My Wonderful Family: A World of Love — Free ESL lesson plan

Lesson plan

Objectives

Students can identify and name 12 family members in English.
Students can use the possessive 's' to show relationships (e.g., Mom's brother).
Students can introduce their family members using 'This is my...' during a presentation.
Students can ask and answer 'Who is this?' using target vocabulary.
Students can understand a short text about a family and answer comprehension questions.

Materials

Family flashcards (grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, baby, boy, girl)
A large drawing or poster of a 'Family Tree'
Crayons and blank A4 paper for every student
Digital slide deck with photos of diverse families
Soft ball for the questioning game
Printed grammar worksheets and reading passages

Warm-up

Start the class with the 'Finger Family' song to get students moving and singing. Use your fingers to represent different family members and ask students to mimic the actions. After the song, show a picture of your own family (or a fictional one) and point to yourself, saying 'This is me!' to build immediate engagement and context. Ask the students, 'How many people are in your house?' to encourage them to start thinking about their own families.

Presentation

Introduce the characters of 'The Green Family' using a large family tree poster. Point to the grandfather and say 'This is Leo. He is the grandfather.' Have the students repeat 'grandfather' three times, changing the volume from a whisper to a shout. Repeat this process for grandmother, father, mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, and cousin. Use visual symbols: a heart for love, an arrow for 'is', and the possessive 's' written in a bright color. Explain that names like 'Mom' and 'Dad' are special names we use at home. Model sentences clearly: 'Ben is Lily’s brother.' and 'Kate is Ben’s mother.'

Guided practice

Conduct a 'Flashcard Race' where the teacher holds up a card and the first student to say the correct name gets a point for their team. Then, do a 'Who is Missing?' game: put six cards on the board, tell students to close their eyes, remove one card, and have them shout out which family member is gone. Finally, give students a handout with a half-finished family tree and ask them to match the stickers or labels to the correct silhouettes based on the teacher's verbal descriptions.

Freer practice

Give each student a blank piece of paper and crayons and ask them to 'Draw Your Family'. While they draw, circulate and ask individuals 'Who is this?' and 'What is his name?'. Once finished, students will 'Mingle and Show'. They walk around the room with their drawing. When the teacher says 'Stop!', they find the nearest partner and say, 'This is my mom. Her name is Maria. This is my brother. His name is Leo.'

Wrap-up

Gather students in a circle. Use a soft ball to play a quick-fire game. The teacher says a name from the lesson (e.g., 'Grandma') and tosses the ball to a student. That student must name another family member and toss the ball to someone else. End with a group cheer: 'I love my family!'

Leo’s Big Family Picnic

Hello! My name is Leo, and today is a very special day. It is a sunny Sunday morning. My whole family is at the park for a big picnic. Look at everyone here! There are many people in my family, and we love to play games together in the green grass. First, look at the big blanket. That is my grandfather. His name is Henry. He is very old, but he is very funny. He is sitting next to my grandmother. Her name is Martha. Grandmother Martha has yummy cookies in her bag. She gives one cookie to me and one to my sister. My sister's name is Maya. Maya is six years old. She likes to jump and run. Maya is wearing a pink hat today. Over there, near the tall tree, is my father. My father’s name is David. He is tall and he is wearing glasses. He is cooking sausages on the grill. My mother is helping him. Her name is Sarah. My mother is very kind. She is holding my baby brother. My baby brother’s name is Sam. Sam cannot walk yet, but he can crawl very fast! Sam is wearing a small blue shirt. I also have an uncle and an aunt at the picnic. My uncle’s name is Peter. He is my father's brother. Uncle Peter is playing football with my cousin. My cousin’s name is Toby. Toby is ten years old, so he is bigger than me. They are kicking the ball very hard. My aunt’s name is Jane. She is Uncle Peter’s wife. Aunt Jane is reading a book under the shade of the tree. She has a big yellow umbrella. In my family, we have many different people. Some are tall, like my father. Some are small, like my baby brother Sam. Some are old, like Grandfather Henry. But we all have one thing the same: we are a happy family. I love my grandfather, my grandmother, my mother, my father, and my sister. I love my uncle, my aunt, and my cousin too. We eat chicken, salad, and fruit. We drink orange juice and water. After we eat, we will play hide-and-seek. I want to hide behind the big bush. My family is the best! Who is in your family? Is your family big or small? I hope you have a happy day with your family too.

Comprehension

What is the boy's name who is telling the story?
Answer: The boy's name is Leo.
Who has yummy cookies in her bag?
Answer: Grandmother Martha has yummy cookies.
What is Leo's father's name?
Answer: His father's name is David.
How old is Maya, Leo's sister?
Answer: Maya is six years old.
Who is the baby in the family?
Answer: The baby is Sam.
What is Uncle Peter doing?
Answer: He is playing football with Toby.
Is Aunt Jane reading a book or playing football?
Answer: Aunt Jane is reading a book.
Is Grandfather Henry young or old?
Answer: Grandfather Henry is old.
What color is the baby's shirt?
Answer: The baby's shirt is blue.
What will the family play after they eat?
Answer: They will play hide-and-seek.

Grammar — Possessive 's

We use 's (apostrophe s) to show that something belongs to a person or to show a family relationship. For example, if your mom has a name, you say 'My mom's name is Sarah.' If you want to talk about your father's brother, you say 'My father's brother is my uncle.' Remember, the 's goes after the person's name or title!

This is my (mother) ____ bag.
Answer: mother's
My (brother) ____ name is Ben.
Answer: brother's
Leo is (Maya) ____ brother.
Answer: Maya's
That is my (grandfather) ____ chair.
Answer: grandfather's
The (baby) ____ toy is red.
Answer: baby's
I like my (sister) ____ shoes.
Answer: sister's
His (father) ____ car is blue.
Answer: father's
My (aunt) ____ house is very big.
Answer: aunt's
Where is (Toby) ____ ball?
Answer: Toby's
My (parents) ____ names are David and Sarah.
Answer: parents'

Pronunciation

Focus: The 'th' sound /ð/ in 'Mother' and 'Father'

Minimal pairs

Mother / Mudder
Father / Fodder
Brother / Budder
Other / Utter
Breathe / Breed
Teeth / Teat

Drill

Explain that the 'th' in Mother is soft and vibrates. Have students put their hand on their throat to feel the 'buzz'. Practice: 1. Put tongue between teeth. 2. Blow air and buzz. 3. Say 'Maaaa-ther'. Drill these sentences: 'My mother and father are happy.' 'My brother has a feather.' 'They are with my grandmother.'

Conversation — Two students meet at the park and show each other photos of their families on their phones (real or pretend).

Role A

You are at the park. You have a photo of your big family (5 people). You want to tell your friend who they are. Be proud and happy!

Role B

You are at the park. You have a photo of your small family (3 people). You want to learn about your friend's family and compare sizes.

Useful phrases

Who is this?
This is my...
What is his/her name?
His name is...
Her name is...
Is that your mother?
I have a big family.
I have a small family.

My Family Adventure Pack

Draw a beautiful picture of your family in your notebook.
Write 5 sentences about your family using 'This is my...' (e.g., 'This is my mother.')
Label every person in your drawing with their title (Father, Sister, etc.).
Find 3 photos of family members and practice saying their names in English to a parent.
Complete the 'Possessive s' practice sheet provided in class.
Record a short video (30 seconds) saying: 'Hello teacher! This is my mom, her name is [Name]. This is my dad...'

Vocabulary

Grandfather: The father of your mother or father.; "My grandfather tells great stories."
Grandmother: The mother of your mother or father.; "My grandmother makes the best cookies."
Father: A male parent.; "My father is very tall."
Mother: A female parent.; "My mother helps me with my homework."
Brother: A boy or man who has the same parents as you.; "I play toys with my little brother."
Sister: A girl or woman who has the same parents as you.; "My sister has long brown hair."
Uncle: The brother of your mother or father.; "My uncle lives in a big city."
Aunt: The sister of your mother or father.; "My aunt is a doctor."
Cousin: The child of your aunt or uncle.; "My cousin Toby is my best friend."
Baby: A very young child.; "The baby is sleeping in the bed."
Parents: Your mother and father together.; "My parents love me very much."
Family: A group of people who are related.; "I have a very large family."

Activities

The Mystery Person · 12 minutes
Place several flashcards face down. One student picks a card but doesn't show it. Other students must ask 'Yes/No' questions to guess the family member. The student can only answer 'Yes' or 'No'. Once guessed, the next student takes a turn.
Family Tree Secrets · 12 minutes
Students work in pairs. Each student has a secret family tree with people's names. They must describe their tree to their partner who has a blank tree. The partner draws and writes names based ONLY on the verbal instructions.
Family Photo Show and Tell · 12 minutes
In groups of three, students use the drawings they created earlier. They must introduce each person in the drawing. The other students in the group must ask at least one follow-up question per drawing presented.

🔤My Wonderful Family: A World of Love