Lesson Objective: Students research their own family location, heritage, traditions and
languages
Lesson Sequence:
1.
Access prior knowledge. Ask students and discuss what “heritage” means to them.
2.
Define for students aspects of heritage using a spider map: Aspects of my heritage
can be shown by answering: Where did my family live? What religion did we have?
What languages did we speak? What ethnicity were they? There are other parts of
heritage like what we do, what we eat, and how we live that we call our “culture.” Of
course there are many things that have changed over time, but some things stay the
same, so it’s helpful to think about different times, or generations.
3.
Model finished product:
Long-long-long ago my family…
- Lived in Eastern Europe
- Spoke Yiddish and Hebrew
- Were Jewish
My great-grandparents….
- Moved to New York City
- Still spoke Yiddish and Hebrew
- Still were Jewish
My parents…
- Moved to California
- Speak English
- Are still Jewish
I…
-
Still live in California
Speak English and Spanish
Am still Jewish
Explain Assignment:
You will be conducting an interview of your own family in order to learn about your heritage.
(See parent letter and questionnaire below)
Model Interviewing
Show process of asking and recording answers, possibly translating, and asking follow-up
questions.
Follow-Up
●
After students have conducted their interviews, have them create an artistic family
tree, or use templates from http://www.familytreetemplates.net/.
● Create a color-coded class map of where previous generations came from.
Current generation: red
parents: yellow
grandparents/ancestors: green
● Have students write a 5 paragraph expository essays about their family heritage.
Dear Families,
Our class is beginning a unit exploring the contributions of Native North Americans to our
current society in Oakland. As part of this unit, we are asking students to explore, and research
aspects of their own family history and culture. Culture can relate to where we come from, our
ethnicity, our religion, our food, and even our language! Please work with your child to answer
as many questions as you can. Thank you so much for being willing to share.
Please write me a note saying if you feel uncomfortable answering the questions.
Family Heritage Survey
Directions: Students should ask the following questions and write down the answers.
Family Member being interviewed: _____________________________________________
All about me:
What are my favorite meals we prepare at home?
Where was I born?
What languages do I speak?
What ethnicity am I?
Do I have a religion? What is it called?
All about my parents:
What were your favorite meals your family prepared at home when you were growing up?
Where were you born? What was the name of the city, the state and the country?
What languages did you speak growing up?
What culture/cultures/ethnicity/race does our family come from?
Did you have a religion when you were growing up? What was it called?
All about my grandparents and great grandparents
What language(s) did my grandparents speak?
Where were my grandparents? What city? What state? What country?
All about my great grandparents or ancient ancestors:
Where were my great-grandparents or ancestors from?
What languages did they speak?
Did they have a religion? What did they believe?
Cuestionario de Patrimonia Familiar
Direcciones: Estudiantes deben leer las preguntas siguientes y escribir las respuestas de usted.
Nombre del familiar en la entrevista: _____________________________________________
Todo sobre yo (el estudiante):
?Cuales son mis comidas favoritas que hacen ustedes en casa?
?En donde naci?
?Cuales idiomas hablo yo?
?Que raza soy yo?
?Como se llama mi religión, si tengo una?
Todo sobre mis padres:
?Cuales fueron tus comidas más favoritas que preparo tu familia cuando eras joven?
?En donde naciste? En que ciudad, estado y país?
?Cuales idiomas hablaste en casa en tu niñez?
?Que cultura o raza fueron tus padres?
?Cuando era niña/o, tenias un religión en casa? Como se llamo el religion?
Todo sobre mis abuelos
?Cuales idiomas hablaban mis abuelos?
?En donde vivían mis abuelos? ?En que ciudad? ?En que estado? ?En que pais?
Todo sobre mis bisabuelos:
?De donde vivían mis bisabuelos?
?Que idioma hablaron mis bisabuelos?
?Tenian un religión o creencias mis bisabuelos? ?En que creian?
Todo sobre mis antepasados antiguos:
Conoces algo de nuestros antepasados mas mas antiguos?
?De donde vivían mis bisabuelos?
?Que idioma hablaron mis bisabuelos?
?Tenian un religión o creencias mis bisabuelos? ?En que creian?