Category: Uncategorized

College Dorm Shopping Project

by K.Graybill • August 25, 2017 • 1 Comment

Shopping for a dorm is a necessary task if you are heading to college, and can be quite a daunting experience if you’ve never done it before! It seems like college students today need a lot more as incoming freshman than what I ever needed in four years of college (many moons ago)! I discovered this when preparing to send my first born off to college a few years ago and as we look forward to repeating it with child number two next summer. Having that experience prompted me to create this project to help students see what colleges suggest they bring and the cost involved. It also allows them to discern between what they will truly use and need versus what they don’t, eliminating a lot of excess spending! This is a real eye-opener for students as they prepare for moving into dormitory living!

Salads in a Jar

by K.Graybill • August 4, 2017 • 0 Comments

One of my classes was on the small side this year so I asked them if there was anything in particular they wanted to learn about regarding food. They very promptly provided me with a list! I wish I could get some of their assignments that quickly! LOL! Anyway, one of the items on their list was salads…in a jar! Having been to a salad in a jar party where each person brought an ingredient to share, I thought this would be a fun lesson and lab to put together. I also thought I’d try my hand at putting the lesson together as a HyperDoc where students could work their way through the background information in an independent, self-directed way. Even if you don’t feel comfortable giving students the HyperDoc, I find it’s a great way to keep myself and my resources organized!

Fundamental Habits: Mindfulness & Singlehood

by K.Graybill • July 28, 2017 • 0 Comments

Independence or singlehood is the most critical stage of the family life cycle. During this stage, one strives to become fully able to support himself or herself emotionally, physically, socially and financially. Utilizing Sharon Lipinski’s “7 Generosity Habits” and Learning to Breathe: A Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescents , Sasha Roble, a FACS teacher from Pennsylvania, created this lesson which encourages students to strive for a healthy body, mind and spirit. Keeping in mind throughout the lesson, that taking care of oneself means that you have a solid, strong foundation from which you can give to others throughout the family life cycle. After spending some time on managing one’s physical health, students in this lesson focus on the concept of mindfulness. Scientific studies show that mindfulness boosts your immune system, increases positive emotions, decreases depression and anxiety, grows additional gray matter in the brain, fosters compassion and enhances relationships.

Fidget Spinner App & Kitchen Review Activities

by K.Graybill • July 14, 2017 • 1 Comment

If you can’t beat ’em, you might as well join ’em! Fidget spinners are all the rage, not to mention the bane of most teachers! However, if students are interested in them, why not use them as part of an educational activity? Below you will find two review resources that use spinners to help students learn common kitchen measuring abbreviations, conversions and tools. If not all of your students have access to fidget spinners and you don’t want to actually purchase these devices, there is a free app you can utilize in order to take advantage of this, hopefully, short-lived fad. In the meantime, use it in a constructive way to help keep students engaged and attentive!

EverFi: FutureSmart Financial Literacy Modules for Middle School

by K.Graybill • June 30, 2017 • 1 Comment

I really wanted to incorporate financial literacy into my 8th grade rotation, but didn’t know how to consolidate it and still have enough time to cover the rest of my content in 30 days . Then, I discovered the digital FutureSmart Financial Literacy Modules for Middle School through EverFi and I was immediately sold on the program after talking to a representative. The 7 modules take about a week to complete and students work through them at their own pace. You can literally hear a pin drop in my room when students are engaged in this program! We set up the class on the first day and then students have a week of class time to work. My students must receive a 70% or higher, but after the initial week, I do allow my students to continue working to improve their grade until the end of the 30 day rotation. This puts students in the driver’s seat as they are in control of their final grade! They work hard and stay on task as they know I can see everything they do! So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with a representative today….you won’t be disappointed!

Activities for Teaching the Family Functions

by K.Graybill • June 16, 2017 • 0 Comments

Everyone is connected to a family in some way, shape or form! The roles and responsibilities within each family may differ, as do the functions they provide for their members. So, when teaching about the functions of the family with my senior high classes, I like to engage students with a station activity where they have to figure out how the items at each station relate to one of the functions the family provides. Later, students connect the functions to their own family as they create a family crest.

Junk Food: The Sinister Food Scientist Attack–Storyboard That Project

by K.Graybill • June 9, 2017 • 3 Comments

Whenever I’m teaching my students about healthy food choices, the topic of junk food some how finds its way into the discussion, especially with junior high students. When I ask them for reasons as to why they don’t eat more healthy, nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables, they tell me it’s because they don’t like the taste. In comparison, junk food tastes so much better! I promptly explain that it’s made that way, on purpose! So, when the January 2017 issue of Scholastic Choices came out with an article on just this topic, I was super excited to share it with my students! I also wanted to include a tech project associated with it, as I saw cartoon/comic strip written all over this. Below, you will see how I turned something students wanted to discuss into an educational, interactive assignment. The end results are so cool, like something out of a real comic book–your students are sure to enjoy the technology! Oh, and, did I mention that it’s free and super friendly and easy to use?

Subscription Box Creations–Mini-Project

by K.Graybill • May 5, 2017 • 6 Comments

Subscription boxes are all the rage! Why not bring the concept into the classroom, letting imaginations run wild with your students, while they develop new ideas for them around a wellness theme? Thanks to Katie Kensinger, a FACS teacher from Branson High School, Missouri, you can! See her awesome idea below, along with some student samples.

Spin a Stir-Fry Lesson & Lab

by K.Graybill • April 28, 2017 • 2 Comments

Need quick cooking recipes for your foods labs or dinner at home on a busy night? I know I do! That’s why I teach about stir-fry cooking! Not only is stir-fry cooking quick and easy, but it’s nutritious, colorful and fairly easy to clean up. So, after students investigate some basics of stir-fry cookery, they get to spin themselves a unique recipe for the class to sample. Try spinning yourself a stir-fry. Who knows, you might just find a new favorite, easy-to-go-to dinner!

Baby Sign Language

by K.Graybill • April 21, 2017 • 0 Comments

Occasionally, in my classes, I like to throw out little dilemma or problem situations that students must research and learn more about in order to make an informed decision. I’ve done this with baby sign language when teaching about infant language development in child development two different ways. Prior to going 1:1, I assigned this as an informational interactive foldable project, which could easily be used with interactive notebooks. I’ve also had my students use their iPads to learn more about the topic and then complete a writing assignment, applying their new-found knowledge. I also like my students to learn and share some easy signs with the class in an engaging and fun manner, where students have to use their brains and memory in addition to their hands!

Page 42 of 57

« 1 … 40 41 42 43 44 … 57 »

Send me a message