Megan Zagrodniczek
Who’s in My Family?
Purpose:
Today is one in several lessons in focusing on the topic of main idea. This lesson will be
surrounding the book, Who’s in My Family? By Robie Harris in order to allow students to
observe and understand that every family looks different. The students will be making a
caring community map in order to visually represent their family structure to later share
with their classmates.
VA SOLS
English 2.8 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts.
a) Make and confirm predictions.
b) Relate previous experiences to the main idea.
c) Ask and answer questions about what is read.
d) Locate information to answer questions.
e) Describe characters, setting, and important events in fiction and poetry.
f) Identify the problem and solution.
g) Identify the main idea.
h) Summarize stories and events with beginning, middle, and end in the correct
Objectives:
Given paper and coloring utensils, the student will be able to illustrate their family in the
form of a concept map and answer prompted questions about their family in table group
discussions 90% of the time.
Procedure:
Introduction:
 Have students gather on carpet
 Introduce the book Who’s in My Family? By Robie Harris
o Gesturing to front cover, back cover, spine, title page as students chant the
names for each (A,V)
o Ask students about the roles of the author, illustrator and publisher (A,V)
 Make observations about the front cover of the story
 Who do we see? (Character development)
 Where are we? (Setting)
 Based on the title, what do you think the story is about? (Predictions)
o Prompt students to think about the main idea of the story
o Mark pages in the book with sticky notes written down with comprehension
questions before reading.
o Make sure to decide on a definitive main idea of the story: something along
the lines of: “To understand that every family looks different”
 Students will come up with the sentence, then we will all chant it
together.
 Read the story
o Stop periodically to have a few students share personal experience and to
define some language they might not have heard before.
Development:
 Have students return to their desks, having them tiptoe or walk a certain way
 Pass out their piece of paper with one circle in the middle and an additional lined
paper.
 Explain that we are all drawing our own family or caring community
o Instructions:
 Since we decided that the main idea of the story is “understanding
that every family looks different”, we are going to draw a graph of our
own families to share with the class.
 Lets write the main idea on the top of our papers together:
 “To understand that every family looks different”
 Have a visual example on the board so students can follow along as you
give verbal instructions.
 Model will look like this:
o List of own family members
o Create a small map with a few connections that are not
just from my name at the center
 Take out the blank lined paper and write your name at the top.
 Write a list of your family members down the page
 This can include your parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles,
cousins, pets, friends that are close to your family-any one who cares
for you or you care for them.
 When you are finished with your list, you will be drawing lines from
your name in the center.
 Every family member gets their own line and their own circle.
 You can write their name, spelling it the best you can.
 Or you can draw a picture of your family member.
 Conclude your instructions by telling students that they will be sharing at the end.
 Monitor the student’s progress, answering questions if needed.
o For Advanced Students:
Have students turn their map into a picture, or color code it, using
green for people who live in your house, and blue for people who do not
live in your house but are still part of your family, for an example.
o For Strugglers:
 Have students draw pictures of their family members instead of
writing their names. Write key words on the board to model spelling
like aunt, uncle, grandma, grandpa, cousin, sister, brother, etc.

Summary:
 Have students put their materials away; the only thing on their desk should be
their caring community map.
 Have students share their chart with their table groups following prompting
questions from instructor. They will do a “turn and talk”
o Pick a person on your chart and tell your table why you included them.
o How does your chart look similar to the other people at your table?
o How does your chart look different?
o What kind of connections did you make? Could you make more?
Materials:
 Blank paper with one circle in the middle
 Sheet of lined paper
 Coloring utensils
 The book Who’s in My Family? By Robie H. Harris
Evaluation Part A:
I will be able to tell if the students understood the activity if they could follow
instructions, wrote the main idea at the top of their page, created a family map and
engaged in conversations with their table. I will be monitoring their progress as I walk
around and listen to, or prompt, conversations. I will be steering the conversations in the
right direction. Those students who are on ‘private islands’ will be evaluated in the same
way, but will be asked to pull a chair up to another table group for the purpose of
instruction.
Evaluation Part B:
Did this lesson incorporate everyone’s learning style?
Was I able to allow for adequate illustration time?
What went well during this lesson?
What could have gone better?
What would I change if I did this lesson over?
How did my students do at evaluating their own work?
Name:
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