25-minute lesson
Foundation History: Who is in my family?
Lesson objective
- Name the members of their own family and describe how they are related.
- Recognise that families are different and that all kinds of families are important.
Success criteria:
- I can name people in my family.
- I can say one way families can be different.
- I can share something special about my family.
Materials
- Family photos (printed or on a phone)
- Paper and crayons or pencils
- A soft toy or puppet (optional)
Introduction
3 minIntroduce today's words:
- family: A group of people who love and care for each other, often living together or related.
- grandparent: The mother or father of your mum or dad.
- relative: A person who is part of your family, such as an aunt, uncle or cousin.
- different: Not the same as something else.
Ask your child what they already know about who is in my family?.
Explanation
5 minA family is a group of people who care for each other. Some families are big and some are small. Some children live with a mum and a dad, some with one parent, some with grandparents, some with two mums or two dads, and some with foster or kinship carers. Every kind of family is a real family.
The people in a family have names for how they are connected. Your mum's or dad's parents are your grandparents. Your parents' brothers and sisters are your aunts and uncles, and their children are your cousins.
In many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, words like aunty, uncle, brother and sister can include more people than in some other families, and older people may be called Aunty or Uncle as a sign of respect. Different families and cultures have their own ways of naming and caring for relatives.
Families have histories. A family history is the story of what has happened to a family over time, such as where people were born, where they have lived and the things they like to do together.
When we learn about the past, we often start by asking the people in our family questions and looking at photos. Photos and stories help us remember what happened before.
Worked examples
4 minDrawing my family
Draw a picture of the people who live in your home and label them.
Step 1: Think about who lives in your home with you.
Step 2: Draw each person, including yourself.
Step 3: With help, write a name or label under each person, such as 'Mum', 'Nan' or 'me'.
Step 4: Talk about one thing each person likes to do.
Answer: A labelled drawing of the child's household, with the child explaining who each person is.
Working out a relationship
Your mum's sister comes to visit. What do you call her?
Step 1: Mum's sister is in the same family as Mum.
Step 2: A parent's sister is called an aunt or aunty.
Answer: She is my aunt (aunty).
Guided practice (do together)
5 min1. What is a family?
(a) People who care for each other (b) A type of house (c) A kind of food (d) A school subject
2. Your dad's mum is your…
(a) sister (b) cousin (c) grandmother (d) teacher
3. Are all families the same?
(a) Yes, every family is the same (b) No, families can be different (c) Only big families are real families (d) Only small families are real families
4. What can help us learn about our family's past?
(a) A shopping list (b) A weather report (c) A bus timetable (d) Old family photos
Independent practice
6 min5. Your aunt's children are your…
(a) cousins (b) grandparents (c) parents (d) neighbours
6. Your mum's brother is your ____.
7. Your grandparent's child could be your mum or your ____.
8. What do we call the people who look after you at home? Write one word that starts with 'f'.
Questions to check understanding
- Can you name people in my family?
- Can you say one way families can be different?
- Can you share something special about my family?
- What was the trickiest part today?
Answer guide
1. People who care for each other — A family is a group of people who love and care for each other.
2. grandmother — The mother of your mum or dad is your grandmother.
3. No, families can be different — Families come in many shapes and sizes, and all of them are real families.
4. Old family photos — Old photos show us people and places from the past.
5. cousins — The children of your aunts and uncles are your cousins.
6. uncle — A parent's brother is called an uncle.
7. dad — Your grandparents are the parents of your mum or your dad.
8. family — The people who care for us at home are our family.
Review
2 minRecap the success criteria together. Watch for these common misconceptions:
- Some children think a family must have a mum, a dad and children. Talk about many kinds of families, including ones in picture books and friends' families.
- Children may think grandparents were always old. Show a photo of a grandparent as a child to show that everyone was once young.
Extension activities
- Make a family 'flower': one petal for each family member with their name and something they love.
- Video-call a relative and ask them one question about when they were little.
- Read a picture book about different kinds of families and talk about how they are alike and different.
Suggested follow-up
- Revisit who is in my family? tomorrow with two or three quick questions from memory.
- Try the online practice check for this topic and look at any questions that need another go.
Tips for parents
- Be sensitive: some children live in foster or kinship care, have lost family members or have family members they do not see. Let the child choose who counts as family.
- If your family is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, or you want to learn about how kinship works in local First Nations communities, ask a local Aboriginal community organisation or Elder rather than relying on general descriptions.
- Keep the conversation short and personal. Children of this age learn best by talking about real people they know.