The Family Activity Pack

Objective & content

Five activity sheets about the family in one PDF, for a class working at A0+. The pack teaches one point, the family, through five kinds of activity: pupils play word games with family words, read about Ama's family and fill in a family tree, read two short texts, colour a family from sentences and ask their classmates about their families. A contents page opens the pack, and the answers and teacher notes for every sheet are at the back. Each sheet is also on the site on its own.

Pedagogical guide

The order goes from learning the family words to using them in questions. Family Words! comes first: a label task, riddles and a word search introduce ten family words. My Family! uses them in a text about Ama's family, with is called and has got, and a family tree. Two Families! asks pupils to read two texts with I've got and she's got, with ages and pets. Colour the Family! puts has got with clothes and colours: pupils colour what each sentence says. Have You Got a Sister? ends with speaking: pupils ask Have you got a ...? in a class survey and fill in their own family tree.

Suggested procedure

1. (25 min) Family Words!: pupils label seven portraits, solve seven riddles and find eight words in a word search. A good start.
2. (30 min) My Family!: a picture of Ama's family and a short text; pupils write the names in a family tree and circle Yes or No for six sentences.
3. (25 min) Two Families!: Anya and Nikhil talk about their families; pupils circle Yes or No for eight sentences, then write about their own family.
4. (25 min) Colour the Family!: pupils read six sentences and colour a family of six, then write the family word under each person.
5. (25 min) Have You Got a Sister?: pupils walk round the class and ask three friends five questions, then fill in their own family tree.

About 130 minutes in all: use the sheets in this order over several lessons, or pick the ones you need.

Adaptations

[S] Read each text and word list aloud before pupils start, and do the first item of each task together.

[A] Fast finishers write one more sentence about their own family on the back of each sheet. The page of each sheet on the site gives more ideas.

Materials & prerequisites

One photocopy per pupil of each sheet, in colour or in black and white (the pack comes in both versions). Pupils need a pencil, and colouring pencils for Colour the Family! only. Leave room for pupils to walk round the class for Have You Got a Sister?. Keep the answer pages at the back for yourself. No family words are needed before the pack: Family Words! introduces them.