Author: K.Graybill

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

The Job Interview TV Series

If you teach anything about job interviews, you may want to consider using an episode from the television series The Job Interview.  This show takes an inside look at potential employees as they interview for a specific job.  Students get to see firsthand what the interviewees are wearing, how they act and how they respond to specific questions and problems. Employers react and discuss how each candidate’s mannerisms and answers impact their decisions.  This show offers many great discussion points and easily holds the attention of high school students.

Teaching About Vegetables

After teaching this unit last year, I knew I had to update my vegetable lessons and activities, especially since we are a 1:1 school with iPads!  So, I’ve spent the better part of six months trying to figure out how to make this unit more engaging, both with and without technology! I am super pleased with the results, as are my students!  These lessons focus on students’ preexisting knowledge of vegetables, the consumption of vegetables (habits as well as reasons to consume), nutritional value and subgroups and vegetable classifications. Because knife skills are used in the lab options, be sure to cover that information prior to the lab(s)

DAP: Developmentally Appropriate Practice

If you teach child development or a related course where students are learning about or developing materials for young children, you are most likely teaching about developmentally appropriate practice.  We all know as educators that children and activities are not all created equal!  This lesson introduces students to this concept with an interactive introductory activity and then continues with student exploration of the concept and what it entails.  Students also explore what can happen when developmentally appropriate practices are ignored.  Finally students participate in a variety of activity stations to determine if DAP or not!

COPE24 Parenting Program (sponsored post)

With Abuse and Other Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on the Rise, St. Louis-based COPE24 Launches Curriculum to Teach High School Students Vital Skills to Help Prevent Future Traumas and to Strengthen the American Family.

You Be the Dietician–Breakfast Foods

Do you teach an Advanced Foods and Nutrition class?  Looking for a rigorous assignment for students who have a strong understanding of the nutrients? You are in luck as Nikki Heflin, a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher of Indiana shares this breakfast lesson, several lab ideas and concluding assessment, placing students in the role of the dietician.  Check out her lesson below!

Pop-Up Family Structures

I’m finding that my students do better when they have a good balance of “hands-on” activities mixed with technology. So, in this feature you will find my version of a “pop-up” style activity that revolves around the family structures. Students work in small groups to complete a “pop-up” of their assigned family structure, incorporating additional information. The “pop-ups” are then displayed and students participate in a gallery walk to learn more about each of the unique family structures.  See below for more details!

First Aid Injury Scenarios: Flipgrid Style

If you teach a unit on handling childhood injuries, this lesson is a must for you to try! After learning about Flipgrid through a teacher in-service, Diane Senkoski, a sixth grade FACS teacher from Pennsylvania,  created a super engaging lesson for students of all ages, using the free app. Even if you are not a 1:1 school or have access to technology, the lesson can be easily adapted for live performances!  So, what are you waiting for…set up your free Fligprid account and get started!

Ideas for Teaching Color Schemes

Whether teaching about fashion or interior decorating, color is an important concept to include. Believe it or not there is a lot of depth and meaning associated with choosing color and using it in design and decorating. Check out the resources below for some colorful ideas!

Sleep Safety & SIDS Lesson & Activities

This is such an important topic to teach about, one I’ve honestly struggled with over the years. However, when teaching about infant safety this school year, I decided it was high time I put my trepidation aside and created the below lesson and activities.  I’m not sure I’ve given the topic the justice it deserves, but it’s a start!  As always, if you have additional ideas, please share in the comment section.

The Laundry Room Breakout

Another breakout here…this time with laundry!  Laundry can be so dry and boring to teach that I wanted to put together something interactive and a little challenging for students to apply the information they learned.  This is in keeping with my other breakouts as the challenges involve completing activities that lead to four digit codes that unlock succeeding boxes, ultimately, reaching the final prize box!  I was not disappointed as students really worked well together in their randomly assigned teams, utilizing their knowledge and a little technology as they competed and collaborated to solve the challenges in under 43 minutes!