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My Family

First graders learn about families — the people who love and care for one another — and how families come in many shapes and sizes, help each other, and share special traditions.

Grade 1Families30 minutes1 class periodC3 InquiryExplicit teaching4 StandardsC3
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain what a family is.
  • ✓Name family members.
  • ✓Explain how families help.
  • ✓Share a family tradition.
Essential Question

Everyone has a family, but no two families are exactly alike. What is a family, and what do families do for each other?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The My Family Explorer

Project this and tap each idea. Have children learn what families are and all the ways they care for each other.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Explore families — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · C3 Inquiry Arc (Question · Investigate · Evaluate Evidence · Communicate · Take Action)

30 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Question — Every Family Is Special

5 min

Everyone has a family, but no two are the same — what is a family?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask about their families.
  • Ask what families do.
  • Get ready.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share about family.
  • Think about it.
  • Get ready.
2

Investigate — Explore Families

8 min

Children investigate.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to the My Family Explorer.
  • Tap each idea.
  • Talk about families.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Talk.
  • Explain them.
3

Evaluate Evidence — Families Care

8 min

Children explain.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain what a family is.
  • Name family members.
  • Explain how families help.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain families.
  • Name members.
  • Explain helping.
4

Communicate — My Family

6 min

Children share.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Share a family member.
  • Share a way family helps.
  • Share a tradition.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share one.
  • Share it.
  • Share a tradition.
5

Take Action — Take Action

3 min

Children conclude.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a way your family helps.
  • Say thank you.
  • Draw your family.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name it.
  • Say thanks.
  • Draw it.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards (Grade 1 / Family & School).

C3
D2.His.2.K-2

Compare families and how they change over time.

C3
D2.Civ.6.K-2

Describe how family members care for one another.

C3
D2.Civ.10.K-2

Explain how people in a family cooperate.

C3
D4.6.K-2

Take informed action.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Family picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “My family has ___.”
  • Share family photos.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with “families love us.”
  • Use pictures.
  • Focus on one idea.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Draw a family tree.
  • Compare families.
  • Share a family tradition.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🖼️Family photos
  • 💻The My Family Explorer
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 📄Drawing paper
  • 🎫Sticker charts
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

familypeople who love and care for each otherparenta mother or fathersiblinga brother or sistergrandparenta parent’s parentrelativea family membertraditiona special family customcareto look after someonelovea deep caring feeling
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is a family?
A group of people who love and care for each other.
QUESTION 2
Name one way a family helps each other.
Cooking, cleaning, caring for one another, or working together.
QUESTION 3
What is a family tradition?
A special way of doing something, like a birthday cake or a bedtime story.

Growing at home? Family helper.

Have children do one helpful thing for their family this week and talk about how it feels to help. A printable family sheet is in the Social Studies library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 My FamilyFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 My FamilyQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ My FamilyPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: care, family, grandparent, love, parent, relative, sibling, tradition
  1. a special family custom
  2. a deep caring feeling
  3. a family member
  4. a brother or sister
  5. people who love and care for each other
  6. a parent’s parent
  7. a mother or father
  8. to look after someone

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a family?
  2. Name one way a family helps each other.
  3. What is a family tradition?
Answer key — Part A: 1) tradition · 2) love · 3) relative · 4) sibling · 5) family · 6) grandparent · 7) parent · 8) care
Part B: 1) A group of people who love and care for each other. 2) Cooking, cleaning, caring for one another, or working together. 3) A special way of doing something, like a birthday cake or a bedtime story.