After learning days of the week, colors, and numbers, one of the early vocabulary lessons is family. A straightforward lesson, aside from memorizing the Spanish words and phrases, students should practice associating these new words within meaningful or familiar contexts. While of course students can use the vocabulary to discuss their own families, another effective strategy is to have students pick a famous family and use the vocabulary to describe this family’s members and relationships.
The following example storyboard demonstrates this method. Have students select the spider map template and use members of their own family! Students can pick themselves or one member of the family to place in the center. Each branching cell should include a different family member and the title block should have the appropriate vocabulary term as related to the center family member. In the description blocks, it is helpful if students place the family members’ names for easier grading.
The chart below includes some of the most common family vocabulary, though it can certainly be expanded.
| Family Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| el padre | father |
| la madre | mother |
| el hermano / la hermana | brother / sister |
| la abuela | grandmother |
| el abuelo | grandfather |
| la tía | aunt |
| el tío | uncle |
| el primo / la prima | cousin |
| el hijo / la hija | son / daughter |
| el nieto / la nieta | grandson / granddaughter |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions