This worksheet includes several FutureFit Extension Activities that highlight 21st Century skills like critical thinking, service mentality, and creativity. These FutureFit Extension Activities are designed to reinforce the concepts included in the worksheet activity while integrating real-world skills. They can be used as in-class independent practice or group activities, or assigned for take-home or independent work.
FutureFit Extension Activities
Investigate
Prefaced with the question “Has the average American family gotten larger or smaller?, have your students compare the size of the families in the classroom to those from previous periods in America. Break students into groups and assign a historical period to each group (for example, Colonial period, Civil War era, post-World War 2 era, current era, etc.). Students can use the US Census Bureau website, or information/almanac sites like Fact Monster, to do basic research. Groups should use a graphic organizer to collect their data, and as a class, plot the family sizes on a graph similar to the one presented in the worksheet.
Reflect
Take this activity one step further with your students by asking them to focus on other attributes that make their family special. You could either lead a classroom discussion with your students or use the Family Puzzle activity as a follow-up. Your students will share their best memories with their family by creating their own puzzle.
