Category: Clothing

Spotlight on a FACS Blog: Kayla Pins

Sometimes the non-school related blogs I follow do a blog hopping where they share other people’s blogs. I thought that would be a great idea to do this with Family & Consumer Science teachers who write their own blogs. The featured blog in this post belongs to Kayla Pins, a Health and Family & Consumer Sciences teacher, who hails from Iowa and teaches grades 7-12 at Cascade Jr.-Sr. High School. I email interviewed Kayla some questions about her blog…so read on to learn more and see some of the impressive lessons she has to offer!

Roll an Ugly Sweater with the Elements of Design

What started out as a crazy contest for holiday parties, has evolved into a huge seasonal highlight! So, why not incorporate a little “ugly sweater” into your classroom fun? Students are always a little hyper, energetic (aka bouncing off the walls) and enthusiastic this time of year anyway, so why not encourage them to put those energies into creating an “ugly sweater”? The thing is, this activity is actually meant to be somewhat educational, incorporating the elements of design. However, I’ve taken a few creative liberties with them in order to stay consistent with the theme and the time of the year! So, give it a try and if you have any suggestions to make it better, please let me know in the comments below.

Reading List for the FACS Classroom

Many schools are encouraging their students to read beyond the English class. This can easily be done in the FACS classroom as there are so many great books that can be incorporated into the various content areas of family consumer sciences. Below you will find a compiled list of books recommended by content area. If you have any additional “reads” that you use in your FACS classroom that should be included, please add them in the comment section below.

Halloween in the FACS Classroom

You may ask yourself “How does Halloween fit into the FACS classroom?”, but actually there are a variety of ways and areas you can incorporate this event or holiday into your classes. If you have any additional ideas after perusing the list below, please share via the “Be A Part” tab above or the comment section below. Happy Halloween!

Fashion Designer Tribute

Students research famous fashion designers and showcase their major designs in this interactive assignment. Students pay tribute to their fashion designer by creating new, original pieces inspired by the works of their designer. Students then present and share their designer with the rest of the class. Any part of this project can be used for instant bulletin board displays or hang the sketches and see if students can “name the designer” based on the drawings.

Community Service Ideas for the FACS Classroom

Once upon a time in my school we had what were called “Activity Periods” that altered the normal school schedule for one day a week, allowing students to join clubs that met during that period. Another teacher and I ran what we called “The Give Back Club” which was basically a club where we did community service projects that “gave back” to the community. Those activity periods gave way to more class time due to state testing long ago, but I still like to involve my students in community service projects throughout the year, depending on the topics, lessons and units we are covering. Below are a variety of easy, inexpensive projects that students can create to help give back to their communities. If you have any other suggestions, please let me know in the comment section below.

Technology, Sewing & Fashion: What’s New?

t’s amazing how technology can influence and change our perception and creativity of things, including sewing and fashion! If you teach sewing and/or fashion, below are some ideas of how technology has influenced or become a part of the art. At one time these ideas may have existed only in our imaginations and now they are reality! If you know of other ideas or resources available, please share via the comment section below.

Family Crises Awareness Quilt Project

When teaching about families in crisis I like to specifically focus on a select few that often vary from one year to the next. quilt.blocks. However, I also like students to be aware that there are a multitude of crises that families can face throughout their lives. In order to make them aware, I like to have students select a crisis and find an article about it to read and summarize. After summarizing and connecting their feelings to the issue, I like to have them make a classroom quilt square depicting their selected crisis. When put together, it makes a statement about specific crises and draws others in to make them aware of issues facing families today.

No-Sew Bean Bag Project

I have a confession to make…I am fascinated with silly monsters! They are just too stinkin’ cute! So when I wanted my students make no-sew bean bags in my Child Development class for activities to do with toddlers to help develop their large motor skills and balance, I couldn’t resist using silly monsters as my theme. Students not only enjoyed making the bean bags and applying their creativity, but also had fun participating in the activities they created to go with them!

Body Shapes & Redesigning Barbie Project

We all come in different shapes and sizes so why shouldn’t Barbie? As early as March we will be seeing different shapes and sizes of Barbie on toy shelves in stores across the country. This lesson and project is not about which body shape is best, but about the diversity in body shapes that exists and the beauty in all of them.This lesson and project look at the various body shapes and has students designing their own realistic version of Barbie complete with outfit just like Mattel did. Who knows, students may see themselves sitting on those shelves in the future if they submit their ideas to Mattel, as they continue to reinvent the product in this ingenious marketing strategy that’s been a long time coming!