Horseheads Middle School
Family and Consumer Science
The goal of the Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) classes is to prepare students with skills for life. Students will be given the knowledge and skills necessary to become productive, contributing members of society.
Grade 7 FACS
Grade 7 Home and Careers introduces students to several topics including personal development, foods and nutrition, consumer skills, and financial literacy.
During the personal development unit, students gain the skills needed to make healthy choices, and they learn how to be more effective communicators. The foods and nutrition unit introduces students to the basics of "My Plate" and provides students with the opportunity to prepare healthy snacks during foods labs. The consumer skills unit teaches students to be wise consumers analyzing the traps of advertising and equips them with strategies to preserve their resources. The financial literacy unit introduces the students to responsible decision making, the value of money and setting financial goals.
Grade 8 FACS
During Grade 8 FACS, students will complete three primary units of study: careers, financial literacy and foods/nutrition.
The career unit provides students with the opportunity to discover their skills and abilities and make tentative plans regarding future career options. Students will research careers of interest, become aware of community resources as possible career options, and learn the necessary skills for job preparation, including how to complete a job application and skills resume, and how to interview for a job.
Students will be introduced to basic budgeting to live within their means. They will be taught the difference between fixed, variable and discretionary expenses. Students will have an opportunity to analyze budgets and develop strategies for improvement.
During the foods and nutrition unit, students will be introduced to food science. Students will participate in experiments that reinforce the importance of food safety and sanitation. Students will also learn food preparation skills which include information on kitchen safety, kitchen tools, recipe reading, cooking terms, and measuring skills. The nutrition component of this unit will allow for students to assess their current eating habits and compare their diets to the recommendations of the "My Pyramid Food Guidance System". Students will learn about the benefits of a healthy diet; they will learn how to plan healthy meals, and they will set personal nutritional goals.
| Teachers: | Elisha Mashanic, Joan Oliver |