Unit 1 Lessons

1st Grade Families and Schools
Unit 1: What Is a Family?
SS010101
Lesson 1
Lesson 1: All About Me!

Big Ideas of the Lesson
Children grow and change over time.

Things that happened last year, or in Kindergarten, are in the past.
Things that happen this year, or in First Grade, are in the present.
Things that have not happened yet are in the future.
Everyone has differences or special qualities that make him or her unique.
Lesson Abstract:
This first lesson serves as an introduction to Unit 1: What Is a Family? Students listen to the
teacher read the book and discuss ways the boy in the story, as well as themselves, have changed
over time. Students then consider the question, What do you want to be when you grow up?
They listen to and discuss the book, We Are All Alike...We Are All Different. Concepts of physical
differences, families, homes, foods, and interests are addressed. With teacher assistance,
students fill in an All About Me web and share them with the class. The students begin individual
picture dictionaries for the words and add to it throughout the year.
Content Expectations
1 H2.0.1: Demonstrate chronological thinking by distinguishing among past, present, and future
and family or school events.
1 G1.0.3:
Use personal directions (left, right, front, back) to describe the relative location of
significant places in the school environment.
1 G4.0.1:
Use components of culture (e.g., foods, language, religion, traditions) to describe

diversity in family life.
Integrated GLCEs
R.CM.01.01 Make text-to-self and text-to-text connections and comparisons by activating prior
knowledge and connecting personal knowledge and experience to ideas in text
through oral and written responses. (English Language Arts)
R.NT.01.02 Identify and describe the basic form and purpose of a variety of narrative genre
including realistic fiction, fantasy, and folktales. (English Language Arts)
Key Concepts
change
future
past
present
Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum
www.micitizenshipcurriculum.org
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Instructional Resources
Equipment/ Manipulatives
blank index cards
drawing paper
folders with tangs or flexible binders (1 per student)
large piece of white roll paper
markers for overhead or chart paper
markers/crayons
multicultural crayons
one piece of black paper, one piece of white paper
tape/paste/glue
Student Resources
Cheltenham Elementary School Kindergarteners. We Are All Alike...We Are All Different. New York:
Scholastic. 1991.
Howard, A. When I Was Five. New York: Harcourt Brace & Co., 1996.
Teacher Resource
Teitler, Joanne. Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 1). Teacher-made material. Michigan
Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum, 2009.
Lesson Sequence
1. Remind students about the terms yesterday, today and tomorrow that they learned in
kindergarten. Explain that these words are used to describe time. Today, they will be learning
3 new words that describe time. Ask students what yesterday means. As students respond,
guide them to understand that yesterday is the day before today. Explain that yesterday is in
the past, something that already happened. Have students brainstorm a list of things that
happened in the past. Begin the list with your own example.
2. Ask students about the word today. Guide them to understand that today is now, this day.
Explain that today is in the present. The present is the current time. Finally, ask students what
the word tomorrow means. Guide them to understand that tomorrow is the day after today.
Explain that tomorrow is in the future, it has not happened yet.
3. Share the book When I Was Five, by Arthur Howard, or a similar book. Explain that they will be
listening to the character tell about his past, or things that already happened. Stop reading at
the end of page 20 bunk beds-my favorite kind of bed when I was five. Ask the following or
similar questions, allowing several students to respond. Make an overhead of the Past,
Present, and Future chart located in the Supplemental Materials, Unit 1, Lesson 1) and record
student responses in the column labeled Kindergarten-In the Past. Note: This overhead or
chart should be saved for use in lesson 2.
What did the little boy like to do in the past or last year when he was five?
What did you like to do when you were in Kindergarten last year? .What did you like in
the past?
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4. Continue reading the story. Tell the students that they will now hear about the things the little
boy likes in the present, or right now. At the end of the story, pose the following questions to
the students, allowing several students to respond. Return to the Past and Present chart and
record student responses in the column labeled First Grade-In the Present.
What does the little boy like to do in the present or this year now that he is six?
How has the little boy changed over time?
What do you like to do now that you are in First Grade this year? What do you like to do
in the present?
5. Ask the students to think about what kind of job they would like to have when they grow up.
When a few students have responded, ask the class where you should record their responses
on the chart. Guide them to the last column, the future because they are not yet grownups
with jobs that will happen in the future.
6. Give each student a Past, Present, and Future graphic organizer. Tell them to draw a picture
of something they liked to do in the past (in Kindergarten) in the first column. Have them
complete the sentence at the bottom: In the past, I liked to Tell the students to draw a
picture of something they like to do in the present (in First Grade) in the second column. Have
them complete the sentence at the bottom: In the present, I like to. Finally, have students
draw a picture of something they want to do in the future or when they are grown up in the third
column. Have them complete the sentence stem: When I grow up I want to Allow students
the opportunity to share their completed chart with the rest of the class.
7. Show the students the cover of the book, We Are All Alike...We Are All Different by the
Cheltenham Elementary School Kindergarteners, or a similar book. Tell the students to listen to
the story for examples about how people are alike and different. Tell them that they will have
the opportunity to discuss their examples with a partner.
8. Begin reading the story. Stop reading at the end of page 6 We have different color skin.
Some of us have darker skin. Some of us have lighter skin. What color are your hair, your
skin, your eyes?. Allow students time to respond to the question with a partner. Monitor
discussions to formatively assess throughout the story.
9. Continue reading the story. Read to the end of page 16, What is your family like? Allow
partners to share once more. Continue reading the story. Tell the students that they will now
hear about how peoples homes are alike and different. Continue to read to the end of page 20,
Where do you live? Tell the students to discuss the question with their partners. Call on
several volunteers to share what they discussed with their partners.
10. Continue with the story. Tell the students that they will now hear about foods people eat.
Read to the end of page 22, We are all different. We like different foods. What do you like to
eat? What dont you like to eat? Ask the students to think about the questions and share one
example of something they like to eat and something they do not like to eat with their partner.
Call on several volunteers to share what they discussed with their partners. Continue reading
the story to the end. Tell the students that they will now hear about how children like to play.
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Again have students turn and talk to their partner about something they like to play. . Call on
several volunteers to share what they discussed with their partners.
11. Point out to students the variety of things they shared. Explain that even though we are all
alike in many ways, we look different, we eat different things, we live in different places, we play
different things, and we have different families. Introduce the term diversity. Explain that they
have discussed ways that people are alike and ways people are different. This is called
diversity.
12. Tell the students now that we have discussed diversity (ways people are different) among
people, we are going to think about all the things that make each of us unique. Unique means
there is no one else exactly like you. You are unique in many ways. Give students a copy of
the All About Me graphic organizer located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 1).
Note that there is one in color and one in gray scale as an option. Students are to complete
their individual graphic organizer. Note: this paper can be enlarged on a copy machine to give
students more room to draw and write. As a group, guide the students in filling out their
organizer. Tell them that each one will be different or uniquejust as they are unique. As you
guide students in completing the graphic, utilize personal directions (left, right, top, and bottom)
to describe the location of the rectangle. (They are also color coded but students will learn
more about personal directions in a later unit.) Provide directions as follows:
Outline the center rectangle in orange. Write your name and draw a picture of
yourself in the center. Be certain to include characteristics that make you unique
hair color, eye color, skin color, body size and shape.
Outline top left rectangle in blue. Draw a picture of your family in the rectangle. They
should include anyone they consider to be part of their family. They can also write the
names of their family members if they wish.
Outline the top right rectangle in green. Draw a picture of your house to show
Where I Live. Include your address if you know it. Note in a later unit, students will
learn that an address is an absolute location.
Outline the bottom left rectangle in pink. Above the words I like to eat draw a picture
of those foods. They may also write the words if they are able.
Outline the bottom right rectangle in yellow. Complete the sentence beginning with
the words I like to by telling what you like to do and drawing a picture of you doing
it.
13. Assemble students with their completed graphic organizers. Give those who wish the
opportunity to share their pictures with the group. Discuss how they are each unique
individuals. Also point out the diversity in the classroom. When discussing the rectangle with
their family pictures, tell them that they will talk more about their families throughout the unit.
14. Show the students word cards 1-4 from the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 1). Review
the definitions on each: change, past, present., and future. As an optional year long
project, students can create a Social Studies Vocabulary Notebook. This will be added to
throughout the year in social studies. Give each student a 3-prong folder or flexible binder.
Explain to the students that this will be the cover for their picture dictionaries. Give the
students one copy each of the change, past, present, and future pages from the Social
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Studies Vocabulary Notebook located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 1). Tell
the students to draw a picture for each page to describe the meaning of the word. If students
are able, they should add a sentence that tells what the word means. 3-hole punch the pages
and insert the pages into the students books. (Students can create these on regular paper to
save copies if needed.) Explain to students that new word pages will be added at the end of
each unit.
Assessment
Assess the students understanding of the concepts of past, present, and future by listening to their
individual responses during group discussion sessions. Were they able to make text-to-self
connections with the story? Did the students correctly respond to questions about the past and the
present? The Past, Present, and Future graphic organizer can also be used as a written
summative assessment. As well, the Social Studies Vocabulary Notebook can be used as an
assessment.

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Unit 1: What is a Family?
SS010102
Lesson 2
Lesson 2: What Is a Family?

Families play, work, eat, and celebrate together.

Families keep each other safe.
Families love and take care of each other.
Families meet our basic needs.
Lesson Abstract:
In this lesson students explore characteristics and purposes of families through literature and their
own experiences. The lesson begins with the teacher guiding students in developing a class
definition of family such as a family is a group of people who live together and take care of each
other. Using two diverse stories about families such as Little Mam Forgets, Daddy Makes the
Best Spaghetti, or Jonathan and his Mommy, students collect information about what families do.
In doing so, students consider how families play together, work together, eat together, keep each
other safe, take care of each other, and love each other. Students are introduced to basic needs,
things people need to live and explore how families help them meet their basic needs of food,
shelter, clothing, and love. Students expand the list sharing examples about their own families,
creating their own books entitled What My Family Does. In an optional activity, the students add
pages to their social studies vocabulary notebooks.
K - E1.0.1: Describe economic wants they have experienced.
This lesson serves as a foundational lesson that helps to set the context of 1 st grade, and builds
background knowledge for the remainder of the year.
Integrated GLCEs
R.CM.01.01: Make text-to-self and text-to-text connections and comparisons by activating prior
R.NT.01.02: Identify and describe the basic forms and purposes of a variety of narrative genre
R.NT.01.05: respond to individual and multiple texts by finding evidence, discussing, illustrating,
and/or writing to reflect, make connections, take a position, and/or show
understanding. (English Language Arts)
Key Concepts
basic needs
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Lesson 2
economic wants
family
Equipment/Manipulative
Overhead projector or Document Camera/Projector
Student Resource (Used in Lessons)
Cruise, Robin. Little Mama Forgets. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006.
Hines, Anna Grossnickle. Daddy Makes the Best Spaghetti. New York: Clarion Books, 1988.
Smalls, Irene. Jonathan and his Mommy. New York: Little, Brown Young Readers, 1994.
Teacher Resource
Teitler, Joanne. Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 2).Teacher-made material. Michigan
Lesson Sequence
1. Remind students that in kindergarten they learned about wants. Discuss the meaning of the
term, wants. Guide students to understand that wants are things we would like to have, but do
not need to live.
2. Introduce the term basic needs. Explain to students that needs are things we must have to
live. Ask students for examples of things they need to live. Guide students to understand we
must have food, water, clothing, love, and shelter. Ask students who provides them with their
basic needs. Guide them toward understanding that families help meet each others needs.
3. Display What is a Family? page located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, lesson 2) and
ask students to think about the question. Tell the students to turn to their partner and share
ideas. Have partners report out to the rest of the class and record answers. Possible answers
might include: Families have people. Families live together. Families are made up of people
who love each other. Families take care of each other. Guide students to understand that
families help us to meet our basic needs. Note: Student responses should be saved for use in
future lessons throughout Unit 1.
4. Review the list of ideas about families and help the class develop a definition of family, such
as a family is a group of people who care about each other.
5. Explain to students that there are many different types of families and they will be listening to
two stories about different families and things they do together. Choose two books about
families, such as Daddy Makes the Best Spaghetti by Anna Grossnickle Hines, Jonathan and
His Mommy, by Irene Smalls, or Little Mam Forgets by Robin Cruise or a similar family book.
6. After sharing the first book, ask the students to think about examples of things the family in the
story did together. Record the responses on the What Families Do T-chart, located in the
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Lesson 2
Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 2). Ask students for examples of things they do with
their family and record those on the right side of the T-chart. Keep the T-chart for the second
story.
7. Share the second story and again ask students for examples of things the family in the story
did. Again ask students about things they do with their families. As students respond, record
their responses in the appropriate column of the What Families Do T-chart.
8. Ask students to find examples on the T-chart of ways families:
keep each other safe
care and love each other
meet basic needs
work together
play together
celebrate together
If needed, refer students back to the What is a Family? list from step 3.
9. Tell students they will now begin to compile a My Family book. For this step, they will create
3 pages for their booksFamilies Work Together, Families Play Together, and Families Eat
Together. Each of these pages is located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 2).
Tell the students to draw a picture on each page showing how their family works, plays, and
eats together. Those who are able can complete the sentence explaining their pictures (assist
others with writing.) Note, this is also a great take home activity for students to complete with
their family.
10. Students will continue adding pages to their My Family book. Ask students to think of ways
on the T-chart that the families showed they loved each other. Ask the students to think of ways
their own families show they love each other. Using student responses on the T-chart, point out
ways that families take care of each other and keep each other safe. Ask the students to think
of ways their own families take care of each other and keep each other safe. Tell students that
they will add 3 more pages to their My Family book. Give the students the My Families Love
Each Other, Families Take Care of Each Other and the Families Keep Each Other Safe
pages located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 2). Tell the students to draw a
picture and complete the sentence stem. (Some assistance may be needed) for each page.
11. Finally, refer back to the T-chart and ask students to identify examples of families meeting basic
needs. Explain they have 2 more pages to complete in their My Family books. Give students
copies of the Families Meet Needs page, and the My Family title page, located in the
Supplemental Materials, (Unit 1, Lesson 2). Explain that they will illustrate the needs page with
an example of how their family meets their needs and complete a sentence telling about this
picture. Then they will illustrate the title page with a picture of their family and write their own
name as the author of the book. Assemble the books.
12. Give students an opportunity to share their books with a partner in a pair-share strategy or a
whole group discussion where students share their favorite page from the book with the class.
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Lesson 2
13. Show the students the word cards 4-5 from the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1 Lesson 2)
(basic needs and family.) Review word cards. If your class is creating the Social Studies
Vocabulary Notebook, have them add the 2 new words. This can be done in a spiral
notebook, or by giving students new sheets for their Social Studies Vocabulary Notebook
located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 2). Students are to illustrate an
example of the word. Keep the notebooks available as new words will be added for each
lesson.
Assessment
Assess the students understanding of what families do together by listening to their individual
responses during the group discussion sessions. Were they able to make text-to-self connections
with the story? Did the students respond to the questions about what families do together? The
My Family book pages with pictures and sentences can also be used as a written assessment of
their understanding. As well, the Social Studies Vocabulary Notebooks can be used as an
additional assessment.

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Lesson 3
Lesson 3: Working Together in a Family

Rules keep us safe, keep things fair, and help us get along.
Family members follow rules.
Family members have responsibilities.
Lesson Abstract:
In this lesson students explore family rules and responsibilities. The teacher shares a short
scenario describing a chaotic morning in a family without rules and responsibilities. Students
consider why the family is having problems and the importance of rules and responsibility. After
suggesting rules and responsibilities that might help the family, students explore the rules and
responsibilities they have in their own families. Students compile of class list of rules and
responsibilities to further their understanding of these social studies concepts.
1 C5.0.1: Describe some responsibilities people have at home and at school (e.g., taking care
of oneself, respect for the rights of others, following rules, getting along with others).
Integrated GLCEs
R.CM.01.01 Make text-to-self and text-to-text connections and comparisons by activating prior
Key Concepts
family
responsibility
rules
Equipment/Manipulatives
Teacher Resource
Lesson Sequence
1. Remind students that in the last lesson they talked about families and what they do. Remind
them that families work together. Remind students that in kindergarten they described
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Lesson 3
responsibilities they had. Ask students to brainstorm responsibilities they now have. List them
on the board.
2. Explain that today they will talk about working together within a family. Explain that families
need to have rules and share responsibilities in order to work together. Ask students to
think about the following questions:
What responsibilities do you have in your family?
What would happen if you did not take care of these responsibilities?
3. Share the scenario The Crazy First Day of School located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit
1, Lesson 3). The scenario describes a family where no one takes any responsibility and there
are no rules. After reading, pose the following question to the students, Why is this family
having so many problems? Students share their ideas and the teacher guides the group
toward the conclusion that the family has no rules and none of the family members are showing
any responsibility.
4. Write the term rules on the board. Ask students what the term means and for examples of
rules they have at school. Pose the following question to students, Why are rules important?
Guide students to understand that rules keep us safe, make things fair, and help us get along
with others.
5. Write the term responsibility on the board. Simply define responsibility as doing what you
should do to help others. Share responsibilities that you have as a teacher. Ask students what
responsibilities they have at school as students.
6. Show the students the paper labeled My Family Rules and My Family Responsibilities located
in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 3). Tell them that they will take home this paper
and ask an adult in their family to help them fill it out. Students are to list 3 examples of their
family rules in the first column and 3 examples of their family responsibilities in the second
column. Also included in the supplemental materials is a Parent Letter to explain the
assignment.
7. When students have completed and returned the Rules and Responsibilities T-chart, allow
students the opportunity to share some of the rules and responsibilities from their list. Compile
a master list using a T-chart on the board or by projecting the chart from the Supplemental
Materials file and record responses. Note: This chart will be referred to again in Lesson 5 of
Unit 1.
8. Remind students of the McGuire family from the scenario. Have students to recall or retell the
story. (If necessary, re-read the scenario.) Ask students if there are some family rules they
could think of to help the McGuire family get to school on time and function better. Point out the
rules from the T-chart as needed. Tell students we will agree on three rules to help the family.
Possible rules include: eating a healthy breakfast, no food in bedrooms, treating each other
kindly, use indoor voices, and cooperating.

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Lesson 3
9. Ask students to each think of one responsibility that would help the McGuire family. If needed,
re-read the scenario. Possible responsibilities include: taking out the garbage, feeding the dog,
waking up on time, and getting to the bus on time.
10. Give each student a copy of Rules and Responsibilities for the McGuire Family assessment,
located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 3). Students are to draw a picture of one
rule and one responsibility they think will help the McGuires. As well, they will complete a
sentence stem.
11. Share with students the word cards 6-7 from the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 3),
rules and responsibility. Review the definitions on each. If your class is completing the
Social Studies Vocabulary Notebook, ask the students to take out their Notebooks. Give the
students one copy each of the rules and responsibility pages from the Supplemental
Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 3). Tell the students to draw a picture for each page or write a word to
describe the meaning of the word.
Assessment
Assess the students understanding of family rules and responsibilities using the students
individual completed take-home charts and the rules and responsibilities created for the McGuire
family. The Social Studies Vocabulary Notebook can be used as an assessment as well.

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Lesson 4
Lesson 4: How Are Families Alike and Different?

Families share food.

Families share language.
Families share religion.
Families share traditions.
Different families share different foods, languages, religions, and traditions.
Lesson Abstract:
In this lesson, students explore the ways in which families can be alike and different. Students
begin by comparing similarities and differences in the families of their classmates. They then read
a book to examine ways in which families may differ such as size, family members, skin color, etc.
Using literature, the concept of diversity is introduced as students examine cultural differences
among three families in the story. Student then consider how families are similar. The teacher
guides students to an understanding that all families share cultural universals such as food,
language, religion, and traditions although the type of food, language, religion or traditions may
differ.
1 G4.0.1: Use components of culture (e.g., foods, language, religion, traditions) to describe
diversity in family life.
Integrated GLCEs
R.CM.01.01: Make text-to-self and text-to-text connections and comparisons by activating prior
R.NT.01.02: Identify and describe the basic forms and purposes of a variety of narrative genre
R.NT.01.05: Respond to individual and multiple texts by finding evidence, discussing, illustrating,
and/or writing to reflect, make connections, take a position, and/or show
understanding. (English Language Arts)
Key Concepts
alike
different
diversity
family
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Lesson 4
Student Resource (Used in lesson)
Diversity Elementary: Families. Entertaining Diversity. 2001. Discovery Education. 27 August 2009
<http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com>.
Kuklin, Susan. How My Family Lives in America. New York: Aladdin Picture Books, 1998.
Morris, Ann. Families. New York: Harper Collins, 2000.
Pellegrini, Nina. Families Are Different. New York: Scholastic, 1992.
Teacher Resource
Lesson Sequence
Note: Prior to beginning this lesson, send home the Parent Letter from the Supplemental
Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 4) requesting a family photo. If a child is not able to bring a family photo
to class, have that child create a drawing of his/her family. Use the family photos/drawings to
create a bulletin board Our Families.
1. Remind students that they have been learning about families. Explain they will now explore
how families are alike (same) and different. Point out the Our Families bulletin board. Ask
individual students to tell about their family photo or drawing. As the students describe their
families, guide the group in identifying similarities and differences among the families.
2. Share the book Families by Ann Morris. Explain to students that this is a nonfiction book which
gives us informationwe can learn facts from a nonfiction book. This book is illustrated with
photographs of several different families. After reading, ask the students to think about the
following questions: How were the families in this book like their own families? How were the
families in this book different from their own families? Ask students to write one similarity on the
T-Chart Families: Alike and Different located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 4).
Ask them to write one difference on the T-chart.
3. If time permits, share the book Families Are Different by Nina Pellegrini. This will allow for a
text to text comparison of a fiction and non-fiction book about families. This is a fiction story
about a little girl named Nico who is discovering that not all families are the same and its ok to
be different. After reading, ask the following or similar questions.
What did Nico find out about families?
How are the two books we have read similar?
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Lesson 4
How are the two books different?
4. Review the term diversity with students and introduce cultural universals. Explain that no
matter where families are in the world, they are all share food, language, religion, and
traditions. The food families eat, the language they speak, the religion they practice, and the
traditions they share may be different kinds. Families are alike and different!
5. Share the book How My Family Lives in America by Susan Kuklin. Explain that this is a
nonfiction book about three different families. Tell the students in the first part of the story they
will learn about Sanus family. Pause at the end of page 10, Mommy says how lucky we are
to be African Americans. Ask the following or similar questions about Sanus family.
Where was Sanus father from?
What did Sanus father share with her that he learned in Western Africa?
Project the 3 column chart labeled Comparing Families from the Supplemental Materials (Unit
1, Lesson 4) or use chart paper labeled with the same headings and write the students
responses under the column labeled Sanus Family.
6. Continue with the story. Tell the students that now they will hear about Erics family. Pause
again at the end of page 18, and Pepi sings, MERENGUE! Ask students the following
questions, recording their responses in the column labeled Erics Family.
Where was Erics father from?
What languages Erics family share?
What has Erics father and grandmother shared with him that they learned in Spain?
7. Continue with the story. Tell the students that now they will hear about Aprils family. Read to
the end of the book. Ask students the following questions, recording student responses in the
column labeled Aprils Family
Where are Aprils parents from?
What languages does Aprils family speak?
What are some things Aprils family does that are from Taiwan?
8. Ask students to look at the Comparing Families chart. Tell them to look for ways all 3 of the
families are alike. Circle the similarities on the chart. Possible answers might include: They all
speak English and another language at home. They all eat special food. They all do special
things together, traditions from their parents country.
9. Using the 3 column chart and the students responses, guide them to the understanding that all
families share cultural universals such as food, language, religion, and traditions although the
type of food, language, religion, or traditions may differ.
10. Share word cards 9-11 from the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 4) alike, different,
and diversity. Review the definitions of each. If your class is completing the Social Studies
Vocabulary Notebook, ask the students to take out their vocabulary notebooks. Give the
students one copy each of the alike, different, and diversity vocabulary notebook pages
located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 4). Tell the students to draw a picture or
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Lesson 4
write a word on each page to describe the meaning of the word. Using a 3-hole punch, insert
the pages into the students notebooks.
Assessment
Assess the students understanding of diversity by listening to their individual responses during
the group discussion sessions. Were they able to make text-to-self connections with the story?
Were they able to make text-to-text connections with the two stories? Did the students respond
to the questions about differences and similarities among families? The 3 column chart labeled
Comparing Families can also serve as an assessment. The vocabulary notebooks can serve
as a written assessment of their understanding of the key concepts of the lesson.

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SS010105
Lesson 5
Lesson 5: How Is a School Like a Family?

Like families, people in schools work, play, and eat together.

Like families, people in schools take care of each other.
Family and School rules help keep us safe.
We have responsibilities in our families and our schools.
Lesson Abstract:
In this final lesson students apply what they have learned about families by identifying ways in
which schools are like families. The lesson begins with a video entitled What Is a Family.
Following the video, students discuss important points. The teacher briefly reviews of all the charts
created in the unit. Then, students are placed in cooperative groups and given the challenge of
coming up with a way in which a school is like a family by using evidence from one of the charts.
Students begin to understand that rules keep us safe at school and focus on responsibilities they
have as a student in school. Students then consider how families and schools are different.
Students are introduced to a Venn diagram and learn how to use the graphic organizer to show
similarities and differences between families and schools.
1 C1.0.1: Identify some reasons for rules in school (e.g., provide order, predictability, and
safety).
1 C5.0.1: Describe some responsibilities people have at home and at school (e.g., taking care
of oneself, respect for the rights of others, following rules, getting along with others).
Key Concepts
family
responsibilities
rules
school
Student Resource (Used in Lesson)
What Is a Family?. 100% Educational Videos. 1997. Discovery Education. 27 August 2009
<http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/>.

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SS010105
Lesson 5
Teacher Resource
Lesson Sequence
1. Remind students that they have been talking about families in this social studies unit. Explain
that they will see a video about families that summarizes (reviews) all the different ideas we
have been talking about. Show video: What Is a Family? from Discovery Education
Streaming: http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/ (about 14 minutes long).
2. After the video, ask the students to think about the following question: Did the video tell us any
new information about families? Possible answers might include: Families live in different
places. Families use money to buy basic needs. Families change. Families celebrate
together. Add these to the What Families Do list from Lesson 2.
3. Display the What Families Do Chart (created in Lesson 2), the Our Family Rules and Our
Family Responsibilities combined list (created in Lesson 3), and the 3 column chart labeled
Sanus Family, Erics Family, and Aprils Family (created in Lesson 4). Remind the students
if any of their information was repeated in the video. Star items that were in the video.
4. Explain to students that schools are like families in some ways. Tell the students that you are
going to challenge them to come up with ways that a school is like a family using evidence from
one of the charts. Explain that evidence is something that supports or explains your thinking.
Model the process by pointing to the chart labeled What Families Do and circle the phrase
work together. Ask students if we work together in school. Explain that in both families and
schools people work together. If students are unable to provide examples of this, share some
examples with them.
6. Divide up the students into cooperative groups of 3-4 students per group. Ask each group to
come up with one way that a school is like a family. They are to use any of the charts to find
their evidence. Give the students a moment to think about the challenge before they move into
their groups. Allow ample time for groups to complete the task. Groups will then share out with
the whole class. Record group responses under the alike column of the Families and Schools
T-Chart from the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 5) or recreate it on chart paper.
7. Once the students have shared their ideas, make sure they have listed rules and
responsibilities. If not, guide them toward the idea. Ask students to think back to the scenario
from Lesson 3 involving the family with no rules or responsibilities. Ask students to imagine a
school with no rules. Give some examples such as what would it be like if no one raised their
hand to speak, etc. Guide students to understand that without rules, school would be more out
of control than families because there are more people at school. Ask students why we need
rules at school. Guide students to understand that rules keep us safe, provide order, and help
us learn.

Page 2 of 3
August 29, 2009

SS010105
Lesson 5
8. Turn the discussion to school responsibilities. Ask students if they have responsibilities in
school. List them on the board. Ask students what would happen if they did not follow through
on their responsibility to complete classroom work. (They will not learn)
9. To assess students knowledge of why we have rules in school and what responsibilities they
have in school, give the assessment, School Rules and Responsibilities, located in the
Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 5). Read the assessment aloud to the class if
necessary and tell students to write their answer in the blank space after the question.
10. Return to the T-chart Families and Schools. Ask the following question: How are families and
schools different? Have students look at all of the family charts to help their thinking. Record
the students responses under the Different column of the T-chart. Sample answers are
provided for your reference in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 5).
11. Analyze the T-chart together. Show students ways to group or categorize responses if needed.
12. Give each student a copy of the Families and Schools Venn Diagram, located in the
Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 5). If the students are new to using a Venn diagram,
explain that it is a graphic organizer for looking at ways things are alike and different.
Demonstrate by adding your own example as to where alike things go and where different or
unique things are placed. Ask students to identify and write in the center overlapping circle one
way families and schools are alike. In the part of the circle labeled families, ask students to list
one way families are different than schools (e.g. families live together). Finally ask students to
list one way schools are different than families in the circle labeled schools (e.g. dont live
together, has a principal, etc.).
13. Finally, if your class is participating in the social studies vocabulary notebook, share the final
word card #12 (school) located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 5) with the
students. Give the students one copy each of the Social Studies Vocabulary Notebook page
from the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 5). Tell the students to draw a picture to
describe the term. Add this page to their Social Studies Vocabulary Notebook.
Assessment
An assessment School Rules and Responsibilities has been included in the Supplemental
Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 5). The Venn diagram and vocabulary notebooks can serve as additional
assessments.

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August 29, 2009

Unit 1 Lessons

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Unit 1 Lessons

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1st Grade Families and Schools

Unit 1: What Is a Family?

Lesson 1: All About Me!

Children grow and change over time.

Use components of culture (e.g., foods, language, religion, traditions) to describe

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Lesson 2: What Is a Family?

Families play, work, eat, and celebrate together.

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Lesson 3: Working Together in a Family

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Lesson 4: How Are Families Alike and Different?

Families share food.

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Lesson 5: How Is a School Like a Family?

Like families, people in schools work, play, and eat together.

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