Meet My Family!

How well do you think you know your family, its history, and what makes it unique? In this elective, you will become a historian, writer, and artistic designer and discover all the things that makes your family special. You’ll use your detective skills (along with help from adults in your life) to learn where you family originally came from, what kind of work they did, and what their day-to-day lives were like. With all the information you gather, you’ll create a family Coat of Arms, a symbol that represents, and is unique to, your family. Along the way, you’ll learn about poetry, practice your poetry reading skills and and get the chance to write a few of your own poems about your family and its history. This family-centered elective will end with a presentation that includes all the research, writing, and art you’ve created that you can share with friends, family and classmates!

Executive Function Skills

  • Task initiation
  • Time-management and planning
  • Organization of ideas
  • Self-monitoring and follow-through
  • Working memory

MA Practice Standards and Frameworks

Reading

  • Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text.
  • Describe how words and phrases supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.
  • Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from figurative language.

ELA Writing

  • Write narratives in prose or poem form to develop experiences or events using effective literary techniques, descriptive details, and clear sequences.
  • Write narratives to develop experiences or events using effective literary techniques, well-chosen details, and well-structured sequences.
  • Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

Speaking & Listening

  • Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
  • Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.

Language: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

  • Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings.