A. Heritage and Identity · Our Changing Roles and Responsibilities

How Roles and Responsibilities Change

A1 A3About 35 minutes

Learning goals

I can describe how my responsibilities have changed as I have grown.
I can tell how a significant event, like a new baby or a move, can change roles and responsibilities.
I can tell how my role changes in different places.
I can put events from my life in order on a timeline.

Words to know

change
When something becomes different from how it was before.

event
Something that happens, like a birthday, a move or the first day of school.

timeline
A line that shows events in the order they happened, from first to last.

past
Time that has already happened. Yesterday and when I was a baby are in the past.

present
Now. What is happening today.

You are growing and changing!

When you were a baby, you could not walk, talk or feed yourself. Your family did everything for you.

Now you are in Grade 1. You can do lots of things by yourself! You zip your coat, put on your boots and help at home.

As we grow, our responsibilities change. We are able to do more, so people count on us for more.

Three pairs of footwear on a doormat: tiny knitted baby booties, child-sized winter boots and large adult winter boots. — From baby booties to winter boots: as we grow, we can do more by ourselves, like putting on our own boots. AI-generated image

A timeline. It shows how one child's responsibilities grew from baby to Grade 1. Read it from left (first) to right (last).

Events can change roles

Sometimes a significant event happens and our roles change.

A new baby is born. Now you are a big brother or big sister! You have a new role and new responsibilities, like being gentle and quiet when the baby sleeps.
Your family moves to a new home. You might share a room for the first time, or walk a new way to school.
You start school. Now you are a student with new responsibilities.
A grandparent comes to live with you. You might help them carry things or keep them company.

Places change our roles too

Our roles also change in different places and situations:

At home you are a son or daughter. At school you are a student. At the pool you are a swimmer.
At a family supper you might be a helper who sets the table. At a birthday party you are a guest, and when it is your party, you are the host!

A significant event can give you a new role. Kofi is still a son, and now he is a big brother too, with new responsibilities like being gentle.

Event or place	New role	New responsibility
A baby sister is born.	big brother	be gentle, help find a soother, play quietly at nap time
Starting Grade 1	Grade 1 student	pack my backpack, take home my agenda
Joining a hockey team	teammate	go to practice, cheer for my team
Getting a cat	pet helper	help fill the water bowl
Visiting a friend's home	guest	use good manners, follow their family's rules

Events and places can bring new roles and new responsibilities

Worked example

Example: Let's make a timeline

Amir wants to show how his responsibilities changed. Put these in order from first to last:

In Grade 1, Amir feeds his cat every morning.
As a baby, Amir needed help with everything.
In Kindergarten, Amir learned to put on his own snow pants.

A timeline goes from the past (long ago) to the present (now).
What happened first? Amir was a baby. That goes at the start of the line.
What came next? Kindergarten, when he learned to put on his snow pants.
What is happening now? In Grade 1 he feeds his cat. That goes at the end.

Baby (needed help) → Kindergarten (put on snow pants) → Grade 1 (feeds the cat). Amir's responsibilities grew as he grew.

Just for fun

Riddle: What goes up every year but never comes down?

Your age! And as you grow, your responsibilities grow too.

Worked example

Example: How did the move change things?

Priya's family moved from an apartment to a house with a backyard. Now the family has a garden. What new responsibility might Priya have?

Think about what changed: they now have a backyard and a garden.
Gardens need care. Plants need water.
Priya is old enough to help with a watering can.

Priya might help water the garden. The move to a new home gave her a new responsibility.

Hands-on activity

My life timeline

You need: a long strip of paper (or tape 3 pieces together), crayons, and baby photos if you have them.

Draw a line across the paper with an arrow at the end.
Ask a grown-up about 4 events in your life: when you were born, a first word or first steps, starting school, something from this year (a new pet, a move, a new sibling, learning to skate).
Draw or glue each event on the line, in order, from left to right.
Under each one, write or say one thing you could do or one responsibility you had then.
Tell the story of your timeline: "First... then... now..."

Talk about it: "Which event changed your responsibilities the most?"

Your turn

What could you do as a baby: feed yourself or drink milk while someone held you?

Name one thing you can do now that you could not do as a baby.

A new baby is born in Emma's family. What new role does Emma have?

What is a timeline?

Put in order: Grade 1, baby, Kindergarten.

At a friend's birthday party, what is your role? guest or host?

Tell one way your responsibilities might change when you are in Grade 2.

More practice: warm-up

Is last summer in the past or the present?

Who has more responsibilities: a baby or a Grade 1 student?

Sam's family gets a puppy. Name one new responsibility Sam might have.

What comes first on a timeline: the oldest event or the newest event?

At the pool, what is your role? swimmer or pilot?

More practice: on your own

Ty's grandma comes to live with his family. Name one new responsibility Ty might have, and tell why.

Lucy is a teacher at school. At home, what roles might she have? Name two.

Why do responsibilities grow as children grow?

Put these in order: learned to ride a bike, was born, learned to walk.

Noor moved to a new country and is learning English. What new role might she have at school? What could a classmate do?

Challenge

Is every change in roles a happy one? Give an example of a change that could feel hard.

Think of a grown-up in your life. How have their roles changed since they were 6?

Your class gets a class pet rabbit. Make a list of 3 new responsibilities the class will have.

Check your understanding

Quiz

What is a timeline?

When a new baby is born, an older child gets which new role?

Which event comes first in a life?

Why do Grade 1 students have more responsibilities than babies?

Mia is the host of a party. What does that mean?

Ravi's family moves to a farm. Which is a new responsibility he might have?

For parents and teachers

Big idea (Continuity and Change): Our roles and responsibilities change as we grow, when significant events happen (a new sibling, a move, starting school, a new family member), and in different places and situations.

How to help at home:

Look at baby photos or videos together and talk about what your child could and couldn't do then.
Make a simple family timeline on the fridge with 4 or 5 events.
Before a change (a visitor, a move, a new pet), talk about what new roles everyone will have.

Common difficulties:

Order words. Practise first, next, then, last, before and after when telling stories.
Reading a timeline backwards. Remind your child that the left end is long ago and the arrow points toward now.
Hard changes. Some changes (separation, a death in the family, moving away) bring big feelings. Let your child share as much or as little as they want, and keep the focus on how people help each other through changes.