Subject: Social Studies Type of Lesson: Discussions, internet use, group

presentations, use of handouts

Grade: 10 Demonstrate understanding of the

CSEC OBJ:
family as the basic unit of society.

Show appreciation for the role the

family plays in the development of
people as social beings and
responsible adults
Term: 1 Unit Number 1 The Individual, Family and Society
and Title: & Introduction to Institutions

Duration: 2 x 35 minutes Week Number: 1

Lesson Number # 2 What is a Family?

and Title: - Definition and explanation of
concepts and key terms: family,
social group, kinship, conjugal,
consanguine, family
tree/genealogical chart

Objectives
As a result of this lesson, the student will be able to:
1) define the concept family.
2) differentiate between conjugal and consanguine family.
3) construct a family tree to show three generations of a consanguine
family.
4) develop an appreciation for the importance of a family.

Prerequisite Student Knowledge

The student should be familiar with:
1) relationships and practices within the family setting since they live
and interact in family groups.

Teacher Instructional Material 1

Important Points
1) The family may be defined as:

(a) a group of individuals who are intimately related, living

under the same roof, supporting and maintaining each
other socially, economically and emotionally.
(b) A relatively permanent group of people related by
ancestry, marriage, or adoption, who live together and
form an economic unit and whose adult members
assume responsibility for the young.
2) There are several terms that are used in referring to the family e.g.
kinship a network of people related by common ancestry,
adoption or marriage.
Conjugal spousal relations as in a husband and wife pair
Consanguine related by blood.
3) Characteristics of the family include (in addition to #1 above)
a common surname (in some cases)
resemblance (in most cases)
same religious belief (in most cases)
4) A family tree/genealogical chart shows relationships between
members of a family over several generations

Key Terms

Adoption Conjugal Consanguine

Family Family Kinship

tree/genealogical
chart

Marriage Social Group Socialization

Challenge Areas
(To be done by students after they complete this lesson)
1. Your neighbor Mr. Clive, has nine children. Draft a skit to
convince him that nine children make too large a family.

Teacher Instructional Material 2

Equipment/Materials Needed
Computers with internet access (enough to allow two students
to share one), 1 multimedia projector, handouts with
information re the family, cartoon showing a couple garbed in
wedding attire

Note to Teacher
This is an introductory lesson. Functions of the Family, Types of
Caribbean Families, The Future of the Family will be given in depth
treatment in subsequent lessons

You may ask additional questions to those suggested in the body of the
lesson

Teachers Lesson Notes

Teacher Instructional Material 3

Introduction
1) Introductory Activity
A wedding ceremony Discussion, image of a couple in
wedding attire, multimedia projector.

a. Ask students if they have ever attended a wedding. Let

them tell you some things they observed during the
ceremony.

b. Project the image below on to screen via multimedia

projector. Ask students to describe (i) the actions of the
couple as seen in the picture (hugging/holding hands) (ii)
their dress (wedding attire) (iii) their manner (exuberant).

c. Solicit students views on marriage by asking questions

such as Why do marriages take place?, What does a
marriage generally lead to? Expected answers Persons
fall in love; they want to raise a family.

d. Invite students to explain their understanding of the term

family. Discuss answers with the class and answer any
questions they may have on.

Teacher Instructional Material 4

Body of Lesson
1) What is a family? - Internet use, group work, discussion
Notes
Your definition should
include more than one
person, persons
should be related, they
should provide love,
comfort and economic
support for each other,
they should live
together, adults should
be responsible for
younger persons.
2) Explanation of key terms Internet use, discussion.
Teacher Instructional Material
a. Ask students to listen to the recording of a poem from the
link below. Tell them that as they listen to make
comparisons with their own family
http://www.youtube.com/v/rrXiTAET1WE&fs=1&source=
uds&autoplay=1
b. Place students in groups; distribute handout with three
definitions of the term family [see Important Points]
Allow them to peruse the definitions and note the
characteristics and again compare with their own family
and with those from the poem.
c. Now instruct students to use the information gleaned from
the handout, the internet link and their own experience to
draft a definition of family.
d. Allow the groups to share their definitions. Be prepared to
make corrections where necessary. Inform students that the
definitions should be place in the class Social Studies scrap
book.
a. Place students in groups of two and direct them to go to the
website
Family | Define Family at Dictionary.com
b. Tell them to search for definitions/explanations of the
following terms: kinship, conjugal, consanguine, family of
orientation, family of procreation, marriage, adoption,
socialization, social groups. Instruct them to start to
compile a glossary of terms
c. Conduct a class discussion on the internet activity. Ask
questions such as; Who do we refer to as kinfolk? Could
the relationships in a kinship network be described as
consanguine in nature? Ask them to give reasons for your
answers.
5
 3) What is a family tree? - multimedia projector, discussion

a. Review terms such as kinship, consanguine.

b. Project family tree (below) on to screen. Direct students to

Notes view the chart and note the symbol for married to.
Discuss relationships, ancestry, and descent as shown on
Another name for
a family tree is a the chart. Ask questions about the relationships between
genealogical individuals on the chart.
chart.

IT Specialist: A family tree showing at least three

generations should go here.

c. Elicit students views on the importance of the family tree

for identifying relatives, for inheritance purposes and for
preventing persons from marrying their close relatives.

Closure
In Class Assignment
1) Have students construct a family tree to show three
generations of their family. Tell them that they may use their
paternal or maternal side of the family.

Supplemental
Out-of-Class Assignment
1) Direct students to go to the website The Typical Jamaican Family
(Jamaica) and read the article by Margaret Bailey entitled The
Typical Jamaican Family. They are to make a list of 10 special
attributes of the Jamaican family [as stated by Ms. Bailey]

Glossary of Terms

Adoption To take a person [generally a child] by legal process

into ones family and raise that person as ones own

Conjugal Spousal relations as in a husband and wife pair

Consanguine Blood relationship

Teacher Instructional Material 6

 a social group consisting of people related by blood,
Family marriage or adoption usually sharing a common
residence

Family A chart showing relationships between members of a

tree/genealogical family over several generations

chart

Kinship A network of people related by common ancestry,

adoption or marriage

Marriage A socially approved sexual union of some

permanence between two or more individuals

Socialization The process of social interaction through which

people acquire personality and learn the way of life
of their society

CSEC Questions

1) Define what is meant by

i. conjugal
ii. consanguine (4 mks)

2) Explain FOUR characteristics of the family. (8 mks)

3) i Suggest TWO reasons why it is important for individuals

to be part of a family.(4 mks)
ii Give TWO reasons why you think your suggestion is a
valid one. (4 mks)
Total = 20 marks

Recommended Materials
http://answers.reference.com/information

http://jamaicanfamilysearch.com/

Teacher Instructional Material 7

Bibliography
1. Ramsawak, Rampersad. (2010) Modules in Social Studies
5thEdition;La Romaine, Trinidad, W.I:Caribbean Educational
Publishers
2. Macionis, John J. & Plummer, Ken (1997) Sociology: a
globalintroduction; Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA:
Prentice Hall

Teacher Instructional Material 8