Author: K.Graybill

Kim Graybill is a veteran Family and Consumer Science teacher who teaches both middle and high school in Pennsylvania.

Clothing Influences

Think about your closet full of clothing…what prompted you to buy all of these items?  Our clothing decisions are often influences by a variety of things.  This lesson on Clothing Influences is a great way to explore what guides our choices when it comes to clothing. Use this as an intro lesson to your clothing or fashion course or unit or as a stand alone overview lesson in a comprehensive FACS class or middle school program when you need to explore various FACS content areas in a short period of time. Be sure to check out all of the engaging ideas as you continue to read this post!

Food Culture Fridays

Looking to add some culture into your school or program?  I see a lot of teachers requesting ideas on this very topic all over social media. Food Culture Fridays is a way to not only add some culture by way of different foods to your school and student body, but it’s a great way to connect your students to the cafeteria staff,  who often go unnoticed. Read on to learn more about how you can expose your students to some delicious and diverse foods every month!

Importance of Small Talk

There was a time when keeping students quiet was a challenge because all they wanted to do was talk! Now, not so much! Sadly, many students want to avoid
talking to you, their peers or anyone else at all costs. Importance of Small Talk is a great lesson to use with students at the beginning of the school year, new semester or even as part of a communication unit. Not only does this lesson give insight on the importance of small talk, but it encourages small talk among students and helps build relationships as they get to know each other! Continue reading to learn more…

Careers in the Food Industry

The food industry contains many careers for individuals to investigate and pursue. However, many careers are unfamiliar and go unnoticed. There are more jobs in
the food industry than you would imagine! Careers in the Food Industry, created by Nicole Brown from Illinois, allows students to dive deeper into careers within the food industry and all they encompass.  Continue reading to learn more…

Relationship Videos

Movies and movie clips can be a great way to add and increase interest to a lesson or topic. Jeff Brown, of Colorado, teaches a Psychology of Relationships
course (any many others) at Rampart High School and has an amazing collection of Relationship Videos that he has created for that class.  He is graciously sharing his video collection with us, along with his websites which are chocked full of materials for various content areas.  So, if you’ve been struggling to add more interest and engagement to your relationship lessons, you are definitely going to want to check these out!

Aprons: History & Design

With the surge in home cooking, aprons are making a comeback!  However, in the cooking lab, they’ve always been a staple!  Learn about Aprons: History & Design and then teach students how to create their own, with or without tie dye.

Air Fryer & Pressure Cooker Lesson Plan

Hailing from Ohio, Becky Bucher not only wrote and received a grant making it possible for her to get combination air fryers and pressure cookers for her class, but
she also created and shared this awesome lesson around them!  The Air Fryer & Pressure Cooker Lesson Plan is full of activities that will help her students get acquainted with it in her new Foods classes in the upcoming school year. So, if you have this small appliance or plan to get one, continue reading to see what she’s doing.

Cooking with Foil Packets

If you enjoy making these delicious Cooking with Foil Packets (Campfire Stew) over a fire while camping, now you can make them anytime, at school or home, in the convenience of your oven. It’s a great way to incorporate a variety of nutrients and food groups!

FACS 5 Second Rule Games

The 5 Second Rule Game is a must have for my classroom! Not only can the game be played as is, but it’s easy to adapt to FACS content or even just use the time for quick, fun reviews. The rules pretty much stay the same for the “FACS: 5 Second Rule Games” which engage, challenge and build relationships as students compete against each other in this fun adaptation!

From Tower to Table: What’s GROWING ON in FCS?

Farm-to-table is a phrase that is often discussed in the Family and Consumer Sciences classroom especially in Foods & Nutrition or culinary coursework. The termcan mean different things but at its core, farm-to-table means that the food prepared and served was sourced directly from a specific farm, without going through a store, market, or distributor along the way. In an effort to provide students in her Foods & Nutrition classes with real-world, hands-on experiences while learning about and developing healthy eating habits, Sasha Roble from Pennsylvania introduced aeroponics into her curriculum with countertop gardens and a Tower Garden System. Continue reading From Tower to Table: What’s GROWING ON in FCS? to learn more!