All About Us Class Book: Family Belongingness

Level 3 develops academic independence.

Objectives

Materials

Instructions

Materials

Large, sturdy sugar paper (various colours)

Crayons, markers, and coloured pencils

Child safe scissors

Glue sticks

Photos of children's families (can be printed from digital copies sent home)

Pre-cut paper house shapes

Stencils of people/figures

A large stapler or binding rings

A label maker or plain paper labels

Learning Objectives

Children will be able to identify and name members of their family.

Children will be able to draw or represent their family members and their home.

Children will articulate what makes their family special to them.

Children will contribute to creating a class book that celebrates diverse family structures.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Begin by gathering the children and discussing what a family is. Ask them who is in their family. Record their responses on chart paper.

2. Explain that you will be creating a special class book titled "Our Families." Show the children the photos of their families you have collected.

3. Invite each child to select a piece of sugar paper. Explain that this will be a page in their class book.

4. Have the children draw a picture of their family, including themselves, their home, and any other important family members. Encourage them to use the stencils if they wish.

5. Provide pre-cut house shapes. Children can glue these onto their page to represent their home and then draw their family around it.

6. Children can then glue their family photo onto their page, next to or within their drawing.

7. As they finish, ask each child to share one thing they love about their family or their home. Record their thoughts on a small label to be attached to their page.

8. Once all pages are complete, help the children assemble them in order.

9. Carefully staple or bind the pages together to create the "Our Families" class book.

Educator Tip

Ensure that all children feel included and proud of their families. Remind them that families come in many shapes and sizes, and every family is wonderful. When displaying the book, include a small note inviting families to read it together and perhaps add their own thoughts or drawings at home.

Assessment

Observe and listen as children discuss their families and draw their pictures. Note their ability to identify family members and represent their home. Collect the completed pages as evidence of their understanding and contribution to the class book.

Educator tip

Use rubric; insist on justification.

Assessment

Assess against Early Learning Goals (ELGs). Document evidence of 'expected' or 'exceeding' descriptors. Note: independent application of skills, ability to explain reasoning, and capacity to build on prior learning. Rubric (1–4): writing quality, sharing, collaboration.

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