Lesson One

A. Opening: Cold Wind Blows

• In person: Arrange chairs in a circle. Make sure to have one less chair than people.
• All take seats, and the teacher starts standing in the center: “A cold wind blows if...You’re wearing white socks.” (Or any other low pressure opening round, that is also true for them.)
  • All who are wearing white socks have to jump up and everyone tries to grab a chair.
  • Last one standing is now the speaker in the center and they fill in the line, “ A Cold Wind Blows if…”
  • Repeat for a few rounds.
  • Return to seats for viewing.

B.Screen film

• Allow 5-10 minutes for teacher-led open discussion following the film.

C. Posting a Connection

• Ask students to choose one important relationship in their lives; someone they consider “family” in the broadest sense of the word. Once they’ve chosen, ask students to scroll through their photo stream and post one image that shows the nature of that relationship to the class instagram account. Alternatively, if you’re on zoom students can replace their profile pic with this image or share to the chat. Remind students about the group’s community agreements. (This is where the advanced work with community agreements will come in to play; make sure to include guidelines about what is safe and respectful to post.) This will also likely be a hectic moment as it may be exciting to be able to use their phones in class rather than hide them away. In order to contain some of that energy, give students 5-8 minutes total to complete. The time constraint will also encourage students to dive in and not overthink it.

D.Closing: Noticing a Tradition

• Go around: Students & teacher- “Name a food you eat with family.”

Homework: Choose one relationship in your life, can be the same as the one you chose in class or you can choose a different one. Before next class, post images or texts that give insight into that relationship. (Remind students to get permission from the other person before sharing their image or words.)

Lesson Two

E. Opening: Cold Wind Blows

• In person: Arrange chairs in a circle. Make sure to have one less chair than people.
• All take seats, and the teacher starts standing in the center: “A cold wind blows if...You’re wearing white socks.” (Or any other low pressure opening round, that is also true for them.)
  • All who are wearing white socks have to jump up and everyone tries to grab a chair.
  • Last one standing is now the speaker in the center and they fill in the line, “ A Cold Wind Blows if…”
  • Repeat for a few rounds.
  • Return to seats.
  • Possible Zoom variation: When true for them students must change their profile picture to something that represents the stated quality: eg, a photo white socks. Last one to do so moves to the “middle” and sets off the next round.

F.Chosen/Family Trees

• Display an image of a family tree, explaining the diagramming, paying attention to how it depicts generations.
• Invite groups to define family; ask a student to chart responses where all can see.
• Introduce the term “Chosen Family”
  • Ask for definitions, and chart responses.
  • Display the two articles linked in Material sections: Both feature photo essays and option to focus on the imagery, or choose to spend time with the text as well. (In this or in an expansion lesson.)
  • Discuss: Why might people want to turn to their chosen family? Why might they need to?
• Introduce template of “Chosen Family” tree
  • Use samples here, or feel free to create your own.
  • Give students time to complete their own. Play music without lyrics while they work. Allow ten minutes, but extend if the group is invested and wanting more time.
  • Ask for volunteers to share. Continue sharing as long as there are volunteers.

G.Project: Your Family: A Short Film

• Choose one relationship (can be a new one, or one they already selected.) Gather videos, photos, screenshots into one video that captures that relationship. Length: 1-5 minutes.
• Share to class stream.
• End project with a class screening of all projects.

H. Closing: What’s your favorite time of day, and why?

EXTENSIONS

These are optional activities for further engagement & or ways to scaffold the lesson for language learners and students’ across diverse learning spectrums.

1. Continue the series with a focus on family networks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shift the final projects to focus on the new traditions they have created during this time.
2. Extend the lesson into a series that lasts a longer unit; a semester or even a year. Return to the project weekly and work towards a final project that takes one relationship and narrates it over the given timespan.