Last fall, I saw a lot of cute children’s book character pumpkin projects surface all over social media! While the pumpkin characters are/were super cute, I feel like the project limited itself to only the fall season. With that being said, I wanted to come up with a similar project, but one that could be done ANY time of the year and with minimal cost as empty K-Cups are used as the base of the character! AKA~ Book Character K-Ups! How’s that for sustainability and upcycling!
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!
For many of us, our pets become part of our family and we want to love on them by giving them toys and treats! Sadly, there are many pets in need of love especially at organizations such as the SPCA, Rescue Pet Centers, and Best Friends centers. Pet Based Service Projects can be creatively included in your curriculum via labs, sewing or non-sewing projects and even repurpose projects to help those organziations. Read on to see a variety of ways to do this on the cheap!
Toys purchased from stores can be expensive only to have children play with them for a brief period of time before setting them aside for something else. Empty boxes and containers, on the other hand, make great toys and allow for way more imagination and creativity. Better yet, they don’t cost you anything extra as you were probably going to recycle them anyway! Let students learn about the value of cardboard toys as they explore and engage in the following lesson.
Have you ever been a fast fashion junkie needing to update your wardrobe on a regular basis? Many of us probably have at some point in our lives! Fast Fashion: A Talking Points Lesson & Activity has students exploring this concept and its impact, as well as learning about some things they can do to make a difference!
In need of some new or different sewing resources? Check out the compiled list of resources for use in a sewing class, unit or lesson. As always, if you have other suggestions, please send them my way and I’ll update the list.
Some of you may remember the Late Show with Dave Letterman! One of his regular features included his infamous top 10 lists in descending order from 10 to 1, adding his own a touch of humor and sarcasm as he shared! I have been using written top 10 lists for years and was excited when Matt Miller of Ditch That Textbook shared his version utilizing Flipgrid. This Top 10 Lists…Video Style post shares how to present the lists via Flipgrid with some of ideas for topics. Help add to the list by sharing additional topics!
Do you teach a Housing or Interior Design class? Are in need of an end of the year project? If you answered “yes,” you must check out this impressive 3-D “Housing Final” project created and shared by Katelyn Propper of Indiana. Now, more than ever, students need a break from their screens and this hands-on housing project delivers that and more!
Upcycling gives us the opportunity to turn items, otherwise deemed trash, into something creative and functional! And thanks to Missouri FACS teacher Amy Harkey, baby wipe lids can be repurposed into an educational child development activity! Amy shares her adapted and interactive “Upcycled Wipe Container Project” with us! Read on to see what she has her students creating!
A while back, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about old ties. What was once an everyday staple of many a man’s wardrobe may now be hanging dust collectors! Because more workplaces are moving to casual attire, the tie rarely surfaces on a day to day basis. So what does one do with a closet full of dormant ties? Afterall, how many does one man need? Enter the FACS classroom! Clever and creative FACS teachers, teaching any kind of sewing unit, would benefit from the donation as their students work at repurposing the necktie into another functional piece of fashion or art!
