What makes every family special?

Introduction

Hello, young explorers!

Every family is different and special. Some families are big, and some are small. Family members have different jobs, hobbies and favourite activities. Imagine that you are making a magazine about families. Your mission is to explore different families and find out what makes them special.

Are you ready to become a family explorer? Let's start our adventure!

Task

Your task is to create a digital magazine called "Our Special Families". You will learn about different families, their jobs, hobbies and favourite activities.

You will work in groups of four. Each student will have a different role.

1. Family Detective – finds information about family members and their relationships. Who is in the family? How are they related?

2. Jobs Explorer – finds out what jobs family members have and what they do at work.

3. Hobbies Expert – learns about family members' hobbies and what they like doing in their free time.

4. Family Reporter – finds out what the family likes doing together and what makes it special.

After your research, your group will create a digital magazine. It should include:

  1. A short description of the family.
  2.  A family tree.
  3. Information about jobs and hobbies.
  4. Pictures or drawings.
  5. Some interesting facts about the family.

You can choose a family from a story or a cartoon.

At the end, you will present your magazine to your classmates and tell them what you have learned.

Process

Step 1. Work in groups

Work in groups of four. Each student chooses one role: Family Detective, Jobs Explorer, Hobbies Expert or Family Reporter.

Choose a family from a film, cartoon or book. For example, you can explore the Addams Family, the Weasley family from Harry Potter or the family from Encanto.

Step 2. Find information

Use the Internet to learn more about your chosen family. Each student has a different task.

1. Family Detective

Find information about the family members and their relationships.

Answer these questions:

  1. Who are the main family members?
  2. What are their relationships like?
  3. Do they always get along?

Useful phrases:

  • The family consists of ...
  • They have a good relationship because ...
  • Sometimes they disagree about ...

2. Jobs Explorer

Find out what the adults in the family do.

Answer these questions:

  1. What jobs do the family members have?
  2. What are their responsibilities?
  3. How do they help their family?

Useful phrases:

  • He/She works as a ...
  • He/She is responsible for ...
  • He/She helps the family by ...

3. Hobbies Expert

Find out what the family members enjoy doing.

Answer these questions:

  1. What are their hobbies and interests?
  2. Do they spend time together?
  3. What activities do they enjoy most?

Useful phrases:

  • He/She is interested in ...
  • They enjoy spending time ...
  • Their favourite activity is ...

4. Family Reporter

Explore the family's traditions and relationships.

Answer these questions:

  1. What traditions does the family have?
  2. How do family members support each other?
  3. What makes this family special?

Useful phrases:

  • One of their family traditions is ...
  • They support each other by ...
  • In my opinion, this family is special because ...

Step 3. Use these resources

Choose the websites that match your family's story. You do not need to read everything. Look for information that helps you answer the questions for your role.

1. The Weasley Family (Harry Potter)

  1. The Weasley Family – learn about the family members and their relationships.
  2. Arthur Weasley – find information about his job and interests.
  3. Molly Weasley – learn about her interests and family responsibilities.
  4. The Weasley Family and Their Relationships – explore how family members care for each other.

2. The Madrigal Family (Encanto)

  1. Meet the Madrigal Family – discover the family members, their relationships and special abilities.
  2. Encanto Characters – learn about the characters and their responsibilities.
  3. Encanto Cast and Characters – explore family relationships and interesting facts.

3. The Addams Family (Wednesday)

  1. Wednesday Character Guide – learn about the family members, their personalities and interests.
  2. Wednesday and Family Relationships – explore relationships between parents and children.

Other useful resources

You can also use:

  1. Your English textbook (topics: Family, Jobs, Hobbies and Relationships).
  2. An English dictionary to check unfamiliar words.
  3. Your vocabulary notebook and notes from previous lessons.
  4. Information from the films or books you have watched or read.

Remember:

  1. Choose only the information you need.
  2. Write short notes in your own words.
  3. Use the useful phrases from Step 2.
  4. If you cannot find a fact, do not invent it.
  5. Save the links to the websites you use.

When you finish your research, move on to Step 4 and compare your chosen family with another family from the list.

Step 4. Share and compare

Share your findings with your group. Each student should present the most interesting facts from their research.

Then choose another family from a film or book and compare it with your family.

Discuss:

  1. What do the two families have in common?
  2. How are they different?
  3. What can we learn from them?

Step 5. Create your digital magazine

Use Canva or Google Slides to create a magazine called "Our Special Families".

Your magazine should include:

  1. A cover page with the title and pictures.
  2. Information about family members and their relationships.
  3. Jobs, hobbies and favourite activities.
  4. Family traditions and interesting facts.
  5. A short comparison of two families and your group's opinion.

Add pictures and use short paragraphs. Include the websites you used.

Step 6. Present your project

Present your magazine to the class. Each student should speak about their part for about one minute.

After the presentation, answer your classmates' questions.

Listen to another group's presentation and give one positive comment and one suggestion.

Step 7. Reflect on your work

Discuss these questions with your group:

  1. What did you learn about family relationships?
  2. What was the most interesting fact?
  3. What was difficult during the project?
  4. Did everyone help with the work?

Evaluation

How will your work be evaluated?

You can get up to 12 points for your project. Your teacher will look at the information in your magazine, your English, the design and your teamwork.

Total: 12 points

Remember to work together and help each other. Every student should take part in the presentation.

Criteria 3 points 2 points 1 point 0 points
Family information All information is clear and correct. Some details are missing. Very little information. No information
English Clear sentences with very few mistakes. Some mistakes, but the meaning is clear. Many mistakes. Almost no English.
Magazine design Complete, clear and includes pictures. Good, but some parts are missing. Incomplete or difficult to read. No magazine.
Teamwork and presentation Everyone takes part and speaks clearly. Most students take part. Only one or two students take part. No presentation.

Conclusion

You have finished your WebQuest and created your own family magazine!

During this project, you have learned more about family members, their jobs, hobbies and favourite activities. You have also practised using English, finding information online and working with your classmates.

Now think about these questions:

  1. What new things did you learn about families?
  2. What was the most interesting part of the project?
  3. What makes every family special?

Remember that every family is different. Family members may have different jobs and interests, but they can all enjoy spending time together.

Want to learn more?

As an extra activity, you can create a short poster about another family from your favourite cartoon or book. Compare the two families and find out what they have in common.

Thank you for your work!

Credits

Resources

The following websites and digital tools are used in this WebQuest:

1. Harry Potter Official Website

2. Disney Official Websites

3. Netflix Tudum

4. Digital Tools

  • Canva – for creating digital magazines.
  • Google Slides – for designing and presenting projects.

5. Additional Learning Materials

  • English textbooks and classroom notes.
  • Vocabulary lists on family, jobs, hobbies and relationships.
  • English dictionaries.

These resources help students explore fictional families, learn about their relationships, interests and traditions, compare different families and create their own digital magazines.

Teacher Page

WebQuest Title: What Makes Every Family Special?

Grade: 7

Subject: English

Topic: Me, My Family and My Friends

Level: A1–A2

Time: 2–3 lessons

Aim:

To help students practise English vocabulary related to family members, jobs and hobbies. Students will also develop their reading, writing, speaking and teamwork skills.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the WebQuest, students will be able to:

  1. Describe family members and their relationships.
  2. Talk about jobs and hobbies.
  3. Find simple information on English websites.
  4. Work in groups and share information.
  5. Create and present a digital magazine in English.

Materials:

Computers or tablets with Internet access, English textbooks, Canva or Google Slides.

Organisation:

Students work in groups of four. Each student has a different role. The teacher helps students understand the instructions, find information and prepare their presentations.

Assessment:

Students' work is evaluated using a 12-point rubric based on family information, English, magazine design, teamwork and presentation.