- Lesson Plan Title: Grade R Life Skills: My Family Tree Creative Art Activity
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Materials Needed: A4 Paper sheets, a range of coloured pencils/crayons/markers, recycled magazines/catalogues, child-safe scissors, non-toxic glue, a photograph of each learner (if available).
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Revised Learning Objectives:
- Learners will identify and distinguish between different members of their families.
- Learners will enhance their fine motor skills through activities involving colouring, cutting and pasting.
- Learners will cultivate their creativity and individual character representation through art.
- Learners will demonstrate their understanding that every family composition is unique and valuable.
- Vocabulary: Family, Family Tree, Parents, Siblings, Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, Cousins.
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Prior Knowledge: Learners have previously been introduced to different family members and various family roles.
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Anticipated Challenges and Proposed Solutions:
- Some learners might lack fine motor skills for using scissors or glue: The teacher should provide guided practice and close support.
- Collecting family photographs from all learners might not be feasible: To overcome this, allow learners to use images from magazines or their own drawings.
- Beginning Activities (4 minutes):
- Reintroduce the vocabulary words and discuss their meanings.
- Present an example of a family tree, explaining its symbolism and function.
- Middle Activities (32 minutes):
- Step by step, facilitate learners to sketch/colour their own family tree on the A4 paper using their markers or crayons.
- Direct them to select images or use their own photos to represent their family members, correctly positioning them on their family tree.
- For learners with smaller families or absent family members, encourage them to include important friends, pets, or their own drawings.
- Ending Activities (4 minutes):
- Learners exhibit their artwork to the class, introducing their family members.
- Reinforce that every family is special and diverse, and every family tree will embody this difference.
- Assessment and Checks for Understanding:
- Confirm that learners have included all discussed family members and correctly positioned them on their family tree.
- Evaluate learners’ presentations for understanding and correct application of vocabulary words.
- Differentiation Strategies:
- Learners requiring extra support: Provide more assistance in picture-cutting and family tree assembling tasks. Accept simpler designs.
- Advanced Learners: Motivate them to expand their family tree to include extended family members and articulate their relationships.
- Teaching Notes:
- Be mindful and sensitive towards children with unusual family scenarios (e.g., foster families, orphans, single-parent homes, etc.)
- Cross-link this activity with the literacy component of the Life Skills syllabus by engaging learners to ‘label’ each member of their family tree, enhancing their alphabet and handwriting skills.
- Display a gallery of the created family trees on the classroom wall to foster a sense of community and interconnectedness.
Ensure a consistent, supportive, and positive learning environment, affirming every learner feels represented and valued in their unique family structure. This lesson segues into inclusive education by accommodating diverse family compositions, while fostering personal expression, and creativity.