UNIT 2: Day 5 FAMILY

Essential Question

How do families shape who we are?

About This Unit

Families help shape our values, traditions, memories, and beliefs. In this unit, you will explore the people who have influenced your life and the stories that connect generations.

You Will Create🌳 Family Tree📖 Family Chapter

Literate Voices Publishing Studio

Day 5: Family Stories & Graphic Memoir Chapter

8:30–2:30

Break: 10:15–10:25
Lunch: 11:50–12:30

Daily Goal

Create a Family Tree graphic page, plan a family story, and draft/publish the Family Chapter in the anthology.

8:30–8:45

Opening Discussion: What Makes a Family?

Prompt:

Families come in many forms. Who are the people who helped shape who you are today?

Partner Share:

Who makes up your family?
Who has influenced you most?
What traditions are important to your family?

Create chart:

Families Can Include...

Parents
Grandparents
Siblings
Cousins
Guardians
Foster parents
Friends
Coaches
Neighbors
Pets

8:45–9:05

Teacher Model

Show:

Family Tree Page

Family Chapter Page

Family Story Example

Think aloud:

How did I choose this story?
Why is it meaningful?
How will I tell it through pictures and words?

9:05–9:45

Family Tree Graphic Page

Students create a page that will be included in the final book.

Required Elements

Center:

Self portrait
Name

Around the page:

Important people
Small illustrations
Relationship labels

Examples:

Mom
Grandpa
Aunt
Brother
Coach
Best Friend

Each person gets:

Picture
Name
One descriptive word

9:45–10:15

Memory Leaves Activity

Students add memories around the family tree.

Categories:

🍃 Tradition

🍃 Lesson Learned

🍃 Family Saying

🍃 Funny Moment

🍃 Celebration

🍃 Important Place

🍃 Favorite Memory

These become story ideas for the chapter.

10:15–10:25

Break

10:25–10:45

Read Aloud & Discussion

Family-centered mentor text.

Possible excerpts:

"Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark"
"No Speak English"
"A Rice Sandwich"
from The House on Mango Street

Discussion:

How does the author show family members?
Which details make them memorable?
What emotions do we learn?

10:45–11:20

Family Story Planning

Students choose ONE story.

Good story choices:

A holiday
A family tradition
Learning something important
A funny disaster
A special conversation
A difficult moment
A family trip
A celebration

Planning Sheet:

Main Character

Setting

Beginning

Middle

Ending

Lesson Learned

11:20–11:50

Graphic Memoir Mini-Lesson

Building a Comic Page

Model:

Panel 1

Introduce people and setting

Panel 2

Something happens

Panel 3

Important moment

Panel 4

Reflection

Show examples of:

Speech bubbles
Thought bubbles
Captions
Sound effects

Students sketch rough comic layout.

11:50–12:30

Lunch

12:30–1:15

Drafting Session 1

Students begin Family Chapter.

Teacher conferences.

Focus:

Story clarity
Panel sequencing
Dialogue
Sensory details

1:15–1:30

Midpoint Peer Review

Partners exchange work.

Feedback:

I liked...

I was curious about...

One detail I'd like to know more about...

1:30–2:00

Drafting Session 2

Students revise and continue.

Goal:

Complete first comic page
Begin second page if ready

Advanced students:

Add color
Add background details
Add captions

2:00–2:20

Publishing Studio

Transfer completed work into Google Slides anthology templates.

Students:

Insert illustrations
Format text
Adjust panel sizes
Add page titles

Teacher circulates helping with layout and design.

2:20–2:30

Author Reflection Circle