Category: Life Skills

EverFi: FutureSmart Financial Literacy Modules for Middle School

by K.Graybill • June 30, 2017 • 1 Comment

I really wanted to incorporate financial literacy into my 8th grade rotation, but didn’t know how to consolidate it and still have enough time to cover the rest of my content in 30 days . Then, I discovered the digital FutureSmart Financial Literacy Modules for Middle School through EverFi and I was immediately sold on the program after talking to a representative. The 7 modules take about a week to complete and students work through them at their own pace. You can literally hear a pin drop in my room when students are engaged in this program! We set up the class on the first day and then students have a week of class time to work. My students must receive a 70% or higher, but after the initial week, I do allow my students to continue working to improve their grade until the end of the 30 day rotation. This puts students in the driver’s seat as they are in control of their final grade! They work hard and stay on task as they know I can see everything they do! So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with a representative today….you won’t be disappointed!

The English Muffin Challenge

by K.Graybill • June 23, 2017 • 1 Comment

The English Muffin Challenge was a spur of the moment lab! One of our school clubs had two packages of English Muffins left over from an event that they generously donated to us. In addition, I had several left over ingredients from some other labs that I didn’t want to waste. So, I threw it all together for a challenge lab! Students had 40 minutes to create an aesthetic, edible product using the English Muffin and following the parameters of the challenge. Overall, the results were successful, albeit some interesting! However, students walked away knowing they could put together a filling dish, using only available leftovers. The beauty of this type of lab is that the challenge and follow-up assignment could revolve around any food you have an abundance of and wish to use up!

Activities for Teaching the Family Functions

by K.Graybill • June 16, 2017 • 0 Comments

Everyone is connected to a family in some way, shape or form! The roles and responsibilities within each family may differ, as do the functions they provide for their members. So, when teaching about the functions of the family with my senior high classes, I like to engage students with a station activity where they have to figure out how the items at each station relate to one of the functions the family provides. Later, students connect the functions to their own family as they create a family crest.

Junk Food: The Sinister Food Scientist Attack–Storyboard That Project

by K.Graybill • June 9, 2017 • 3 Comments

Whenever I’m teaching my students about healthy food choices, the topic of junk food some how finds its way into the discussion, especially with junior high students. When I ask them for reasons as to why they don’t eat more healthy, nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables, they tell me it’s because they don’t like the taste. In comparison, junk food tastes so much better! I promptly explain that it’s made that way, on purpose! So, when the January 2017 issue of Scholastic Choices came out with an article on just this topic, I was super excited to share it with my students! I also wanted to include a tech project associated with it, as I saw cartoon/comic strip written all over this. Below, you will see how I turned something students wanted to discuss into an educational, interactive assignment. The end results are so cool, like something out of a real comic book–your students are sure to enjoy the technology! Oh, and, did I mention that it’s free and super friendly and easy to use?

Teacher of the Month: Donna Cabrera

by K.Graybill • May 26, 2017 • 0 Comments

Congratulations to this month’s teacher of the month, Donna Cabrera, a Family & Consumer Sciences Middle School teacher from Pennsylvania. While this is her first year teaching FACS, she is no stranger to the classroom, having taught Special Education for 10 years.

Knife Skills: A Hands-On Lesson & Lab

by K.Graybill • May 12, 2017 • 3 Comments

This hands-on lesson plan, shared by Marlee Barton of Kentucky, includes knife skill activities using Play-doh and graduating to real vegetables. A soup lab follows Sounds like a fun and delicious way to learn about knives!

Subscription Box Creations–Mini-Project

by K.Graybill • May 5, 2017 • 6 Comments

Subscription boxes are all the rage! Why not bring the concept into the classroom, letting imaginations run wild with your students, while they develop new ideas for them around a wellness theme? Thanks to Katie Kensinger, a FACS teacher from Branson High School, Missouri, you can! See her awesome idea below, along with some student samples.

Spin a Stir-Fry Lesson & Lab

by K.Graybill • April 28, 2017 • 2 Comments

Need quick cooking recipes for your foods labs or dinner at home on a busy night? I know I do! That’s why I teach about stir-fry cooking! Not only is stir-fry cooking quick and easy, but it’s nutritious, colorful and fairly easy to clean up. So, after students investigate some basics of stir-fry cookery, they get to spin themselves a unique recipe for the class to sample. Try spinning yourself a stir-fry. Who knows, you might just find a new favorite, easy-to-go-to dinner!

Baby Sign Language

by K.Graybill • April 21, 2017 • 0 Comments

Occasionally, in my classes, I like to throw out little dilemma or problem situations that students must research and learn more about in order to make an informed decision. I’ve done this with baby sign language when teaching about infant language development in child development two different ways. Prior to going 1:1, I assigned this as an informational interactive foldable project, which could easily be used with interactive notebooks. I’ve also had my students use their iPads to learn more about the topic and then complete a writing assignment, applying their new-found knowledge. I also like my students to learn and share some easy signs with the class in an engaging and fun manner, where students have to use their brains and memory in addition to their hands!

Felt Bookmark Sewing Project

by K.Graybill • March 17, 2017 • 2 Comments

This fun project was designed by Sasha Roble of Central Dauphin High School, Pennsylvania as a beginner sewing project and can be utilized at nearly any grade level. Ideally, this is a great project to use in conjunction with a unit on time and resource management. The bookmarks are unique and provide students with the opportunity to construct a practical and useful product. They can be sewn relatively quickly (4 – 5 days) and are not costly to make.

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