Before the lesson
Note
You may have pupils in your class who have issuesProblems that need resolving or working through. at home or are looked after children who may need additional support during this lesson. It is also important to remind pupils that they are looking at imaginary families and they do not need to talk about their own experiences. This can be reinforced by revisiting the ground rules for PSHE lessons.
Have ready
- Access to the internet
- Books about families or daily life in differentSomething that is not the same as something else countries
- Activity: FamilyThe people you are related to by blood (your mother, father, siblings, grandparents, cousins etc.) or by marriage (husband or wife)…. quiz (see Classroom resources) – one per childThe term used to describe a young person before they reach puberty…
- Activity: Families around the world (see Classroom resources) – for groups of two or three
Download classroom resources
Learning objectives
- To begin to understand that families are very varied, in this country and across the world
National curriculum
Pupils should know:
- That others’ families, either in school or in the wider world, sometimes look different from their family, but that they should respect those differences and know that other children’s families are also characterised by love and care.
- The importance of respecting others, even when they are very different from them (for example, physically, in character, personality or backgrounds), or make different choices or have different preferences or beliefs.
Success Criteria
- I understand that families are all different and I should respect these differences
- I can identify differences and similarities in families in other countries
- I know that no country will have only one type of family
Cross-curricular links
- PSHE Association’s Programme of Study for PSHE Education
Attention grabber
Give each childThe term used to describe a young person before they reach puberty… a copy of Activity: FamilyThe people you are related to by blood (your mother, father, siblings, grandparents, cousins etc.) or by marriage (husband or wife)…. quiz and ask them to complete it about their family. Explain there are no right or wrong answers; we are just looking at how differentSomething that is not the same as something else families operate.
Ask the children to share the answers and ask the other children to mark on their list whether they have the same answer, or a different answer.
Key question
- What are the similarities and differences between families?
Main event
In pairs or threes tell the children they are going to find out about families around the world. Give each groupA number of people who are gathered together. a country to work on, a copy of Activity: Families around the world resource and access to any relevant books and the internetAlso known as the ‘net’ or ‘web’. The ‘Internet (interconnected network)’ connects different computers together…..
Briefly discuss the search terms they can use to help with their onlineAnother term for ‘the internet’. research, including that they will need to include the name of the country each time.
Following the research children can share the most interesting information they have found with the rest of the class.
Key question
- What is familyThe people you are related to by blood (your mother, father, siblings, grandparents, cousins etc.) or by marriage (husband or wife)…. life like in other countries?
Wrapping up
Take some feedback on the problems the children have solved. Were there any problems they thought of which they didn’t know how to solveTo find an answer to a problem.? Discuss these as a class.
Explain that most of the time people within a familyThe people you are related to by blood (your mother, father, siblings, grandparents, cousins etc.) or by marriage (husband or wife)…. can solve problems by working together and that quite often problems will be solved quickly.
Explain that sometimes families might need some extra help – are there any places or people the children know about the family could go to for help. If needed add some extra suggestions such as talking to adults outside the family they trustRelying on someone to do something for you, such as keeping a secret or doing you a favour…. including school, doctorSomeone whose job it is to treat us when we are ill or injured…., social worker or specialist organisations such as Childline.
Key question
- Who can help with family problems?
Differentiation
Pupils needing extra support:
May need additional support with writing about the experiences and issuesProblems that need resolving or working through. that the familyThe people you are related to by blood (your mother, father, siblings, grandparents, cousins etc.) or by marriage (husband or wife)…. may be experiencing. Asking them to focus on the issues that the children may be experiencing first as these will be more familiar to them. These children could be placed together in a groupA number of people who are gathered together. and working with you or another adult.
Pupils working at greater depth:
Can support their peersThose in the same year group as you. with the activity by scribing and asking questions to develop responses. They could also look at problems and grade them for seriousness e.g. quick to resolveTo find a solution to a problem. and soon forgotten or more complex and might need additional help.
Assessing pupils' understanding and progress
Pupils with secure understanding indicated by: Understanding that families are all differentSomething that is not the same as something else and they offer each other support but sometimes they can experience problems.
Pupils working at greater depth indicated by: Understanding that some problems are easily sorted and that others might need additional help.
Vocabulary
Similarity
Difference
Same
Respect
Culture
Next steps
Teacher notes