“Show Me Your Family and I Will Show You Mine”: An Activity for Immersing Students in Family Development Theory

Abstract

This paper describes and assesses “Show me your family and I will show you mine,” an active learning technique used for engaging students with family development theory (FDT). Students draw pictures of their families at three different points in time: when they entered it, when they graduated from high school, and five years from now. After allowing time for interested students to share their drawings with the class, students are asked to reflect on a number of questions that help them apply theoretical assumptions and concepts to their own life experiences. Along with providing logistical details of the in-class activity, the authors assess the extent to which the activity helped students personally apply FDT theoretical concepts and assumptions in understanding their own families over time. Results suggest students are capable of analyzing their families at three points of time using an FDT theoretical lens and language, as well as reflecting on strengths and challenges of using the theory.