Overview
Students have now filled out their family trees and have begun to investigate their family history. In this class, they will share the new things they learned about their families. They will then look over their worksheets from the past two classes. They will then review their work from the previous class as well as their initial investigatory work.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
● Discuss parts of their family history with their classmates
● Identify areas of their family tree they would like to further investigate
● Formulate questions for interviewing their family members
Essential Questions
● What can we learn about ourselves as we investigate our family members’ histories?
Common Core State Standards
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.C
Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify, or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.
Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
Materials for Instructor
● You’re An Investigator! Worksheet
Materials for Students
● LRA Ed Journals
● Family Tree Homework
● World Map Worksheets from last class which should be in their journals
I. Family Tree Worksheet Homework Check-in Review (7 min.)
Congratulate students on becoming investigators and have them take out their constructed family trees. Lead a discussion about their experiences while working with their family members to create their trees.
Entry point questions can include:
● Were you surprised by any information shared by your family?
● Did you hear a new story about a family member?
● Did you learn something new about yourself when you were younger? Did a family member share a story about you?
● Do you have more questions now? What would you like to ask family members about their history and the history of your relatives?
II. LRA Ed Journal Writing (5-7 min.)
Ask students to take out their LRA Ed Journals and reflect on the experience of gathering information for the Family Tree Worksheet. Have them engage in free-writing, considering questions such as:
● What new things did you learn?
● What surprised you?
● What stories would you like more details on?
III. You're an Investigator! Worksheet
The “You're an Investigator!” Worksheet guides students to identify which family member they would like to interview for their Family Archive.
Step One
Hand out the “You're An Investigator!” Worksheet!, which guides students to discover who they want to interview for their Family Archives. The worksheet also supports students in formulating questions they may have for their family members after creating their family trees. Their family tree experiences can be viewed as a springboard to the stories they want to learn more about now.
Have students complete the worksheet.
Step Two
Have students sit with a partner and discuss and brainstorm their worksheets together. Remind the class that it is important that they share positive responses with each other.
IV. Class Check-in (7 min)
Bring the class back together as a group and ask students to popcorn their family member investigation ideas.