A huge role in school life is played by the project on the theme "My Family". This section is very popular with children, and teachers, and even teachers in kindergartens. The family is an integral part of our life, so it will have to pay special attention. But how to organize interesting classes on this topic? What to focus on? What techniques are most successful in elementary school in this area? About all this further.
Goals and objectives
The project on the theme "My family" in the same way as any other, pursues certain goals and objectives. Without them, all activity has no meaning whatsoever. So you need to clearly understand why you are conducting these or those classes, what you need to teach children.
In general, “My Family” is a topic that in itself is designed to teach children to be aware of themselves as a member of society, to value bonds of kinship. It should reflect the importance of belonging to one or another “unit of society”. Love and respect for family members are also those areas that should be implemented during the project.
Of course, “My Family” is an area that shows children the value of loved ones. She teaches moral standards and shows how to set priorities in life . In addition, among the goals and objectives of the project, you can also find items that imply the development of communication skills, composing stories, as well as improving research activities. After all, you have to carefully study your family in order to talk about it in the classroom.
Class hour
In principle, how to conduct classes on our current topics, each teacher chooses himself. The best tips and tricks will be presented later. As we have already found out, the project is aimed at introducing children to the family, at setting priorities and values in life, as well as at developing children. Nothing special, right?
At the very beginning, it is recommended to spend the so-called class hour with the children. “My family” is a topic that usually requires discussion. At this time, your task will be to clarify what a family is, who is part of it. After all, not always in primary school do children clearly understand what is at stake. For the first conversation this will be enough. But then you will have to carefully prepare to make the project seem interesting and useful. What techniques should be used?
Story
Without fail, let the children prepare the story "My Family." It doesn’t matter what class it is about - first-graders or older children. Everyone is able to talk about what is happening and about the environment in the first class.
So instruct the children to write the story "My Family." Let everyone in front of the class talk about with whom he lives, which of his relatives. It is not necessary to demand long speeches, just a few phrases from each child are enough. Typically, the word is provided at the classroom hour held at the very beginning of the study of the topic.
This technique is always used by everyone. A project on the topic "My Family" without a story about the "cell of society" is simply unthinkable. All children will be interested in telling about their relatives and listening to classmates. In any case, in elementary school this is still so. But in older children, the stories are not particularly successful.
Traditions
Each family is a separate unit of society. And she has her own rules of conduct, some of her own rites and principles. This is very important for a project called "My Family." "My traditions" (or rather, "Traditions in my family") is a rather interesting topic for presentation to the class.
Assign the children to write a story or otherwise tell them about the customs they have in their families. Maybe it's a weekly Sunday trip to the park for a walk, a joint Saturday dinner, or something else. Let all this be included in the story of the family.
This approach teaches not only to listen, but also to obtain information, to present it correctly. In addition, children in elementary school will be really interested to listen to stories on the theme "My family - my traditions." Yes, and talk about them - too. After all, the more non-standard customs in the family, the more interesting. Children seem to be showing off to each other. This is a great chance to introduce them to our topic today.
Photo
Another trick is to bring photos of your family to the lesson. Let the children not only talk about their relatives, traditions and customs, but also show it. In elementary school, this technique is not too rare, but it can interest many.
The use of real photographs is an original and modern solution so that the project "My World - My Family" will interest children. They all love not only listening but also watching. And real images will draw kids' attention to the process. Just what is so necessary.
Tree
After you talk with your children about family composition, you can give them some homework. A project on the theme "My Family" often involves the creation of wall newspapers, and individual. It is called the family tree.
Assign the children to compose their family tree. Let the parents also take part in this. Do not limit children in anything, because everyone has full relatives. Or maybe not really. In any case, this way you will be able to attract not only students, but also their parents to your project. And it brings people together.
After the children present their family trees to you, arrange an exhibition. Or ask them to write a family story using the "tree". Also a creative approach to talking with children in the chosen direction.
The writing
For an older age, it would be nice to entrust an essay on the theme "My family is the best." So the child will develop not only creative and speech skills, but also written ones.
It is not necessary to demand some long speeches from the children. Let them just write if they consider their family the best and why. A few paragraphs are enough. You can then ask to read essays before the class. Especially if you do not have a lot of children in the group. During the project, children should understand that their families are really the best that can be for them. And while learning to justify their point of view.
Not only by blood
Family is a loose concept. It usually means only kinship. But any self-respecting teacher can explain that kinship by blood is not the only criterion that helps to understand what a family really is. Sometimes it happens that a non-relative can become part of your cell in society.
So this moment will have to explain to the kids. For example, draw the analogy "My class is my family." After all, they say that the school is the second home. This means that the society in which the child is here is also a family. Although not blood-related. In general, for elementary school understanding of this topic may be slightly difficult. But you have to try to let the children understand - it’s not enough to be a blood relative to be considered a real part of the family. Sometimes even an outsider is able to become closer to you than anyone. But with older children, everything goes much easier. Most likely, they already faced with the fact that some family members (blood) are not in the best relations with each other. Therefore, awareness of kinship in different senses will come faster.
Drawings
The project on the topic "My Family" is what attracts many. Especially children. After all, you can boast of your family, some traditions and customs, features that are only within the same "cell of society."
To involve children in the project, it is recommended to conduct an art lesson on this topic. The drawings "My Family" are perfect for exhibitions, as well as for children's stories. Instruct in any way to depict how their family appears to the children. It can be a drawing or applique.
What exactly can be depicted? Everything that children deem necessary, but related to the family. For example, you can draw how they celebrate an event. Or you can simply portray the family members who are most loved by the child. Then let the kids choose on their own.
After the drawings and applications are collected, hold a parent meeting or just an exhibition. Let adult family members look at their children's creativity. It is not only interesting, but also useful.
Conversation with parents
Family is, of course, good. But just not always and not at all the relationship at home with relatives is good. So it will not hurt to hold the so-called educational conversation with parents at the end of the project , without children. It would be nice to invite a child psychologist who can help if it turns out that something goes wrong in a family.
The most informative moment will be exactly the children's drawing / application. The psychologist will be able to quickly analyze each image, after which it will provide information on how the family actually appears in the eyes of the child. If problems or their beginnings are identified, then a conversation with parents will help eliminate them. Try to make everyone present in this conversation.
In principle, a psychologist can also be dispensed with. Although in elementary school such children's specialists are still actively invited. Remember that the project on the topic "My Family" without summing up and analysis cannot be considered completed with success.
Presentations
Well, this, in principle, ends the discussion with the children and parents of our current direction. Only now, the teacher will have to properly prepare for each lesson. “My big family” is a direction that requires special preparation from us. What may be required in the classroom?
The best technique would be to use the presentation in stories and dialogs with children. They can contain several examples of families (happy, this is important), as well as a variety of thoughts about the "cells of society", proverbs and sayings. "My big family" is a topic that requires special preparation.
You can independently prepare a presentation or take a finished one. There is no significant difference. The main thing is that the slides can explain to the children the importance and value of the family. Both blood and not.
It is also recommended to prepare a separate presentation at the end of the project, which will depict the entire process that was completed with the children. Even if there are only photos here, but this technique is a great option to summarize. The way children talk about families, exhibitions, essays, family trees - all this should fit on your slides. Excellent presentation of the outcome of the topic. In elementary school, children will be interested to see exactly how they looked from the side. Yes, and for parents this technique is suitable. You can quickly and clearly demonstrate what exactly the children did in the lessons, how they tried.
That's all. The discussion on the project “My World - My Family” has come to an end. Now we know the most relevant and successful techniques used in this direction. The main thing is to explain to children the whole importance of the family, to instill in them family values. If you correctly and interestingly organize thematic classes, you will quickly achieve the desired result. “My family is my life” - this is the concept that should be deposited in children in memory.