You will learn
- Name family customs.
- Compare customs.
- Say what they show.
- Respect all families.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Families have customs.
- Customs show care and values.
- Customs are alike and different.
- We respect all family customs.
Words to know
a usual way of doing things in a group
an older person
something important to you
an event to give a baby a name
1. Discover: Greeting grandmother
When Sorie visits his grandmother, he greets her first, bowing a little, and asks about her health. When Mei visits hers, she brings a small gift and offers tea. “Both of us show respect,” says Sorie. “Just in different ways.”
Think: How do you greet an elder?
2. Understand: Customs
Idea 1: What is a custom?
A custom is a usual way of doing things in a family or group. Examples are how we greet, how we eat, what we wear for special days and how we help each other.
Idea 2: Examples
Some families greet elders first. Some eat meals together. Some hold a naming ceremony for a new baby. Some gather for a weekly family meal. Customs are passed from parents and grandparents.
Idea 3: Values
Customs show what a family cares about: respect, kindness, sharing, thanks, learning. Families may have different customs, but many values are shared.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Name a custom
Name one.
- Think.
- Say.
- Say why.
Answer: Greeting elders first.
Example 2 (We do it together): Compare
Alike and different.
- Look.
- Say alike.
- Say different.
Answer: Both show respect.
Example 3 (You try): Value
What value?
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Explain.
Answer: Respect.
Did you know?
In many cultures a baby’s naming ceremony takes place when the baby is a few days old, and family and friends gather to give blessings and gifts.
Why this matters
Customs help families feel close and pass on what matters.
4. Explore: Customs venn
Draw two overlapping circles. In one write a custom you know. In the other a custom a friend shares. In the middle write what is alike.
- Draw circles.
- Write.
- Compare.
- Share.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Many customs shared values.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A custom is ___.
- My family ___.
- A value is ___.
- We respect ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a custom?
Usual way.
Question 2. Name a custom.
Greeting.
Question 3. Who is an elder?
Older person.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a custom?
- Name a custom.
- Who is an elder?
- What is a value?
- Do families differ?
Level 2: Grow
- Why customs?
- Why compare?
- Why respect?
Level 3: Stretch
- Draw a custom.
- Compare two customs.
- Tell a friend.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Say one custom in your family.
Show a sample answer
Answers vary.
Another one. Ask about a custom and its meaning.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: They differ.
Fix: They can change slowly.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can name family customs.
- I can compare customs.
- I can say what they show.
- I can respect all families.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Families have customs.
- Customs show care and values.
- Customs are alike and different.
- We respect all family customs.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Respecting different traditions. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is a custom? [2 marks]
- Name two customs. [2 marks]
- Compare two customs. [3 marks]
- Say what customs show. [3 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Meaning [1]; example [1]
- Two [2]
- Alike [1]; different [1]; two customs [1]
- Care [1]; values [1]; clear [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is a custom?
- Name a custom.
- Who is an elder?
- What is a value?
- Do families differ?
- Why customs?
- Why compare?
- Why respect?
- Draw a custom.
- Compare two customs.
Homework
Draw a custom in your family and say what it shows.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a custom? | Usual way. | 1 |
| 2. Name a custom. | Greeting. | 1 |
| 3. Who is an elder? | Older person. | 1 |
| 4. What is a value? | Something important. | 1 |
| 5. Do families differ? | Yes. | 1 |
| 6. Why customs? | Show care. | 1 |
| 7. Why compare? | Understand. | 1 |
| 8. Why respect? | All matter. | 1 |
| 9. Draw a custom. | Drawing. | 1 |
| 10. Compare two customs. | Compare. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Usual way.; 2 Greeting.; 3 Older person.; 4 Something important.; 5 Yes.. Level 2: 1 Show care.; 2 Understand.; 3 All matter.. Level 3: 1 Drawing.; 2 Compare.; 3 Sentence..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Name family customs | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Compare customs | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Say what they show | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Respect all families | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “All families have the same customs.” They differ.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Draw two families and their customs.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns about family customs. Please talk about customs in your family. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Share customs.
- Explain why.
- Welcome others’ customs.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: name family customs; compare customs; say what they show; respect all families.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 ideas: culture, language, food, clothing and music.
Materials. Paper, crayons. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Make a sample venn.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the greeting story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach customs.
Guided activity (10 min). Venn drawing.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What customs do families have? What do they show?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “All families have the same customs.” They differ.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Draw two families and their customs. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 9, topic 7; NCSS C3 Framework, culture and diversity; Cambridge Primary Humanities, people and cultures; IB Primary Years Programme, who we are. These sources informed the lesson.