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ASL Family Signs

Third graders learn family signs in ASL — and discover a clever rule: female signs (MOTHER, SISTER) are made near the chin, while male signs (FATHER, BROTHER) are made near the forehead. Sorting them reveals the pattern!

Grade 3Family Signs40 minutes1 class periodACTFL / Visual LanguageExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Sign family members.
  • ✓Learn the chin/forehead rule.
  • ✓Sort the signs.
  • ✓Talk about family.
Essential Question

ASL has a neat rule for family: girl-and-woman signs are near the chin, boy-and-man signs are near the forehead. Can you sort them?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Chin or Forehead?

Project this and sort each family sign into Chin (female signs) or Forehead (male signs).

👪 Sort each — made near the chin or the forehead?Try it
👩 Chin (female signs)
👨 Forehead (male signs)
Tap a sign, then tap a box.
The Lesson · Visual-Language Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Sign · Reflect)

40 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — A Neat Rule

4 min

ASL family signs follow a rule — female near the chin, male near the forehead. Can you sort them?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show MOTHER and FATHER.
  • Ask where each is made.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Notice.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Family Signs

10 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Model each sign.
  • Note chin = female, forehead = male.
  • Have students copy.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Note it.
  • Copy.
3

Practice — Sort Them

11 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Chin or Forehead?
  • Sort each one.
  • Sign along.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Sign.
  • Explain.
4

Sign — Sign

10 min

Students sign.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign MOTHER and FATHER.
  • Sign a family member.
  • Sign to a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign it.
  • Sign it.
  • Sign.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign a family member.
  • Say chin or forehead.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign one.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Novice).

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand family signs.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare sign patterns.

ACTFL
Cultures 2.1

Explore family in ASL.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: sign about family.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Family sign photo cards.
  • Model chin vs forehead.
  • Use a mirror.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with MOTHER and FATHER.
  • Sort one at a time.
  • Copy together.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add BABY and FAMILY.
  • Sign your family.
  • Draw a family tree.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 👪Family sign cards
  • 💻Chin or Forehead?
  • 🪩A mirror (optional)
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

familythe people you live withMOTHERthumb taps the chinFATHERthumb taps the foreheadSISTERmade near the chinBROTHERmade near the foreheadthe gender rulefemale = chin, male = foreheadchinwhere female signs are madeforeheadwhere male signs are made
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Where is the sign for MOTHER made?
Near the chin (thumb taps the chin).
QUESTION 2
Where is the sign for FATHER made?
Near the forehead (thumb taps the forehead).
QUESTION 3
What is the ASL “gender rule” for family signs?
Female signs are near the chin; male signs are near the forehead.

Reflect: family signs.

Have students sign MOTHER (chin) and FATHER (forehead) and explain the rule. A printable ASL family sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 ASL Family SignsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 ASL Family SignsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ ASL Family SignsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: BROTHER, chin, family, FATHER, forehead, MOTHER, SISTER, the gender rule
  1. made near the forehead
  2. where female signs are made
  3. thumb taps the forehead
  4. thumb taps the chin
  5. where male signs are made
  6. the people you live with
  7. made near the chin
  8. female = chin, male = forehead

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Where is the sign for MOTHER made?
  2. Where is the sign for FATHER made?
  3. What is the ASL “gender rule” for family signs?
Answer key — Part A: 1) BROTHER · 2) chin · 3) FATHER · 4) MOTHER · 5) forehead · 6) family · 7) SISTER · 8) the gender rule
Part B: 1) Near the chin (thumb taps the chin). 2) Near the forehead (thumb taps the forehead). 3) Female signs are near the chin; male signs are near the forehead.