Social Studies · Grade 2

Active learning ideas

Family History: Interviewing Elders

Active learning works well for family history because children connect with concrete conversations rather than abstract facts. Interviewing elders builds empathy and understanding through direct interaction, making stories memorable and personal.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Heritage and Identity: Changing Family and Community Traditions - Grade 2

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs Practice: Mock Elder Interviews

Provide question cards with prompts like 'What traditions did your family have when you were young?' Pairs take turns as interviewer and elder, switching roles after 5 minutes. Each notes one key story learned. Follow with a 10-minute class share on effective questions.

Design questions to learn about a family's past traditions.

Facilitation Tip

During Pairs Practice, model a mock interview with a colleague first to demonstrate tone, pacing, and open-ended question phrasing.

What to look for

After students conduct practice interviews, facilitate a class circle. Ask: 'What was one surprising thing you learned from your partner? How did asking questions help you understand their 'elder's' story better?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 40 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Question Brainstorm and Refine

In small groups, students brainstorm 5-7 questions about family traditions and changes. Groups refine them for clarity, then contribute to a class question poster. Test questions on a partner before home use.

Explain how interviewing elders helps us understand history.

Facilitation Tip

When students brainstorm questions in small groups, circulate and ask guiding questions like, ‘How will this question help you learn about a tradition?’

What to look for

Provide students with a simple graphic organizer with two columns: 'Past Tradition' and 'Present Tradition'. Ask them to fill in one example they learned from an elder and one example from their own family's current practices.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 45 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Family Story Share Circle

Students bring one artifact or drawing from their interview. Sit in a circle; each shares a 1-minute story from their elder. Class asks one follow-up question per share to practice active listening.

Assess the value of personal stories in preserving heritage.

Facilitation Tip

In the Family Story Share Circle, sit in a circle with students and model attentive listening by nodding and asking follow-up questions after each story.

What to look for

On a small card, ask students to write one question they would ask an elder about their childhood and one sentence explaining why that question is important for understanding history.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Role Play
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: Interview Preparation Journal

Students create a personal journal page with 3-4 chosen questions, space for notes, and a drawing prompt for the elder's story. Review journals before interviews to personalize and organize thoughts.

Design questions to learn about a family's past traditions.

Facilitation Tip

Have students keep an Interview Preparation Journal so they practice writing questions and reflect on refining them before the real interview.

What to look for

After students conduct practice interviews, facilitate a class circle. Ask: 'What was one surprising thing you learned from your partner? How did asking questions help you understand their 'elder's' story better?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers know to start with role-play to reduce anxiety and build confidence. They emphasize open-ended questions over yes/no queries, as these yield richer stories. Teachers should avoid rushing feedback, letting students discover better questions through practice and reflection.

Students will listen carefully, ask thoughtful open-ended questions, and share meaningful stories from their interviews. They will recognize how individual experiences shape family and community history.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Pairs Practice, watch for students assuming traditions are universal across cultures.

  Use the mock interview debrief to highlight diversity, asking pairs to share a tradition from their partner’s ‘elder’ that surprised them, then discuss how families adapt traditions based on their heritage.

• During Pairs Practice, watch for students dismissing elders’ stories as unimportant.

  Guide students to notice details in their partner’s story, such as how a small event reveals larger community changes, and facilitate a reflection on the value of oral history.

• During Pairs Practice, watch for students using closed-ended questions in their mock interviews.

  After the activity, review the questions asked and ask students to rewrite vague questions like, ‘Did you like school?’ into open-ended ones like, ‘What was your favorite part of school as a child?’

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play