives. Each family is different, and means something special to the people who belong to it. Accepting all the different kinds of families is a way we can help each other belong, feel cared for and stay healthy.
-- Model
I’ve made a storybook about my family, the family I live with. I’m going to share my book with you.
(Show students the model of your own family storybook, and discuss each page.)
Page 1. This is me and my name.
Page 2. These are the people in my family. It says: We are a family.
Page 3. This is where we live.
Page 4. This is one of the ways my family helps me be healthy.
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3. -- Create & Share ------
Now you are going to make your own family storybooks.
(Distribute a My Family Storybook activity sheet to each student. Help students illustrate themselves, the different people in their families, their homes and one way their families help them be healthy.)
Once your storybooks are finished, we’ll take time during the week to share them with each other.
(Allow time for students to illustrate themselves, the different people in their families, their homes and one way their families help them be healthy. Help them fold their activity sheets to make the storybook.)
(Allow students to share their storybooks with each other, making note of the ways their families are alike and different.)
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4. -- Send Home
(Distribute a Table Talk: Family Stories family sheet to each student. Explain that they will take this sheet home to share with their families.)
(Have students write their names on the sheet and fold it in half to create a table tent. Explain that it goes on the dinner table or wherever the family gathers to help them talk about their family’s story.)
-- Debrief
(Over the next few days, take a few minutes to follow up on students’ experiences.)
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