Show and Tell: Sharing Where My Family Comes From
Every family has a story. Maybe your family came from Mexico, or Vietnam, or Nigeria, or maybe your family has lived in the same town for five generations. Today you get to be the expert on your very own family's story!
What You'll Learn
- What it means to have family 'roots' or heritage - How to ask a grown-up questions about where your family comes from - One way families keep traditions alive, like food, language, or celebrations - How to share your family's story with the class
What Are Family Roots?
Family roots means the place, or places, where your family started out long ago. It could be a country far away, a city, or even a specific neighborhood right here. Lots of kids in your class probably have roots from many different places — and that is exactly what makes a classroom full of different stories so special.
Traditions: Things Families Keep Doing
A tradition is something a family does again and again because it connects them to where they come from. That could be a special food, like tamales at Christmas or dumplings for Lunar New Year. It could be a language spoken at home. It could be a holiday like Diwali, Kwanzaa, or Eid. These are real traditions that families all over the world celebrate every year.
Tonight, ask a parent, grandparent, or guardian: 'Where did our family come from?' and 'What is one tradition we do that comes from there?' Write down or draw what they tell you — you will use it for your Show and Tell.
Get Ready to Share
Bring an item, photo, or drawing that shows your family's tradition. Get ready to say three things out loud: the place your family's story comes from, one tradition connected to it, and why it is special to you.
Match each tradition to the kind of celebration it is.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
What does it mean when someone talks about their family's 'roots'?
Which of these is an example of a family tradition?
My Family Show and Tell
Draw a picture of one tradition, food, or item from your family's story. Underneath, write or dictate one sentence about where it comes from. Bring it to class and be ready to tell everyone: 'This is from my family because...' Deliverable: a labeled drawing plus one spoken or written sentence.
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