Category: Consumerism

Activities for Teaching About Identity Theft

by K.Graybill • April 26, 2019 • 0 Comments

In today’s day and age where so much of what we need to do requires us to use personal information, it’s critical that we teach students about protecting themselves from identity theft. In this post I will share some of the resources and activities I use with my students when teaching this topic. What I especially like about what I’m about to share is the project extension menu that allows students to have a choice in the way they choose to complete their final project. Because of the personal choice option, students can choose according to their ability, their learning style and their knowledge of technology…and personally, I think I get better projects because I’m letting them decide!

Escape the Pay Check Conundrum

by K.Graybill • April 12, 2019 • 2 Comments

Back again with another breakout style review activity! This time the escape or breakout centers around pay check deductions and math calculations. Created because, honestly, even though teaching about pay checks is important, it can be boring! This review jazzes things up because student teams are competing against each other as well as the clock to get to the prize box! In the process, they are honing their math skills. Win-win for those of us who need to incorporate core concepts into our curriculum! The beauty of this breakout is that it can be done both with locks and boxes if you have them or digitally if your don’t!

Plant Based Proteins Part I: Beans & Legumes

by K.Graybill • March 1, 2019 • 1 Comment

I am a big fan of Michael Pollan’s work! I especially like what he has to say about food in his documentary “In Defense of Food”. Even if I don’t have time to show my students the documentary in its entirety, I do like to focus on certain parts of it. One in particular are his 7 words that he uses to sum up healthy eating: “Eat foods–Not Too Much–Mostly Plants”. It’s a great way to introduce students to different plant based foods! Read on to learn more about how those 7 words equate to a lesson about beans and legumes.

Insurance Lessons for Middle & High School Teachers

by K.Graybill • January 11, 2019 • 4 Comments

This lesson plan, shared by Taylor Covington of The Zebra, introduces students to a broad overview of insurance. The concept of this website is to make understanding insurance as ‘black and white’ as possible, hence the name ‘zebra’. At the end of the lesson, students will be familiar with basic insurance terms and concepts. This curriculum will provide supplemental information for a unit on Personal Finance. The lesson can be covered in two 50-minute class periods, and hopefully, is as easy for the teacher to follow as it is for the kids to learn!

FACS Content Related Documentaries

by K.Graybill • December 21, 2018 • 1 Comment

There are a ton of documentaries out there related to Family & Consumer Sciences. I’ve compiled a list by content area and included links to both the documentary and a viewing or discussion guide, if it was available, for easy access. Documentaries can make great sub plans especially when you know you are going to be gone for a few days! Please share, in the comment section below, any documentaries that you use that you do not see listed and I will add them along with any viewing or discussion guides.

Food Labeling Claims

by K.Graybill • November 9, 2018 • 2 Comments

Do you know the difference between a health claim and a nutrition claim? Most of my students don’t! This lesson explores the difference between the two as well as why it is so important to understand what food labeling claims actually mean when reading a food label. This lesson includes some informative and creative activities, incorporating the information learned so that others might be enlightened.

#ShowMeYourOvernightOats

by K.Graybill • October 26, 2018 • 2 Comments

Oats are a staple most cooks cannot live without! How many other whole grains pack as much healthful variety into their product? The thing I love about oats is the fact that they can be customized in so many recipes from breakfast foods, baked goods, healthy snacks, and even used in place of bread crumbs when making things such as salmon patties or meatloaf! I wanted my students to see, taste and appreciate the goodness that oats have to offer so when I saw a YouTube ad by Quaker Oats promoting an oats contest, I knew how I wanted to incorporate this information into my grain unit. However, if you don’t teach a unit specifically about grains, no worries as this can easily be incorporated into a breakfast or healthy snack unit!

Food Influences Intro Group Activity to Culminating Home Scavenger Hunt Portfolio Project

by K.Graybill • September 7, 2018 • 1 Comment

Why do you eat what you eat? For some this is an easy question and for others it’s a bit more complex. After all, there are many things that influence our food choices and they may be completely different from one person to the next! When I teach about food influences in the junior high, it’s often one of my very first lessons with them. This introductory group activity is a great way to get students up, moving around and communicating with you and their peers right away. The middle of this lesson consists of an overview of the influences and application activity. Finally, the culminating project is a scavenger hunt portfolio that students complete outside of class and can be digitally or hand-generated but gets students sleuthing around their homes, looking for some of the influences as they relate to their own families.

Groceries to Your Door: Compare & Contrast–Convenience Worth the Cost?

by K.Graybill • July 20, 2018 • 0 Comments

Have you ever made the statement “I wish I didn’t have to go to the grocery store! I wish my groceries could be delivered right to my door!” According to the media, online grocery deliveries are expanding and on the rise. This was a recent feature in our local Sunday paper and it caught my attention! I thought it a great way to have students investigate, research and analyze how cost effective the convenience of these services actually are. So, check out the activities below and if you have any suggestions, please share in the comment section below!

Collards & Sense: A Food Dollars Curriculum for High School Students

by K.Graybill • May 18, 2018 • 1 Comment

Kayla Pins, a Family &Consumer Science teacher from Iowa, who was featured HERE, has been busy creating Collards & Sense: A free curriculum for high school students that helps students make wise choices with their food dollars. She has graciously given me permission to share this amazing 10 day curriculum that is full of meaningful, engaging and enriching lessons and activities! It is designed to be taught by any teacher and in any class, Family and Consumer Sciences certified or not, and kitchen setup or not. Activities are hands-on but require very little prep or purchasing for the teacher.

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