Teachers Network
Translate Translate English to Chinese Translate English to French
  Translate English to German Translate English to Italian Translate English to Japan
  Translate English to Korean Russian Translate English to Spanish
Lesson Plan Search
Our Lesson Plans
TeachNet Curriculum Units
Classroom Specials
Popular Teacher Designed Activities
TeachNet NYC Directory of Lesson Plans TeachNet NYC Dirctory of Lesson Plans

VIDEOS FOR TEACHERS
RESOURCES
Teachers Network Leadership Institute
How-To Articles
Videos About Teaching
Effective Teachers Website
Lesson Plans
TeachNet Curriculum Units
Classroom Specials
Teacher Research
For NYC Teachers
For New Teachers
HOW-TO ARTICLES
TEACHER RESEARCH
LINKS

GRANT WINNERS
TeachNet Grant:
Lesson Plans
2010
TeachNet Grant Winners
2009
TeachNet Grant Winners
Adaptor Grant Winners
2008
TeachNet Grant Winners
Adaptor Grant Winners
2007
TeachNet Grant Winners
Adaptor Grant Winners
Other Grant Winners
Power-to-Learn
Math and Science Learning
Ready-Set-Tech
Impact II
Grant Resources
Grant How-To's
Free Resources for Teachers
ABOUT
Our Mission
Funders
   Pacesetters
   Benefactors
   Donors
   Sponsors
   Contributors
   Friends
Press
   Articles
   Press Releases
Awards
   Cine
   Silver Reel
   2002 Educational Publishers Award

Sitemap

Adaptor Grants Home:
Teachers Network: Adaptor Grants:Creating A Family Tree
Adapted By:
Nancy Welch

Ms. Welch has been teaching ten years, seven of them in the NYC public schools. She earned a BA at Sarah Lawrence College and a Masters degree in Elementary Education at Adelphi University.

P.S. 124
New York, NY



Modifications

I used Miss Stephenson's exciting unit on creating a family tree and adapted it to meet the needs of a first grade gifted class. The original unit had been written for a fourth grade so I knew that it needed to be scaled down in scope yet retain the flavor of the original unit. The first thing I did was help the students identify types of community, and from there we narrowed it to a study of family within the community. Next we discussed different types of families, for example single parent households, families with adopted children, etc. We connected this knowledge to our class read aloud, Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We did this by studying "her" family and then taking a close look at her family tree (available on-line and as the frontispiece to most editions of the book). We explored what a family tree is, and compared it to a real tree with roots and branches. As we read Little House in the Big Woods I emphasized family stories within the book and encouraged the students to share their own family stories. The next step of the project was creating their own family tree, which extended back as far as grandparents. The next step was to interview a person on their tree and in narrative form transcribe their story. For this the students practiced writing interview questions. Finally the students interviewed their family member and from there we used a multi-step writing process to complete our trees. Our trees were decorated with family photographs and the completed project now graces our bulletin board.

Instructional Objectives

Students will identify and understand the family as a vital part of the community.

Students will write and conduct interviews.

Students will transcribe interviews into a narrative account of a family story.

Students will take a piece of writing through the writing process. (draft, edit, revision, publish).


Technology Integration

We looked at on-line genealogy web-sites including:

Genealogy Today: Junior Edition
http://genealogytoday.com/junior/

Ancesters- A companion web site to the PBS family history and genealogy series.
http://byubroadcasting.org/ancestors/

Assessment

The students were assessed through the quality of their work and how well they understood the concept. To receive the grade of 4 on a rubric, the following criteria would have to be met: The family tree contains 3 generations. First and last names are included. All pictures are effective. Spelling and capitalization correct throughout. The poster is exceptionally attractive in terms of lay-out, design, and neatness

Tips for Teachers

My students are only first graders so naturally the content in most genealogy sites is beyond them academically. However it was helpful for them to see the scope of a full scale family search and the different ways in which people approach research. With creativity most units can be adapted to meet the needs and levels of any class.


Student Work Samples

Click on each thumbnail to see a full-screen version.

 



 

Come across an outdated link?
Please visit The Wayback Machine to find what you are looking for.

 

Journey Back to the Great Before