Family Tree House

Family Tree House lesson plan

It's time to explore Germany's Black Forest region and the history of the cuckoo clock.

  • 1.

    Find out how family trees are structured. Ask family members to help you identify the names of your great grandparents and grandparents. Go back further if you can. Then list the names of your parents, yourself, and siblings.

  • 2.

    Write all the names in a family tree structure with Crayola® Colored Pencils on white paper.

  • 3.

    Cover your work area with recycled newspaper. Use Crayola Tempera Paint and Brushes to paint a sky background on a large sheet of white paper. Dry on a flat surface.

  • 4.

    Paint a large Family Tree House that represents you. Decorate it with symbols or items that tell something about you.

  • 5.

    From this large house, paint lines that lead to two houses that represent your parents. Paint more houses to represent their parents (your grandparents) and their parents (your great grandparents). Design all of the houses to reflect characteristics of, o

Benefits

  • Students research their family history and graph it in a family tree format.
  • Children appreciate similarities and differences in various cultures and customs by comparing and contrasting their family trees.
  • Students create an original painting that illustrates findings from their research.

Adaptations

  • Draw a detailed family tree using Crayola Colored Pencils. List names, birth (and death) dates, where they lived, all children, and other information.
  • Make a painting for each family member that highlights that person. Give them as gifts for bedroom door signs. Or cover with clear plastic adhesive, such as Con-Tact® paper, to make place mats.
  • Trace your family tree as far back as you can. Where did your ancestors live? What did they do? Can you locate photographs?
  • Young children and special needs students might paint small portraits of families or family members and cut them out when dry. Arrange portraits into a family tree, gluing each portrait to a large piece of construction paper. Paint a trunk, branches, and leaves around portraits and dry.