In the Family Tree Fill-In ESL activity students have to draw/complete a family tree from clues created by a classmate.
Setup
In this activity students complete a blank family tree from sentence clues. There are worksheets out there that provide this setup, but it’s less prep, less printing and better for the students if they create it themselves!
If they haven’t already done it in a previous activity (e.g. Family Tree), students will first need to draw their own family tree in their notebook.
Give each student a piece of A4 paper.
Activity
- With the paper in landscape orientation, students draw a line down their paper to split it in half.
- On one half of the paper, they write five to ten sentences to describe their own family tree. They must include every person at least once in the sentences. Encourage them also to use every family vocabulary word (if possible).
- On the other half of the paper, the students draw their family tree without names. For an easier version (for younger kids), they could add one name. Or to make the activity more difficult, they could just leave this side blank, with no lines at all.
- The students swap papers (with someone who isn’t next to them if possible).
- The students must now draw/complete the family tree from the clues they have just received. They must not refer to the original student or tree!
- At the end, they compare the tree they have made with the original.
Target Language
The Family Tree Fill-In ESL activity is a fun puzzle that makes practising reading and understanding family vocabulary much more interesting. Adapt it to the age/ability of your class as described above, by adding to/omitting the starting tree template.
For a similar activity that involves listening instead of reading, try Family Tree Dictation.
Got a picture or video of this activity in action? How about snapping one next time you use it? We'd love to showcase your submissions- find out more here.