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 different countries
- Activity: FamilyA unit of people joined together by blood, marriage, or other means including adoption or a close social bond… quiz (see Classroom resources) – one per child
- 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
English: Reading – comprehension
- retrieve and record information from non-fiction
Computing
- use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content
British values: Mutual respect, Tolerance of different culture and religions
Attention grabber
Give each child a copy of Activity: FamilyA unit of people joined together by blood, marriage, or other means including adoption or a close social bond… quiz and ask them to complete it about their family. Explain there are no right or wrong answers; we are just looking at how different 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 group 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 familyA unit of people joined together by blood, marriage, or other means including adoption or a close social bond… life like in other countries?
Wrapping up
When you have discussed the different families stress that these differences should be celebrated. You should also discuss that much of the information they have found about other countries will be an average or a generalisation. Bring this to life by talking about the differences between families in the class or others that children know. Highlight that there are many different familyA unit of people joined together by blood, marriage, or other means including adoption or a close social bond… setups in our country and across the world. ReinforceTo strengthen or support a pre-existing idea. again the need to have respectBeing thoughtful and polite towards other people. for others.
Key questions
- Why do we need to be careful about the information we find out about other countries?
Differentiation
Pupils with secure understanding indicated by: Understanding that families are all different and that the country people live in can influenceTo have an effect on someone’s decision making. these differences.
Pupils working at greater depth indicated by: Understanding that there are differences between families within countries and it is difficult to make generalisations.
Assessing pupils' understanding and progress
Pupils with secure understanding indicated by: Understanding that families are all different 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
In this topic
- Assessment RSE & PSHE Y4: Family and relationships
- Lesson 1: Respect and manners
- Lesson 2: Healthy friendships
- Lesson 3 - How my behaviour affects others
- Lesson 4: Bullying
- Lesson 5: Stereotypes: Gender
- Lesson 6: Stereotypes: Disability
- Lesson 7: Families in the wider world (free lesson)
- Lesson 8: Change and loss