Environmental Studies · Class 5 · Family and Friends · Term 3

Our Family Tree

Discover who is in your family and how everyone is connected. We will learn about different relationships like parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts.

TL;DR:Let's embark on a journey into our past to discover the amazing people who make up our world: our family!

• CBSE Learning Outcomes
• NCERT EVS Class 5: Theme - Family and Friends

About This Topic

This topic, 'Our Family Tree', is a cornerstone of Environmental Studies (EVS) for Class 5, aligning with the NCERT framework's emphasis on understanding one's immediate social environment. It moves beyond simple identification of family members to explore the structure, relationships, and lineage within a family. For a child in India, family is a primary social unit, and this topic helps them situate themselves within this unit. The lesson should explore the diversity of family structures prevalent in India, such as nuclear, joint, and extended families, fostering sensitivity and respect for different family types. By creating a family tree, students develop observational skills, learn to gather information from elders, and understand concepts of generations and heredity. This topic also strengthens their social and emotional learning by helping them appreciate their roots, the roles of different family members, and the support system a family provides.

Key Questions

1. Identify the different members of your immediate and extended family.
2. Explain the relationship between a maternal and a paternal grandparent.
3. Compare your family tree with a friend's to see similarities and differences.

Learning Objectives

• Identify immediate and extended family members and state their relationship.
• Differentiate between maternal and paternal relatives.
• Construct a simple family tree diagram representing at least three generations.
• Describe different types of family structures, such as nuclear and joint families.
• Appreciate the role and importance of each member within their family.

Key Vocabulary

Family Tree	A chart or diagram that shows the relationships between different members of a family over generations.
Generation	A level in a family. For example, your grandparents are one generation, your parents are the next, and you are the generation after that.
Paternal	Related through the father's side of the family (e.g., Dada, Dadi, Bua).
Maternal	Related through the mother's side of the family (e.g., Nana, Nani, Mama).
Relatives	People who are members of your family; your rishtedaar.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

All families are like my family (e.g., a nuclear family with two parents and children).

What to Teach Instead

Families in India are very diverse. Some are joint families where grandparents, uncles, and aunts live together, while others might be single-parent families. All types of families are special and provide love and care.

Common Misconception

Only people related by blood are part of a family.

What to Teach Instead

Family is about love, care, and connection. Members who are adopted or step-relatives are just as much a part of the family as those related by blood.

Common Misconception

The terms 'grandfather' and 'grandmother' are the same for both sides of the family.

What to Teach Instead

While we use general terms, we have specific names to understand relationships better. Paternal grandparents are your father's parents (Dada, Dadi), and maternal grandparents are your mother's parents (Nana, Nani).

Active Learning Ideas

Concept Mapping

My Family Tree Chart

Students will draw a tree on a chart paper and paste small, passport-sized photos or draw pictures of their family members on different branches. They will label each member with their name and relationship to the student (e.g., 'Dadi - Paternal Grandmother').

45 min·Individual

Concept Mapping

Family Story Circle

Each student shares a short, interesting story about one of their grandparents or an elder in the family. This could be about their childhood, a special skill they have, or a festival they celebrated together.

30 min·Whole Class

Concept Mapping

Relationship Web

In small groups, students use yarn or string to connect cards with different family roles (e.g., 'Mother', 'Father's Sister', 'Mother's Brother'). This helps them visualise the web of relationships in an extended family.

25 min·Small Groups

Real-World Connections

• Understanding family history and lineage helps in knowing one's roots and cultural heritage.
• Knowing family relationships is important during family functions, festivals, and weddings.
• Filling out official forms for school or government documents often requires details about parents and grandparents.
• Learning from the experiences and wisdom of elders like grandparents.
• Building a strong support system by understanding who's who in the extended family.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Observe students as they work on their family tree charts. Check for correct placement of members and understanding of generational levels through informal questioning.

Quick Check

A simple worksheet with a 'fill-in-the-blanks' section (e.g., 'My mother's brother is my ____') and a task to draw a small, labelled family tree for a fictional family.

Quick Check

Provide a checklist for students to review their own family tree: 'Have I included my parents?', 'Have I included my grandparents?', 'Have I labelled the relationships correctly?'

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a nuclear family and a joint family?

A nuclear family usually consists of parents and their children living in one house. A joint family is larger, where grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, and cousins often live together in the same household.

What if I don't know all my relatives for the family tree?

That's perfectly okay! The goal is to learn. You can ask your parents or grandparents to help you fill in the details. Your family tree is unique to you, so just include whomever you know.

Why is my friend's family tree so different from mine?

Every family is unique, just like every person is unique. Families have different sizes, histories, and members, which makes each family tree special and interesting.