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Our Family

Grades: 
K, 1, 2
Subjects: 
Arts Education
Philanthropy
Social Studies
Keywords & Concepts: 
Common Good
Community
Family

Communities come in many different configurations and may be defined by place or purpose. A family, which also comes in many different configurations, is a community that comes together in the same space and/or with the shared interest of caring for one another. The young people describe the make-up and roles in their families. 

Duration 
PrintOne 45-Minute Session
Objectives 
  • Describe the family unit as a community
  • Identify differences in families 
Materials 
  • photos of family members
  • Books about different families 
Bibliography 

This list of literature guides features stories with different family configurations.

  • When Aidan Became a Brother literature guide - the characters in this book are mixed race and have a child who is transgender
  • Drawn Together literature guide - this book puts a grandfather and grandchild together who speak different languages but communicate through drawing.
  • Lubna and Pebble literature guide - this book features a refugee child, her father, and their found community.
Related Resources 

Instructions

Print

  1. Anticipatory Set:

    Share a little about your own family make-up, such as who you live with or grew up with. Tell names, relationships, and some of the different strengths they bring to the family. Demonstrate genuine warmth and care as you share who is in your family and communicate understanding that families come in many different configurations.

  2. Invite the children to turn to a small group and name who is part of their family and describe their relationships and what some of them are like. They may sketch a drawing, using stick people, to show their family make up. 

  3. In the previous lesson, we talked about how communities are built on trust and shared responsibility to make it work well for all. Ask how families are like communities and things we do to get along. 

    Definition of community: A community is a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.

  4. Read aloud one or more picture books from the list below to show a family together. 

    Talk about their own family traditions and traits that bring them together. What do different peole do that make the family community better together? Talk about the different roles in their families. Are some people caregivers or rule followers? Is someone more adventurous? Is someone else more of a reader or athlete? 

  5. Have each child draw and label a family picutre, showing the different people who come together with trust and responsibility for the good of all.

Philanthropy Framework

  1. Strand PHIL.I Definitions of Philanthropy
    1. Standard DP 01. Define Philanthropy
      1. Benchmark E.1 Define philanthropy as the giving and sharing of time, talent, or treasure intended for the common good.
  2. Strand PHIL.II Philanthropy and Civil Society
    1. Standard PCS 01. Self, citizenship, and society
      1. Benchmark E.1 Define the word <em>trust</em> and its role in all communities.