How Can We Improve Family Relationships?

A Unit for 2^nd Graders on Conflict Management and Family

Overview and Rationale

Teacher Background Information

Unit Planning Chart

Organizing and Subject Matter Overview

Goals and Objectives

Learning Activities Bank

Assessment

Appendix

Overview and Rationale

This unit on family is designed to teach specific skills that children need to function successfully in the family. All children can learn and function socially if provided sufficient and appropriate opportunities to develop skills associated with success. In order to achieve this goal, I believe that students need to understand family dynamics and the differences that exist among families and communities. They need specific training on conflict management skills. Teachers may assume that students possess the skills they need to succeed in the home and classroom but children need to be taught. By teaching conflict management skills students will develop characteristics that will improve their chances for success.

In order for students to understand family dynamics and conflict management, they must become informed about the many types of families that exist in our communities and nations. As teachers we must help learners to become interested in this topic, by relating it to their lives. Powerful learning only happens when teaching is meaningful to students. The lessons in this unit are worthwhile because they are taught in ways that relate to each student and assists students in recognizing its value.

In the 2^nd grade Utah State Core standards focus on learning the areas of family and behaviors that influence relationships with family members. In this unit students will engage in various activities that will help them to understand the appropriate and positive ways to interact with family members, which will strengthen relationships.

Teacher Background Information

Teaching this lesson may require sensitivity for topics such as divorce or loss of a family member. Children often see divorce as something very traumatic. They are often concerned for their own security not always their parents happiness. They ask questions such as what if they both leave me? What did I do wrong? Did I cause the divorce? Now what’s going to happen to me? It is good for the child to talk about their feelings but do not volunteer students to share their feelings and experiences with the class. Let the children volunteer themselves.

This unit on family may be painful for students who have recently lost a family member. It is important to be sensitive to these students. In effort to understand what is happening, young children will ask all kinds of questions-sometimes they may be quite alarming. Although some questions will startle adults they all require a response. If a parent or family member could better handle the question don’t be afraid to let the student take the time to call home.

Unit Planning Chart

Social Studies	Teacher Resources	Student Reading/ Literature	Math
Picture File-what is a family? Conflict resolution-problem solving, social skills All about families chart Caring and sharing day How families make rules & decisions Family tree	www.madd.org website on death www.divorcesource.com website on divorce www.zooscape.com website on new babies	The Pain and the Great One What Mommies Do Best Just Grandpa and Me Just Grandma and Me My Mom is Excellent Just Me and my Dad The Big Big Sea Everett Anderson’s Nine Month Long	Make a graph of how many people are in families
Art	Physical Education	Music	Technology
Make calendar with important family dates Patchwork quilt of families	Play Mother May I? Teach social skill How to Accept No for an Answer	Cultural music Music found in home Songs about Anger Song	Email family adopted family member
Written Language	Field Trips/Guests	Culminating Activities/ Unit Projects	Read Alouds
Letter writing Important events in my life Fun with poetry Family diary Family book Understanding themes in literature Picture dictionary Family hand poster	Grandparents Parents-funds of knowledge	Class meetings Feelings posters-social skills or problem solving	Charlie Anderson This Room is Mine My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother Thunder Cake Alexander, Who’s Not (Do you hear me? I mean it!) Going to Move David Gets in Trouble The Relatives Came Koala Lou Julius the Baby of the World

Organizing and Subject Matter Overview with Goals and Objectives

The overall question that will be addressed during this unit is: “How Can We Improve Family Relationships?” The unit will address one NCSS strand in particular, “Individual Development and Identity”. The umbrella goals are the following three NCSS performance expectations: 1) Describe the unique features of one’s nuclear and extended families. (IV c); 2) Identify roles as learned behavior patterns in groups, situations such as student, family member, peer play groups members or club members. (V a); 3) Give examples of conflict, cooperation, and interdependence among individuals, groups, and nations. The Utah State Core Objectives listed below in the chart support these major goals. The unit is based on family relationships where students can first explore a variety of family units. They then identify roles of family members and behaviors that create conflict. Finally students learn social skills and implement them in real-life scenarios. The unit will be meaningful to children and involve them in positive and appropriate relationships with family members.

Many of the activities will be at centers where students will work in groups. Group work is essential to the success of problem-solving, social skills, training and decision-making. However there will be many times when the teacher will need to work with the whole group for discussions. There will be a space to read and discuss family dynamics where students will be able to share feelings with classmates. Therefore, classroom setup should facilitate this kind of work (see classroom plan below).

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Topic

Families-

Classroom Family

Family Conflicts

Conflict Plan of Action

1) Describe the unique features of one’s nuclear and extended families. (IV c); 2) Identify roles as learned behavior patterns in groups, situations such as student, family member, peer play groups members or club members. (V a); 3) Give examples of conflict, cooperation, and interdependence among individuals, groups, and nations.

NCSS Standards

Utah Objective

2.1a Describe characteristics of healthy relationships

2.1c Explain how families change over time.

2.2a Explain why families, schools, and communities have rules.

2.1d Recognize how choices and consequences affect self, peers, and family

2.1e Identify behaviors that might create conflict situations and ways to resolve them

Learning Activities

KWL about the different kinds of families.

Generate classroom rules as a class

Problem Solving

How to Apologize

Picture cards family

Social Skills training How to accept a compliment

My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother, , This Room is Mine, and The Crayon Box that Talked.

How to Accept No for an Answer

Guest family speakers.

Classroom meetings

How to listen

How to Disagree

Class meeting

Fun with poetry

Map of classroom

Read aloud The Rainbow Fish

Read aloud

I’m Terrific

Classroom Plan

Learning Activities Bank

Lesson 1

Title of Lesson: How to Apologize

Teacher(s): N/A

Date: N/A

Time Allotted: 30 min.

Grade Level(s): 2

Number of Learners: whole class

Unit Theme: Family- conflict management

Standard(s) Met: (see below)

Goal: The learner will be able to give examples of conflict, cooperation, and interdependence among individuals and groups. (NCSS 9b)

Objectives: Given [materials], the students will listen to a read aloud about conflict management, learn the social skills “How to Apologize”, and role play the correct way to apologize, in order to describe characteristics of healthy relationships (Utah Standard 2-Objective 1a)

Materials Needed: I’m Terrific by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, chart paper, markers.

Motivation: Give each student a gold star to give away to someone they think deserves a gold star for a “terrific” job.

Procedures:

Read aloud I’m Terrific, stopping at the point in the story where Jason Bear goes back to Marvin’s house to apologize.
Direct volunteers to help list reasons that apologizing would be a considered important for Jason Bear. A few reasons may include: 1. It shows his friends that when he makes a mistake he has the courage to fix the problem. 2. It makes him more approachable and others are inclined to apologize to him when they have erred. List many student responses on the chart paper.
Name and describe the skill you are going to teach the students. The skill is “How to Apologize”. When you have offended another person you need to apologize by selecting and appropriate place and time to give the apology, look at the person, use a pleasant voice tone when stating what you are sorry for, tell the person how you will avoid repeating the offense, and ask the person to accept your apology.

Choose a good time and place.
Look at the person
Use a pleasant voice tone
State specifically why you are sorry and what for
Tell the person how you will avoid repeating it
Ask the person to accept your apology

Model the skill with a student using the correct steps.
Divide students into partners. Give time for students to role-play using the skill. First have them role-play Jason Bear and Marvin Raccoons apology. Next provide students to opportunity to role-play real life examples. Reasons they may need to apologize to someone. (Hurting someone’s feeling, cutting in line, copying someone’s work, grabbing the soccer ball out of someone’s hands, etc.) Let students use their own ideas.
Provide feedback to students. “ I like the way you were looking at Steven when you were apologizing for…”
Plan for future practice opportunities.

Accommodations: For second language learners draw picture clues next to each step of the social skill. (For time and place draw a clock, for look at the person draw a pair of eyes, etc.) Role-playing is good speaking activity for second language learners partner them with someone they are comfortable speaking to.

Closure: Ask a few volunteers to role-play their conflict and apology to the class. Be sure to use to provide feedback on what was done well.

Assessment/Evaluation: Wander the room as students practice in partners and provide feedback on performance. Ask the next day if the can remember the steps when you are giving an apology. Also ask the other adults in the building to notice if they are using the social skill in real life situations.

Extension: Students who finish early may copy steps onto decorative paper and hang them in classroom where conflict most often occurs.

Teacher Reflection: N/A

Lesson 2

Title of Lesson: Problem Solving

Teacher(s): N/A

Date: N/A

Time Allotted: 45 min.

Grade Level(s): 2

Number of Learners: small groups

Unit Theme: Family- conflict management

Standard(s) Met: (see below)

Goal: The learners will be able to recognize and give examples of the tensions between the wants and needs of individuals and groups, and concepts such as fairness, equity, and justice. (NCSS 6h)

Objectives: Given [materials], the learner will read in small groups a story about conflict, and contribute to a problem-solving chart about how to solve problems effectively in order to identify benefits of cooperating and sharing with peers and family (Utah Standard 2-Objective 1b).

Materials Needed: The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister, This Room is Mine, by Betty Ren Wright, My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother, by Patricia Polacco, The Crayon Box that Talked, by Shane DeRolf, one piece of chart paper per group, markers and pencils. Copy of problem solving steps one per group.

Motivation: How many of you had a problem with a friend or family member today? In the last week? How did you solve it? Have a discussion focusing on what students did to solve their problems.

Procedures:

1. Divide students into four groups to read aloud one these books: My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother, The Rainbow Fish, This Room is Mine, and The Crayon Box that Talked. (Books are listed in order of difficulty, most difficult to least difficult.)

2. Model then direct smalls groups to answer the problem solving questions on chart paper for the problem that the characters in the books confront. Give students in the groups different colored markers and ask each student to be responsible for writing down group ideas under one step. There are five steps each groups should have five students.

Title of Book:

Step 1

What is the problem?

Step 2

What are some of the solutions?

Step 3

For each solution ask:

Is it safe?

How might people feel?

Is it fair?

Will it work?

Step 4

Choose a solution and use it.

Step 5

Is it working? If not, what can I do now?

3. Ask small groups to share their solutions to the problem that the characters that confronted in the story.

4. Hang up posters around classroom to remind students of problem solving steps.

5. Look for future opportunities for students to apply steps in real life situations.

Accommodations: Allow extra time for students who are having difficulty. Assign second language learners that are having difficulty Step 4 of the problem solving process where student would be required to simply copy the solution that has already been written down on the poster.

Closure: Ask a few volunteers what they liked and disliked about using the problem solving steps.

Assessment/Evaluation: Review the posters for the five steps and the correct information under each step. Notice if they are using the problems solving guide to help solve problems in real life situations

Extension: Groups that finish early can design a poster for the lunchroom with problem solving steps and pictures.

Teacher Reflection: N/A

Lesson 3

Title of Lesson: Family Poetry

Teacher(s): N/A

Date: N/A

Time Allotted: 20 min

Grade Level(s): 2

Number of Learners: whole class

Unit Theme: Family- conflict management

Standard(s) Met: (see below)

Goal: The learners will be able to describe the unique features of one’s nuclear and extended family. (NCSS 4c)

Objectives: Given [materials], the learner will write a poem about themselves and a family member using a poetry pattern in order to develop a sense of self in relation to families and community (Utah Standard 2-Objective 1).

Materials Needed: Copy of poetry pattern, lined paper, pencils and erasers for entire class, and crayons.

Motivation: Show students a picture of someone in your family. Read a poem you’ve written about that person using the poetry pattern.

Procedures:

Teach this activity by having students first write a poem about themselves, then have students write poem about a family member.

1. Have students write their/or family members first name on the first line of the sheet of paper.

2. Next have student volunteers give examples of describing words. Write them on the board.

3. Let students choose two words that describe the person and write them on line two. They may use the ideas on the board for a guide.

4. Have students volunteers give examples of action words, things he or she likes to do. Write them on the board.

5. Let students choose three words that tell things he or she likes to do on line three.

6. Students should choose four more words to describe the person on line four.

7. Have students write last name on line five.

8. Students should repeat poetry pattern to write a poem about a family member.

Amy

Baby Sister

Sleeps, eats, cries

Small, soft, happy, cute

Benson

9. Decorate finished product with pictures and color.

Accommodations: Allow students that are having difficulty to copy ideas from the board. Allow second language learners to write their family poem

Closure: A few volunteers may read their poems to the class.

Assessment/Evaluation: Review poems students wrote. File the in student portfolios.

Extension: Write many poems about family members. Create a poetry book that includes a poem about every member in your family.

Teacher Reflection: N/A

Lesson 4

Title of Lesson: Picture File for family

Teacher(s): N/A

Date: N/A

Time Allotted: 30 min

Grade Level(s): 2

Number of Learners: small groups

Unit Theme: Family- conflict management

Standard(s) Met: (see below)

Goal: The learners will be able to describe the unique features of one’s nuclear and extended family (NCSS 4c); identify roles as learned behavior patterns in groups, situations such as student, family member, peer group member, or club member. (NCSS 5a)

Objectives: Given [materials], the learners will listen to a read aloud about families with two sets of parents; arrange picture cards into many types of families, and contribute to a discussion about the different makeup’s of families in order to explain how families change over time (Utah Standard 2-Objective 1c)

Materials Needed: Charlie Anderson, by Barbara Abercrombie, laminated family file cards, drawing paper, and crayons

Motivation: Read aloud Charlie Anderson. Why did Charlie have two families? Is that okay? What other types of families can you think of?

Procedures:

1. Place a set of laminated picture card in the center of table.

2. Ask students to arrange cards into families. Listen and look for bias and stereotyping.

3. Conduct a whole class discussion. What makes a family? How are families different? Who can’t be in the same family?

4. Have each group share one of the families they created. Are the families all the same? Do any have two sets of parents like Charlie Anderson?

5. As children to share different types of families, have them create them at their table using their picture cards.

Accommodations: For second language learners you may want to type up label cards that they can place under the picture cards. For instance Father, Mother, Sister, Step-Mom, Grandpa, etc.

Closure: Ask a few volunteers to share the makeup of their family. Compare similarities and differences.

Assessment/Evaluation: Ask students to draw a picture of a family that they created with the photo cards.

Extension: Have students talk about the roles of family members? How are families different in different places?

Teacher Reflection: N/A

Assessment

During this unit students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways. The teacher will observe individual children or groups of children and record anecdotal records. The teacher will look for students understanding of concepts taught. Children will also be assessed by interviews. The teacher will ask open-ended questions about families and conflict resolution. Students will be given opportunities to self-assess with a student-created rubric. During the entire unit students will be collecting work samples for portfolios.

Appendices

Step 1

What is the problem?

Step 2

What are some of the solutions?

Step 3

For each solution ask:

Is it safe?

How might people feel?

Is it fair?

Will it work?

Step 4