Human Society & Its Environment Units

K- of
6
Meghann Bailey 22231934 STAGE 1: What is my history? Learning about my
familys past
Learning Experiences Key assessment opportunities are marked: **
Lesson sequence 1: What is a family?
The objective of this lesson is to elicit prior learning about families and build upon this knowledge through the
construction of a family tree and discussion of similarities and differences between their own immediate families.
Key questions:
What is a family?
How are families similar and different?
What roles do different family members play?
Brainstorm families: Use mind map and list responses. Draw attention to different family structures (single-
parent, blended, nuclear, same-sex parent, extended, many children, no children, adopted/foster children).
Questions: Why are families important? Who can be in your family? What are the roles of people in your
family? Are these roles the same for every family? What events, activities and celebrations do families share
(birthdays, weddings, picnics, sport, Christmas, Ramadan, Chinese New year).
Discussion: Ask - what is history? What is family history? Display a family tree and explain what it represents.
Explain the concept of generations. Place labelled pictures on display - mother, father, grandfather,
grandmother, son, and daughter. Ask students which family members would be grouped by generation. Place
images in family tree, ask students for reasoning behind choices.
Webquest task: Explain the task: use the Webquest to create an online family history exhibition. Students use a
template to complete a family tree and write short story to describe their family. Students take a photograph and
load into padlet ** (see screen shots of each Webquest lesson and required templates in resource section below).
Display a selection of family trees in the class padlet and share some family stories. Encourage positive
dialogue about similarities and differences.
Questions: Where did you find out about your family history? How reliable is the information you used to
complete family tree? Is there any more information you need to know?

Lesson sequence 2: looking at the past every family history is different

The objective of this lesson is to support students as they analyse similarities and differences between families in
the present and the past to help develop an understanding that continuity and change exists in families and
deepen an appreciation for their family histories.
Key question:
How are families today similar and different from families in the past?
What are the similarities and differences between generations? e.g. family celebrations, leisure activities,
technology, toys
How have the roles of members of a family changed?
Why have these things changed from generation to generation?
Webquest task: Students work in buzz groups to find clues in photographs of similarities and differences
between their own families and those in the photographs. Students complete an individual Venn diagram and
use sentence starters to describe similarities and differences by writing a short contrast and compare text in
padlet using information from their investigation.**
Peer Assessment: In pairs, reads the others compare and contrast sentences and complete Two Stars and a
Wish.
Lesson sequence 3: Investigating family history- The importance of oral history
The objective of this lesson is to develop student historical inquiry skills to find information about family history
using interviews of family members.

Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW - Program Builder - pb.bos.nsw.edu.au
Program Builder contains NSW syllabus content prepared by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW
for and on behalf of the State of New South Wales which is protected by Crown copyright. 1
 Human Society & Its Environment Units
K- of
6
Meghann Bailey 22231934 STAGE 1: What is my history? Learning about my
familys past
Key question:
How do families share their history?
How can we find information about our family history?
Brainstorm: mind map about how we can find out about family history and how reliable sources are e.g. National
Archives, libraries, internet etc.
Lesson sequence 4: My family history
The objective of this lesson is for students to share information about their families using stories and then
compare and contrast their family history to another.
Key questions:
What is my family history?
How is my story different to other people in my family?
How is my family history different to other family stories?
Write: Students use the recount template to organise the information gained from the family interview and their
family history. Using this information students write a recount of their family history to share with the class. Take
photograph and upload into Family History Exhibition padlet. **
Compare and contrast: Students use Venn diagram to compare and contrast their experiences of childhood with
the family members they interviewed. Students take on the perspective of their family member to write an
informative narrative about their childhood.
Webquest: Divide class into pairs to complete the final Webquest task. Students read to each other their family
story from Lesson 1 and their family history recount. Using a Venn diagram students work in pairs to identify
similarities and differences in their family stories. Students take photo and upload imaged into padlet. **
.

Webquest tasks Rubric:

Incomplete Below Meets Above
expectations expectations expectations

Graphic Did not complete Only completed Completed family Provided

representation some parts of tree additional
of family tree family tree information in
family tree

Family story Did not complete Wrote only a short Wrote story about Wrote story about
story with few their family with their family with
details details about details about
members and members and
some history history

Venn diagram- Did not complete Did not effectively Effectively used Outstanding use of
past and present use diagram. diagram. diagram.
families Described few Described Described many
similarities and similarities and similarities and
differences, some differences, used differences, used
not related to examples from the examples from the

Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW - Program Builder - pb.bos.nsw.edu.au
Program Builder contains NSW syllabus content prepared by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW
for and on behalf of the State of New South Wales which is protected by Crown copyright. 2
Human Society & Its Environment Units
K- of
6
Meghann Bailey 22231934 STAGE 1: What is my history? Learning about my
familys past
photographs photographs photographs

Comparing and Did not complete Used only some Effectively used Effectively used
contrasting sentences starters sentence starters sentence starters
sentences to compare and to compare and to compare and
contrast families contrast families contrast families.
Used additional
information.

Venn diagram Did not complete Did not effectively Effectively used Outstanding use of
comparing and use diagram. diagram Described diagram.
contrasting Described few similarities and Described many
family histories similarities and differences, used similarities and
differences, some examples from the differences, used
not related to stories and examples from
family histories recounts stories and
recounts

Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW - Program Builder - pb.bos.nsw.edu.au
Program Builder contains NSW syllabus content prepared by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW
for and on behalf of the State of New South Wales which is protected by Crown copyright. 3