Sample 3: Family Studies 11
Topic: The Role of Customs and Celebrations
Prescribed Learning Outcomes:
Families in Society
It is expected that students will:
- compare customs associated with adolescence in various cultures
Needs and Wants of Individuals and Families
It is expected that students will:
- examine theories of human needs as they apply to individuals and their families
- examine factors that influence how individuals and families meet their needs and wants
Human Growth and Development
It is expected that students will:
- describe the growth and development of adolescents
Family Resource Management
It is expected that students will:
- identify how personal and family values relate to consumer purchases
Overview
In this unit, students drew on family, friends, and community resources to identify, analyse, and reflect on customs and celebrations in their own lives and in people's lives around the world. Evaluation was based on collections of individual work and on group presentations.
Planning for Assessment and Evaluation
Purposes of Customs and Celebrations
- The teacher and students brainstormed a list of customs and celebrations and discussed their purposes and origins.
- Students worked in small groups to sort the list into five categories according to the following purposes:
- Relating: shaping, expressing, and maintaining relationships.
- Changing: making and marking transitions for ourselves and others.
- Healing: recovering from relationship betrayal, trauma, or loss.
- Believing: voicing beliefs and making meaning.
- Celebrating: honouring passages in life and community events.
- Groups added additional items to each category and discussed the influence of society (both past and present) and culture on customs and traditions. Each group chose one custom or celebration and analysed its purpose, background, and relationships to society and culture. The groups then presented their analyses to the class.
- Each student chose an event of personal interest or importance in her or his family (e.g., birthdays, marriage, graduation). Through reflection and interviews with family or community members, they explored origins, identified cultural and societal connections, and analysed the purposes, underlying values, and effects (including financial implications) of their chosen events. Students also interviewed at least two classmates to find out about similar customs or celebrations in other families. Students recorded the information in their notebooks as the first in a series of written assignments for the unit.
- Students brainstormed the social and emotional growth and development that takes place during adolescence and identified how family customs and celebrations influence this development. The teacher reviewed theories related to human needs such as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Students identified the role that celebrations and customs play in meeting these needs for both individual and family well-being.
- Each student created a fictional identity, complete with a family, and developed a list of needs for that individual and family. Students showed how the customs and celebrations fulfilled the needs of their fictional identities. This became the second piece in their collections of individual work for this unit.
Cultural Differences and Dealing With Change
- The teacher invited a panel of adolescents to speak to the class about the importance of the customs and celebrations in their cultures. The panel included two adolescents who had immigrated to Canada as children, an Aboriginal student, and a student from a local Francophone family. Panelists described how their customs and celebrations affect their lives as Canadian teenagers.
- Students, either in real or fictional identities, reflected on customs and celebrations that they would want to continue if they became part of another culture or society (e.g., by moving; through marriage). They recorded their ideas about how these might help them deal with change, considering such factors as personal values, need for security, and need for constants in the face of change. This became the third piece in their collections of individual work.
Group Research Reports
- Students worked in groups of three to research and report on one of the following topics:
- The rites of passage that teenagers go through when moving from adolescence to adulthood.
- The role of food in customs and celebrations.
- The role of gift-giving in customs and celebrations.
- The influence of marketing (advertising) on celebrations.
Future Families
As a culminating activity for this unit, students individually prepared reports that outlined three to five customs or celebrations that they would like to practise in their future families. Students included rationales for their choices, along with brief descriptions of how these chosen customs and celebrations might be put into practice. This became the final piece in their collections of individual work.
Defining the Criteria
Collection of Individual Work
- complete; includes the following assignments:
- information about a custom or celebration of personal interest or importance
- description of how customs and celebrations fulfilled individual and family needs (for a fictional identity)
- reflections on family customs and celebrations students (in own or fictional identities) would want to continue in changing societal or cultural contexts
- report on three to five customs or celebrations for future families
- descriptions of customs and celebrations are clear and detailed
- offers appropriate examples
- makes logical connections between customs and celebrations and:
- cultural and societal influences
- theories related to human needs (e.g., Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs)
- how individuals and families deal with change
- family and community values
- effects on adolescent relationships
- family consumer purchases and their effects
- responses are insightful and thoughtful
Group Research Report
Information
- uses a variety of appropriate sources including print and electronic references, community, and family members
- includes relevant, detailed, and accurate information about at least three different cultural groups or countries
- shows an awareness and appreciation of similarities and differences across cultures and societies
- addresses all important aspects of the topic
- draws logical conclusions or generalizations based on the information presented
- offers a personal viewpoint, interpretation, or response
Presentation
- clear and logical
- responds to questions with relevant and accurate information
- effectively uses visual aids or other media to illustrate and emphasize key points
Assessing and Evaluating Student Performance
The teacher and students used an agreed-upon rating scale to evaluate the collection of individual work completed during the course of this unit. Students had copies of the rating scale as they prepared their assignments.
The teacher and students also used a rating scale to evaluate the group presentations. Each group assigned a self-rating for each criterion listed; they also collected evaluations from their peers and computed an average peer rating. The teacher took the self- and peer evaluations into account in assigning a final rating.
Collection of Individual Work
| Rating | Criteria |
| A |
Outstanding. Goes beyond the requirements of the assignments. May show sophisticated insights, include additional material, or approach one or more tasks in an innovative way. All assignments are thorough and effectively presented. |
| B |
Very Good. All assignments are completed in a thorough and competent way. Information is accurate; examples are appropriate; analyses are logical. Evidence of some insight. material is clear and easy to follow. |
| C+ |
Good. All assignments are completed with accurate information. Shows sound basic understanding. Quality may vary with some assignments showing insight, while others offer little detail or analysis. Presentation is clear. |
| C |
Satisfactory. All assignments are included; quality tends to vary. Some assignments are detailed and accurate; others may be completed in a cursory fashion. Evidence of basic understanding of the role and nature of customs and celebrations. Generally clear and logical; may be vague or unclear in places. |
| C- |
Marginal. Meets most requirements. Some assignments are completed at a satisfactory level. May omit all or part of one assignment. Shows basic understanding of most of the concepts, but little insight or elaboration. Often vague. Some examples may be inappropriate. Presentation may be difficult to follow. |
| I/F |
Incomplete. One or more assignments is omitted, incomplete, or demonstrates misunderstanding of the concepts associated with customs and celebrations. |
Group Presentation on Customs and Celebrations
| | Rating |
| Criteria | Self | Peer | Teacher | Comments |
|
- variety of appropriate sources including print and electronic references, community, and family members
| | | | |
- includes relevant, detailed, and accurate information about at least three different cultural groups or countries
| | | | |
- shows an awareness and appreciation of similarities and differences across cultures and societies
| | | | |
- addresses all important aspects of the topic
| | | | |
- draws logical conclusions or generalizations based on the information presented
| | | | |
- offers a personal viewpoint, interpretation, or response
| | | | |
|
| | | | |
- responds to questions with relevant and accurate information
| | | | |
- effectively uses visual aids and/or multimedia to illustrate and emphasize key points
| | | | |
Overall Rating: Based on the pattern of individual rations, the most appropriate overall rating for this report is
|
Key: 5Outstanding
4Good
3Satisfactory
2Marginal
1Weak
0Not Demonstrated
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