Class Activities and Homework Assignments
Family Belief Exercise
This activity is intended for the first day (or week) of class. Students are asked to state one belief
they hold about family by completing the sentence “I believe….” These should be one-sentence
responses without discussion or challenges. Sample comments might include:
• I believe that family comes first and stays the longest.
• I believe all families are different.
• I believe we all create our own families.
You may wish to make note of these for future reference in later classes.
Students are asked to describe their family using a metaphor. Have each of them write on a piece
of paper “My family is like a…” You can randomly select a few (anonymous) examples to read
aloud, or students can volunteer to share. Ask students to reflect on how the responses differ (be
sure to emphasize that there is no such thing as “right” or “wrong”). This exercise helps students
internally compare their own responses to others’ and think about how many different ways
people think about family. Here are some real classroom samples:
• My family is like a dining set; we are all different, but work together for the common
good.
• My family is like a Ferrero Rocher chocolate because, as a whole, on the outside we are a
little bumpy with different personalities, health issues, and minor conflicts, but we are
covered in gold foil that shows our functionality, present-ability, and success as a unit.
On the inside, my family is sweet and supportive, but also a little nutty.
• [My family is like…] friends who play in an online game, because even though you may
interact with the same people every day, you never really know any of them.
tune, we use each other to help us find the right pitch again.
Family Definition
This activity is suggested for the first day of class to help establish an open and supportive
classroom climate. Students are asked to answer the question, “How would you define the term
family?” Ask students to give a one or two sentence explanation of their definitions. You could
Analyzing Media
(Adapted from Barbara Wood, University of Illinois, Chicago)
Media examples may be used throughout the course to demonstrate concepts. It is difficult to
discuss concepts “in a vacuum,” and it is also difficult to lead meaningful discussions in a class
on family communication using ONLY student/instructor family examples. The benefits of using
excerpts from films and television programs are: 1) most students have experienced the
communication and relationships in these segments, and 2) attention can be focused on particular
concepts to be examined. In the chapter outlines, you will find media analysis activities. You can
also find a list of relevant movies and books on the Family Communication website. As a few
additional examples:
• Ordinary People: Double ABCX Model or stages of grief
Family Interview
As a quick homework assignment, or as a part of a larger analysis project, have students
interview family members about various family communication issues: rituals, conflict,
maintenance, secrets/boundaries, etc. For example, along with chapter 2, you could have students
interview an older person about his or her family-of-origin. Instruct them to focus specifically on
the images, themes, boundaries, and biosocial beliefs experienced in childhood. Students can
report interview findings orally, in essays, or in a journal.
Family Journal Assignment
Provide students with the following directions: Each week write at least 2-3 pages (typed) on
appropriate ideas in the chapters assigned in the text or other readings. You may use your own
family or a family with which you are familiar. If neither of these is workable, select a family
from literature or the media. Make clear in your journal entry which family type or structure you
have chosen. For example, you may decide to comment upon ideas of family types in relation to
The Log Book
(Adapted from Barbara Wood, University of Illinois, Chicago)
Similar to a journal, or as part of their journals, ask students to keep a “log book” throughout the
course. The assignment is for them to record their analyses and observations along structured
dimensions and issues (see below). They may write about their current family or their family-of-
origin. The log book is kept throughout the term, collected periodically to make sure students are
keeping up with the topics, and submitted at the end of the term for final analysis. Essentially,
The following are sample log book entry assignments that have been successful (other options
are available in the chapter activities):
• Using Olson’s scale of “cohesion” in the family, from “disengaged” to “enmeshed,”
analyze where your current family seems to stand (for you) along this scale, and explain
why you analyze your family’s cohesion in this way.
Interdependence and Transactional Communication
This exercise establishes the importance of family communication and roles. The roles could be
changed according to different chapters (e.g., conflict styles, couple types, communication
styles). The current example is based on a workshop by Virginia Satir and on behaviors and roles
described in The New Peoplemaking. Satir discusses placating, blaming, superreasonable, and
irrelevant behaviors. Behaviors include:
• Placating: Insists on credit for all that goes wrong; dedicates life to stopping all troubles;
gives time, money, and effort to right wrongs; believes that “if you are deserving you will
receive things without asking for them”; typical verbal pattern: “I‘m sorry.” “I do try.”
“Excuse me.” “It’s my fault.” “I always foul things up.”
• Blaming: Takes credit for all that goes right; finds fault with everything; puts
responsibility for problems on others; typical verbal pattern: “You never do…” “Why
don’t you ever…” “You always…”
Divide the class into four to six-person groups. (If more than four, give two the same role.) Ask
the groups to determine what kind of family they will be (natural, blended, single-parent,
extended) and who will assume the position of what family member of the family.
Then the family must create a problem that they have to settle as a group; for example, moving, a
family vacation, wedding plans, or adoption. When they have formulated a problem, assign each
person one of the roles (placater, blamer, super-reasonable, irrelevant). Give each person his or
her assignment on paper so other family members do not see. Ask the group members to begin to
solve the problem in their roles. After a period of time you may reassign the roles so that each
individual experiences playing different behaviors.
Family System Building
(Adapted from a demonstration presented by Virginia Satir)
This activity is intended to be used early in a course to concretely portray the building and
reshaping of family systems. The exercise frequently serves as a touchstone for points made
across many content areas during the course. Be sure volunteers are able and comfortable with
sitting on the floor and engaging in some physical contact. (An alternative would be to use “pick
up sticks” or building blocks to perform the activity.)
settled, ask them how comfortable they are and allow them to resettle themselves if you sense
one is uncomfortable. Direct the observers to hold that two-person image in their minds. Invite a
third person to join the pair with the direction that, “By the time you are settled all three of you
must be comfortable and touching each other.”
In processing this exercise, you will wish to cast this exercise in terms of building a two parent
system. Emphasize issues such as: (1) the effect of adding new members to a system, (2) the
adjustments of the original couple curing the growth process of the system, (3) the types of
disruptions caused by different types of children entering the system, (4) the adaptive capacity of
the system as members leave, (5) the communication that is possible between members in terms
of touch and eye contact at different points in the building and separating processes. You may
pose the following questions to observers and to participants:
• To Participants: How did you feel when you entered the system? Were you welcomed?
Did you feel you had to fit into the “mold?” Did you deliberately attempt to force the
system to shift to accommodate you? What was most difficult about entering the system?
Family Analysis Blogs
(Adapted from Haley Kranstuber Horstman, University of Missouri-Columbia)
This assignment encourages students to reflect on their own and their peers’ family relationships
in relation to the course content, and through the medium of a blog. Blogs tap into the online
world in which students are so embedded, and allow for a dialogue outside of the classroom
walls. Blackboard (or WebCT) provides a very accessible blog, or you could create a blog for
your class as well. Provide the students with the following instructions:
the course of the semester. For each blog, you should post one reflection and comment to at least
two other student’s reflection posts. Reflections can take many forms. The following are only
ideas, and should not limit your thinking in regards to the types of things you might post.
Importantly though, your blog contribution should be closely connected to course content and
should demonstrate your thoughtful and critical engagement with at least one of the week’s
assigned readings. You may certainly (and I would encourage this kind of synthesis), draw from
theories, concepts, and research we have discussed in previous weeks or other readings in
addition to the readings due that week. You are also welcome to connect your entries to the
additional research you are doing for your final projects.
• A story from your own (or close others’) experiences, reflecting on the ways in which
those stories link with specified course content.
• A clip, current event, or story from the media that exemplifies or illuminates course
concepts. Please feel free to use media as a jumping off point or example of your
argument.
I occasionally will give prompts in class to give you ideas. Reflections should be engaging and
substantial. In addition to contributing main entries, each blog post, you should read your
classmates’ entries and respond to at least one of them. Although your responses do not need to
be as long as the main entries, they should be just as thought provoking and engaging. They
should demonstrate that you are thinking deeply and critically about the main entry and its
Family Writings
Dear Friends,
We have curtailed our travel activities during 1999, but people here think we’re still too active
for our age. A young woman in our computer class said to Wanda, “When I see a woman as old
as you trying to learn how to use a computer, I am encouraged.” Church activities continued:
Disciple II Bible study for 32 weeks; spiritual growth retreat at Jackson’s Mill, our state 4–H
camp; and “shepherding” a group of elderly shut-ins, two of whom died this year.
Senior activities included seminars on investments, long term care insurance, and end- life
issues. Through two local hospitals’ free senior preventative measures, we’ve had flu shots, and
bone density, TB, cholesterol and blood pressure testing. We continued with exercise classes in
the lounge and swimming pool here. We did not curtail our theatre activity and enjoyed the
Actor’s Guild semiprofessional excellent productions of Breaking Legs, The Gazebo, Weird
Romance, Sunshine Boys, Cinderella and Harvey. We also heard the Air Force jazz band and
attended a big air show, which allowed Wanda to enjoy her love of driving with the other 11,999
attending. We took time out to enjoy reading some excellent best sellers this year, including
Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie, Tom Brokaw’s The Greatest Generation, Peter
Jenning’s The Century, and President George Bush’s All the Best.
2) A trip to St. Mary’s, WV, to attend a “roast” honoring the retiring assistant superintendent of
Pleasants County schools with whom Kathleen had worked. Those attending were asked to bring
a story to share, so Kathleen hunted a joke she could alter to fit the occasion. Because she
doesn’t appear on the speech circuit, she was not sure whether she could tell her story but with
knees trembling decided to try. When she finished, the crowd erupted with cheers, shouting and
laughter, much to her amazement. She didn’t think the joke was THAT funny: Mr. A (the
honoree) was in an accident, and after the doctor examined him, he told Mrs. A, “I’m sorry, but
your husband might have brain damage.” Mrs. A replied: “How will we know?” Afterward
Kathleen told Wanda, “Maybe I’ve missed my calling and should have been a stand-up
comedienne!”
Book Reviews
Provide students with the following directions: The book review assignment is based on a book
selected from the class bibliography. To a great degree, the unique and diverse makeup of this
class must be reflected in the selection of readings. Since each person is starting at a different
place and has a slightly different background, you may select from the list according to your
needs and interests. The report should be approximately 4-5 typed pages. Included should be a
Article Summary
For this assignment, instructors could have students choose 2-3 topics throughout the semester,
or assign it with a specific chapter. Provide the following instructions: Read and summarize an
article of your choice in Communication Currents, the online communication e-zine from the
• If you see an article that looks interesting, select an article.
• To find additional articles, scroll to the bottom of the webpage to view back issues of
Communication Currents.
• In a one page summary:
Family Literature Suggestions
(Adapted from Susan Wilson, DePauw University)
Literature has typically incorporated moral lessons into stories that appeal to children and young
adult readers following the classical tenet to both “delight and instruct.” Increasingly, more real
world, and sometimes “gritty” lessons seem to be included. Students can be assigned to read one
of the following books (or the many others recently published) and compare and contrast what
family communication research indicates about the particular issues and how the fictional
• Annabel Pitcher’s My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece (2013, for readers 12 and up)
focuses on the fallout for a family who loses a child because of an act of terrorism.
• Dar Williams’ Amalee (2012, for readers aged 9-12) presents an atypical family of a
father, an eleven-year-old daughter, and four of the father’s friends who comprise their
“family.” When the father becomes seriously ill, the “family” system is tested.