Family Stories: A Treasure

Overview

In this third lesson of Exploring Personal Histories, students explore how family stories help us learn about important people, places and events. They practise asking respectful questions and record a family member’s story on a simple pictorial timeline to share with the class or complete at home with a trusted adult.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• learn that families have different structures, stories and important events
• ask questions to find out about a family member’s life
• identify where a family member was born or raised, when appropriate
• record information using drawings, labels and a simple timeline
• listen respectfully to another person’s family story

Success criteria

• I can ask a kind question about a family member’s story.
• I can draw or label a person, place or important event.
• I can put events in an order that makes sense.
• I can share a family story respectfully, or explain that I am still finding out.

Curriculum links

• Family members, relationships and the places where people were born and raised.
• Sorting and recording information using drawings and pictorial timelines.
• Collecting information through questions, observations and family stories.
• Recognising that families and kinship structures are diverse.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and hook. Teacher opens with the family story introduction slides and shows a closed treasure box or image, asking, “What special stories might be kept inside a family treasure box?” Students think quietly, then share an idea with a partner.

Explain that a family story can be about a person, place, celebration, move, achievement, tradition or everyday memory. Reinforce that every family is different. Families may include parents, carers, siblings, grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins, Elders and other people who care for us.

2. 5–12 min · Model a family story. Teacher uses the family story modelling slides to model a fictional story about “Mia’s Pop”, using three picture cards or drawings: a baby, a school and a favourite place. Think aloud: “I can ask, ‘Where were you born?’ and ‘What is a special memory from when you were little?’”

Students help place the three pictures in a beginning, middle and now order. Discuss that students may not know every answer, and they should never feel pressured to share private or upsetting information.

3. 12–18 min · Question rehearsal. Teacher displays the respectful questions slides and introduces these question stems: “Who is this person?”, “Where were they born or raised?”, “What is a special memory?”, “What did they enjoy?”, and “Why is this story important to our family?”

Students practise asking and answering one question with a partner, taking turns as the interviewer and family member. Remind students to listen, wait for the answer and say, “Thank you for telling me.”

4. 18–32 min · Create a family story plan. Teacher distributes the family story pictorial timeline and explains that students may draw a family member, three events or details, and a place connected to the story. Students complete the sheet independently, using information they already know or planning questions to ask a trusted adult at home.

Students draw and label their chosen person, place and events. They may write a name, single words or have an adult scribe their words. Circulate and ask: “Who is in your story?”, “What happened first?”, and “What question could help you find out more?”

Provide a fictional or school-based example for students who do not wish to use personal family information.

5. 32–40 min · Partner sharing. Teacher returns to the sharing and listening slides and models sharing without naming private details: “This is my grandmother. She grew up near the ocean. I want to find out what games she played.”

Students share their drawing with a partner, or explain one question they will ask at home. Partners respond with, “I noticed…”, “I wonder…” or “Thank you for sharing.” Invite two or three volunteers to share with the class, ensuring students can pass.

6. 40–45 min · Plenary and check-out. Teacher revisits the learning intention on the final reflection slides and asks, “How can a question help us learn a family story?” Students complete an oral check-out by saying one respectful question they could ask, or pointing to the part of their timeline they completed.

Collect worksheets for a quick review. Explain that students may interview a trusted family member before the next lesson, with an adult’s permission, and bring back a drawing, note or spoken detail if they choose.

Resources

• the family stories slide deck
• the family story pictorial timeline
• Small treasure box or photograph of a keepsake
• Three teacher-made picture cards or simple drawings
• Pencils, crayons and erasers
• Optional clipboards or writing mats
• Classroom display space for voluntary student work

Assessment

• Listen during partner rehearsal for students asking a relevant question and taking turns respectfully.
• Confer during worksheet completion to check whether students can identify a person, place or event and place details in a meaningful order.
• Use the final oral check-out to assess understanding of respectful interviewing and family stories. Note students who need support distinguishing an event from a person or place.

Differentiation

• Provide picture choices, gesture-supported question stems and adult scribing for students developing oral language, fine-motor control or confidence.
• Allow students to tell a story about a trusted adult, caregiver, community member or family tradition rather than disclose personal information.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach words such as family, memory, born, raised, special and question, using visuals and partner rehearsal.
• Extend confident students by adding a fourth timeline detail, explaining why the event is significant, or preparing two different questions for their family interview.