Family Vocabulary Introduction Lesson – Lesson Plan
Class level: Elementary to High school
Lesson Time: 60 minutes
English level: Beginner to Advanced
Expected number of students: 20 - 40
Context: Identifying selected family members.
Teaching aids: Teaching aids: White/chalk board. Family members diagram page (this can be
reused on subsequent lesson as a learning reference), family member flashcards, and a soft
foam ball for playing conversation hot-potato
Learner objectives:
Teacher aims:
For all students to speak in English using the family
members studied and for advanced students to also use
English to describe the relation of family members to each
other, Students should also have the opportunity to
practice correct pronunciation.
Involve all students in an engaging
lesson.
Teach a fun lesson with a game that
adapts to the learner’s abilities.
Procedure
Phase
Timing
Engage
5 minutes
Study
10 minutes
Activate
15 minutes
Before class starts, the teacher will need to a family tree frame
similar to the diagram the students will be completing in class. The
teacher should cover the words and reveal them as they are
introduced during the lesson.
The teacher begins by reminding the class of his/her own family
and asking the students to recall the family titles they know. Also
ask them to describe the family members.
Review the family member flashcards, one family member at a time
with the class to draw upon prior knowledge of family members for
this lesson.
(1) Ask the class to say the family member displayed.
(2) The teacher models the correct pronunciation by reading the
family member.
(3) The class re-reads the family member.
The Diagram Activity, Part 1:
Distribute the diagram to the students. Begin by asking the
students what family members in the drawings they recognize. As
the students say what the family members are called, the teacher
will write the names onto the diagram he/she drew on the board
before class.
1. Ask the class to work in pairs to complete the family tree
diagram by filling in the missing names on the blank spaces.
Students will also write the translation of the family member
in their own language. (You should ask your mentor/coteacher teacher or other teacher to write the correct words in
the native language where you are teaching. So you will
1 of 5
know.) * Even if you do not know the words in the student’s
native language, the students will correct each other.
2. Next have the students report their findings. Assign each
pair of students one or two family member vocabulary words
to translate on the board until all of the labels of family
members have been translated.
3. Have four students, one from each pair, come to the board
at once to write their translations next to the family members
in English that you wrote before class began.
4. Once all of all of the family members have been translated
on the board, the teacher will review the list with the class.
Have the students read the family member in English and
then in their native language.

It might be that the majority of the students in the class
will say a few of the words have been incorrectly
translated. If the majority of the class feels a word has
been translated incorrectly, ask a student who disagrees
with the original translation what he/she feels it should
be. Ask the class if they agree. If the majority of the
students agree that the translation is not correct have the
student who gave the correction come to the board and
write the correction.
The Diagram Activity, Part 2:
1. On the back of the same paper (or on another piece of
paper as you wish) the students will make their own family
tree. The students can use their previously made family tree
diagrams to fill in the labels for their own family tree.
Activate
15 minutes
Closure/
15 minutes
Once all of the words have been reviewed have students present
their family tree to the rest of the class.
Closing Activity
1. The teacher demonstrates a word studied by holding up a
family member flashcard and asks the class “Who is s/he?”
2. The teacher, gently toss the foam ball to a student to answer
the question.
3. The student who caught the ball answers by identifying the
family member flashcard held by the teacher. The student
responds “S/He is a __(family member displayed on the
flashcard held by the teacher)_.
4. After answering, he teacher changes the card, the student
tosses the foam ball to another student and the student who
2 of 5
Study
previously had answered the question now asks the second
student, “Who is s/he?”
5. The student who caught the ball answers by identifying the
family member flashcard held by the teacher. The student
responds “She /He is a __(family member displayed on the
flashcard held by the teacher)_.
6. The process repeats itself with the responding student taking a
turn at asking the question to the next student.
Continue to toss the ball until all students have taken a turn
The point of the activity is to have students attempt speaking in
English and become familiar with the family labels studied. If the
students do not respond correctly it is still okay as long as they are
gently corrected and the class can hear the correct answer.
+For more advanced students ask them if they have that family in
their family and how many. Obviously use your best discretion
(avoid asking about fathers or mothers, not all students will have
them and you do not want to mistakenly embarrass a student).
See next page for Family Tree Diagram Resource and Activity Page.
3 of 5
4 of 5
Name_________________________ Date______________________
5 of 5