1. Total Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
Session Three: Family
Now, we will look at session three. We will follow the same format as we did the previous sessions.
Total Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes

2. Session Three: Objectives
Appreciate their abilities to listen from the heart, and gain abilities of listening.
Feel encouraged to communicate in respectful and positive ways.
Be reassured of the potential for family togetherness.
See sources of strength in family and community.
Session Three: Objectives
By the end of the session, we hope participants will:
Appreciate their abilities to listen from the heart, and gain abilities of listening.
Feel encouraged to communicate in respectful and positive ways.
Be reassured of the potential for family togetherness.
See sources of strength in family and community.

3. Session Three: Layout Overview of Session Three Welcome – 15 Minutes
Meal – 30 Minutes
Talking Circle Discussion – 25 Minutes
Family Activity – 20 Minutes
Family Talking Circle Discussion - 20 Minutes
Parent and Youth Breakout Sessions - 15 Minutes
Group Gathering – 5 Minutes
Announcement and Reminders – 5 Minutes
Session Three: Layout
Overview of Session Three
Overview of Session Three
Welcome – 15 Minutes
Meal – 30 Minutes
Talking Circle Discussion – 25 Minutes
Family Activity – 20 Minutes
Family Talking Circle Discussion - 20 Minutes
Parent and Youth Breakout Sessions - 15 Minutes
Group Gathering – 5 Minutes
Announcement and Reminders – 5 Minutes

4. Materials Supply Box Booklet or Handouts Talking Circle Symbols
Guest Speaker
Camera (suggested)

5. Preparation Checklist
Ask an Elder or spiritual leader to be present at the session to give the opening prayer and bless the food, and give a short talk about the importance of the talking circle.
Tobacco and smudge pack
Gather two or three talking circle symbols as examples during the session.
Symbols can include traditional items, like an eagle feather, pipe, or stone.
Look ahead to the talking circle questions on the Family Activity on page 3-5 and get them ready to display on a flipchart, white board, chalk board, or on sheets of paper set where every member of the family is able to read them.
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6. Session Three: Summary & Overview
Talking Circle Discussion: Rules and Etiquette
FAMILY: Family Talking Circle:
Discussion with Worksheet
Traditional Family Story: Listen and Read the Story
Session Three: Summary & Overview
Overview of Session Three
PARENT: Skills for Living
Discussion with Worksheet
YOUTH: Family Portrait: Discussion with Worksheet
You should provide an outline of what will be covered today, which consists of strengthening family bonds.

7. As the Families Arrive Favorite teaching from last session
Community History and Culture Discussion
Talking Circle Symbol
Make bracelets
You should welcome the families as they arrive. You may want to pass out name tags, bring attendance sheets, and have a starting activity. You may ask families to make a bracelet to remind them of the new teaching in their day to day lives.
You may want to invite an Elder to attend the program. If you have an Elder attend, make sure you greet the Elder in an appropriate manner. The Elder can start the program with a prayer.

8. We are happy to have you here for another session
We are happy to have you here for another session. If this is your first session with us, we are excited to have you here and look forward to getting to know one another better over the next 11 sessions of the program.
Does anyone have questions about last week session?
What are a few things you learned about the our culture?
Did you learn anything new about our history the past few weeks?
Welcome
You should thank the families for attending and address any questions they may have. You may want to have a review of what the families have learned about Anishinabe culture.
If you have an Elder attend, this would be a good time to have him/her give the opening prayer. 
15 Minutes

9. Meal
If you choose to serve a meal, you may ask the Elder for a blessing of the food.
You may want to interact with families during the meal, sitting and talking to different families throughout the course of the meal.
30 Minutes

10. Talking Circle Discussion
Family Talking Circle
Circle Represents a continuing cycle of Life.
The talking circle is a time to share and be respectful to others by listening with all our senses.
We communicate on different levels.
The talking circle originated as a form of legal process and eventually spread to our communities.
Family members come together with a purpose to share information, give encouragement, make plans, solve problems, and so forth.
The advantages to this style of family meeting.
This would be a great time to introduce family talking circles. You could ask families about their experiences with such circles.
If you gave the talking circle homework last session, you could now ask the families to discuss the symbol they chose.  
You could have families turn to the “Family Talking Circle” pages in their booklets (page 12 for youth and page 19 for parents) and discuss this section.  
25 Minutes

11. Family Activity: Traditional Family Story
Now would be a good time to introduce the family talking circle activity. You may use page 12 in the youth booklets and page 19 in the parent booklets for a story. Following the story there could be a discussion about how this tradition is incorporated in the families’ lives.  This could also be a time to practice family talking circles.
20 Minutes

12. Family Talking Circle Discussion
If you chose the previous activity, you could follow up with a discussion about their family talking circle practice session. You could write main ideas down so family members can see them.
15 Minutes

13. Parent & Youth Breakout Sessions
This would be an optimal point to separate children from their parents for individual sessions.
Total Time: 15 Minutes

14. Youth Breakout Session
Name:
Directions: Use the space provided below to draw a picture of yourself with your family. You might take a minute to think about who you want to
include. You may include extended family and/or family pets. After you draw the picture, write the name of the pictured family member under the picture. You can also have them say something about themselves by using balloons.
FAMILY PORTRAIT
A possible group activity for the youth is on page 14 of their booklets. This journal activity is “Family Portrait”.
(This would be a great time to take pictures of each child with their drawing!)
15 Minutes

15. Parent Breakout Session
For the parents you could lead a discussion about developing skills for living with their children. Refer parents to page 21 of their booklets (“Skills for Living” worksheet). It would be a good idea to remind parents to be respectful and non-judgmental.
15 Minutes

16. Announcements and Reminders
This would be a good time to gather the families back together.
A possible take home activity could be to have each family try to find time in the coming week to hold a family meeting or family talking circle.
The families could also fill out the “Family Talking Circle” take home activity found on page 15 for youth and page 22 for parents. With the help of their parents, the children could also do the “My Family Tree” take home activity on page 16 in the youth booklet.
5 Minutes

17. Closing
We appreciate your participation this program wouldn’t be possible without you!
Our next session
A Good Way of Life
Closing prayer by Elder
Collect paperwork if needed
It is now time to end the session. A good ending technique would be to tell the families how you appreciate their participation. You could ask an elder to lead in closing prayer or discuss the importance of the topic discussed.
You could also hand out or collect paperwork at this time.
5 Minutes