December 5, 2016

Dear Families,
We are beginning a social studies unit on Families, Ancestors, and Traditions. The class
has been given a special homework assignment that is due on Tuesday, January 17, 2017.
It should be enjoyable and challenging, but it also involves your help and time. Your knowledge
will be invaluable in helping your child learn about his or her family heritage.

Family Tree Art Assignment

1. Students need to make their own family tree project that shows their immediate family, as
well as their ancestors.
2. The final project cannot be larger than 24 x 18. (It is ok if it goes outside the edges a
little bit, but I need to be able to mount/display your project on the bulletin board.) It
may be vertical or horizontal. You may use any materials youd like: i.e. felt, poster
board (not the thick kind), fabric, construction paper, scrapbooking materials, etc.
3. Since we have studied plants in science, I would like your project to look like an actual
tree. Please include a trunk, branches, and leaves. You may use any materials you would
like for this part also: i.e. construction paper, stickers, stamps, felt, fabric, markers,
crayons, thin tree branches, etc.
Be creative.
4. Your tree must include the names of your ancestors and dates for birth/death if you have
them available. You must put pictures of yourself and your immediate family. Pictures
of any other ancestors is suggested, but optional.

Family Tree Written Assignment

You will be writing a paragraph about one of your ancestors (not your mom or dad). The
paragraph must have at least 5 sentences. Remember, a complete paragraph includes a topic
sentence, 3 detail sentences, and a closing sentence. We have practiced this many times in class.
If you would like to write more than 5 sentences, you may. For the final copy, hand print or type
2 copies your paragraph. Please attach one copy to the back of your art assignment and bring the
other copy with you for the presentation. Here are some suggestions of what kind of information
your paragraph should include.
1. When (date) and where (place city, country) was this family member born? Did he or
she grow up in the United States? If not, how did he or she get to the United States
(airplane, boat, etc.)?
2. What was his or her first job? What other kinds of jobs did this person have?
3. What was one important family event that happened when he or she was growing up?
4. Is this person still living? If so, what do they do now?
5. What is your relation to this person (grandfather, grandmother, great-grandfather, greatgrandmother)?
6. You may also include a story or memory that tells about an event involving this relative.

Example paragraph:
One of my ancestors is my grandma, Nadine Lou Bonano Parsons. She was born on March 8,
1920 in Sicily, Italy. She came to the United States on a boat when she was a baby. She passed through
Ellis Island with her mother and seven older siblings. Her father had already immigrated to the United
States, where they would all be reunited. When she was growing up they always had a Sunday family
dinner where they ate homemade pasta and freshly grown vegetables from their garden. One job she had
when she was older was to serve food in a cafeteria. One of my fondest memories of my grandmother is
of making fig cookies with her, my great-aunt, my grandfather, and my mom. We would go to my greataunts house to make these special cookies. My grandma died in La Crescenta, California on July 9,
2003. She was 83 years old.

Family Tree Oral Presentation

You will be presenting your project to the class. Please practice reading your paragraph and
pronouncing your ancestors names. It is not necessary to tell us the birthdays and places of birth
for each person. However, please include a minimum of 3 interesting facts to share about 3
different ancestors. Please plan to point to the people you are talking about when you give your
presentation. It is important to speak in a loud, clear voice and to look at the audience when you
make your presentation.
Students will be presenting their projects January 18-20. Students will be chosen in random
order to sign up for a presentation day. Following this, I will email you the calendar so that you
know when your child will be doing his or her oral report. All family tree art projects and writing
must be turned in on Tuesday, Jan.17th.
Please contact me if you have any questions regarding the project.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Parra
aparra@lcusd.net