Lesson Plan
Family Fun Night Guide
Engage 5th grade students and their families in collaborative literacy and math games that reinforce curriculum skills, foster positive community relationships, and build teamwork through interactive, family-centered challenges.
Family engagement in learning enhances student motivation, reinforces academic skills at home, and strengthens school-community bonds. This workshop supports Tier 2 interventions by offering targeted practice in a supportive group environment.
Audience
5th Grade Students and Parents
Time
60 minutes
Approach
Use guided games and reflection to practice skills and build community.
Materials
Prep
Materials Preparation
10 minutes
- Print enough copies of the Participation & Collaboration Rubric for each team member.
- Prepare and assemble the Math Mystery Challenge puzzle sheets and answer keys.
- Load the Game Rules & Tips slide deck onto your computer/projector.
- Review the Storytelling Relay instructions and familiarize yourself with key prompts.
Step 1
Welcome and Overview
10 minutes
- Greet families and students as they arrive and help them find seats.
- Introduce yourself and explain the goals of Family Fun Night.
- Outline the schedule and use the Participation & Collaboration Rubric to set teamwork expectations.
- Display the Game Rules & Tips for quick reference.
Step 2
Storytelling Relay Activity
15 minutes
- Divide families into small mixed teams of parents and students (3–4 per team).
- Provide each team with the Storytelling Relay prompt cards.
- Teams take turns adding sentences to build a collaborative story, alternating between student and parent.
- Encourage creativity and the use of grade-level vocabulary.
- Circulate to support teams and note collaborative behaviors using the rubric.
Step 3
Math Mystery Challenge
15 minutes
- Introduce the Math Mystery Challenge and explain the scenario and objectives.
- Share key rules and problem-solving strategies via the slide deck.
- Teams work together to solve the mystery puzzles, writing answers on their sheets.
- Monitor progress, offer hints as needed, and highlight teamwork moments on the rubric.
Step 4
Reflection and Discussion
10 minutes
- Reconvene all teams and invite volunteers to share strategies and solutions.
- Facilitate a discussion on challenges faced and how families collaborated to overcome them.
- Ask teams to complete the Participation & Collaboration Rubric to self-assess communication and cooperation.
Step 5
Closing and Positive Shout-Outs
10 minutes
- Invite participants to give shout-outs recognizing another team’s effort or creativity.
- Celebrate achievements, emphasizing both literacy and math skills practiced.
- Provide families with take-home tips to continue fun learning at home.
- Thank everyone for attending and distribute any additional community resources.
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Slide Deck
Game Rules & Tips
Welcome to Family Fun Night!
Tonight’s activities:
• Storytelling Relay
• Math Mystery Challenge
Use these slides as your go-to guide for rules, best practices, and how we’ll apply our Participation & Collaboration Rubric.
Introduce the session as a quick reference for families to understand how each game works and how to succeed together. Emphasize that these rules are here to guide play and make the experience smooth and fun.
Storytelling Relay: Rules
• Teams of 3–4 (mix of students & parents)
• Take turns adding one sentence at a time
• Alternate between student and parent
• Build on the previous sentence—keep it connected!
• Time limit: 1 minute per turn
• Write each sentence legibly on your prompt cards
Walk families through each rule one by one and invite questions before starting the Storytelling Relay.
Storytelling Relay: Tips for Success
• Listen carefully to what your teammate said
• Use grade-level vocabulary words (5th grade sight words)
• Encourage creativity—introduce characters, settings, surprises
• Designate a scribe to capture sentences cleanly
• If stuck, ask a clarifying question: “Why did our character…?”
Share these facilitation tips and encourage teams to pause briefly if they’re stuck, then keep the story moving.
Math Mystery Challenge: Rules
• Teams of 3–4 work together
• Each puzzle leads to a clue (5 puzzles total)
• Write your answers on the provided sheets
• No calculators—use pencil and paper
• Hints available after 5 minutes per puzzle
• Track your teamwork using the rubric as you go
Explain the overarching scenario of the Math Mystery—families solve puzzles to uncover the ‘mystery solution.’
Math Mystery: Problem-Solving Tips
• Show all your work—explain your steps
• Break problems into smaller parts
• Check each other’s answers and reasoning
• Estimate first, then calculate exactly
• Rotate who writes so everyone participates
Encourage collaboration by reminding families that sharing strategies strengthens everyone’s understanding.
Participation & Collaboration Rubric Overview
We’ll self-assess in four categories:
• Communication (clear sharing & listening)
• Cooperation (helping & taking turns)
• Respect (positive language & encouragement)
• Engagement (active participation)
Score: 1 (Needs work) to 4 (Excellent)
Use the Participation & Collaboration Rubric to guide your teamwork.
Briefly review rubrics before each activity so families know what to look for in themselves and others.
Game
Math Mystery Challenge
Scenario:
The Museum of Math Mysteries has lost its secret code! Work through each puzzle to collect one letter of the code word. At the end, unscramble the letters to reveal the secret word.
Instructions:
- Teams of 3–4 (mix of students & parents)
- Use pencil & paper (no calculators)
- Hints available after 5 minutes per puzzle
- Record your numerical answer and then convert it to a letter (1 = A, 2 = B … 26 = Z)
Puzzles
Puzzle 1: The Hidden Number
Compute (3 × 7) – 2. What is the result? Then convert your number to a letter (1 = A … 26 = Z).
Answer: ________
Letter: ________
Puzzle 2: Sum Surprise
Add 7 + 6. Convert the sum to a letter.
Answer: ________
Letter: ________
Puzzle 3: Fraction to Whole
Calculate 5 ÷ 5. Convert your answer to a letter.
Answer: ________
Letter: ________
Puzzle 4: Multiply to Reveal
Multiply 3 × 6. Convert the product to a letter.
Answer: ________
Letter: ________
Puzzle 5: Tens Trouble
How many tens are in 200? (200 ÷ 10) Convert that number to a letter.
Answer: ________
Letter: ________
Final Mystery
Once you have all five letters, arrange them in the order of the puzzles to spell the secret word.
Secret Word: ________
Answer Key
Puzzle 1: (3 × 7) – 2 = 19 → S
Puzzle 2: 7 + 6 = 13 → M
Puzzle 3: 5 ÷ 5 = 1 → A
Puzzle 4: 3 × 6 = 18 → R
Puzzle 5: 200 ÷ 10 = 20 → T
Secret Word: SMART
Activity
Storytelling Relay
Overview:
In this collaborative literacy game, families work in small mixed teams to build a creative story one sentence at a time. Students and parents alternate turns, practicing listening, vocabulary, and teamwork.
Materials:
- Storytelling Relay Prompt Cards (at least 1 card per turn)
- Timer or stopwatch (1-minute turns)
- Pencils or pens
- Participation & Collaboration Rubric (optional for teacher notes)
Instructions:
-
Form Teams (2 minutes)
• Divide families into teams of 3–4 (mix of parents & students).
• Give each team a stack of prompt cards and a pencil. -
Explain the Rules (3 minutes)
• Each turn is 1 minute long.
• On your turn, read a prompt card and add one sentence to the story.
• Alternate between student and parent until the story ends or time runs out.
• Write each sentence clearly on a sheet or large paper so everyone can see. -
Play the Relay (15 minutes)
• Start the timer for each turn.
• Encourage teams to keep the story connected—build on previous ideas!
• Circulate to cheer on creativity, note collaboration skills using the rubric, and offer support if teams get stuck. -
Share Out (5 minutes)
• Invite each team to read their completed story aloud.
• Applaud imaginative twists, funny moments, and strong teamwork.
Prompt Cards (examples):
- “Once upon a time in a hidden forest…”
- “Suddenly, a mysterious noise echoed…”
- “Then, our hero discovered a glowing object that…”
- “Meanwhile, across the ocean…”
- “Without warning, the sky turned…”
- “At that moment, a new character appeared who…”
- “But the greatest surprise came when…”
- “In the end, everyone learned that…”
Reflection Questions:
- What was your favorite sentence your team added, and why?
- How did you help a teammate when they were stuck?
- Which teamwork skill (communication, cooperation, respect, engagement) did your group do best?
- What vocabulary word did you try to use today?
Extension at Home:
Encourage families to continue the fun by writing and illustrating a full story at home. They can use today’s story as a starting point or choose new prompts. Share completed stories at the next family event or in the classroom display!
Rubric
Participation & Collaboration Rubric
Use this rubric to guide teamwork during activities. For each criterion, circle or highlight the level (1–4) that best describes your group’s performance.
| Criterion | 1 – Needs Work | 2 – Developing | 3 – Proficient | 4 – Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication | Rarely shares ideas; listens infrequently; often interrupts others. | Shares some ideas but may be unclear; listens inconsistently; needs prompts. | Shares ideas clearly most of the time; listens actively; asks relevant questions. | Consistently shares clear ideas; builds on others’ contributions; asks insightful questions. |
| Cooperation | Seldom helps teammates; dominates or withdraws; ignores turn-taking. | Helps sometimes but unevenly; needs reminders to share tasks and turns. | Helps peers, takes turns willingly, contributes fairly to group tasks. | Proactively supports teammates, encourages equitable participation, and facilitates group progress. |
| Respect | Uses negative or discouraging language; may dismiss ideas. | Occasionally uses polite language but may lapse into neutral or critical tone. | Frequently uses positive, supportive language; acknowledges peers’ efforts. | Always demonstrates respect by celebrating contributions, using encouraging language, and valuing all ideas. |
| Engagement | Rarely participates; off-task or distracted most of the time. | Participates some of the time but needs prompting to stay on task. | Actively participates; stays focused and contributes regularly. | Fully engaged and enthusiastic; drives group momentum and keeps peers on task. |
Scoring Guide:
• 1 (Needs Work): Improvement required in this area.
• 2 (Developing): Some strengths but inconsistent.
• 3 (Proficient): Meets expectations for effective teamwork.
• 4 (Excellent): Exceeds expectations; exemplary collaboration.
Use this Participation & Collaboration Rubric to self-assess and for teacher observations during each activity.