Course Description:

This is an introductory course to Family and Consumer Science for eighth graders.  In this course of short units, students will focus on Human Service careers, character development and problem solving, the needs of a family, and how to balance work, family and volunteer demands.   How to select and care for personal clothing, basic clothing repair and construction skills, as well as basic nutrition and food preparation techniques, will also be addressed in this class.    

Course Outline:

Human Service Careers

Career Areas

Social Work, Therapy, Counseling, Volunteer Coordinator, Nutrition Educator, Personal Trainer, Geriatric Work, Youth Coordinator (Girl Scouts, 4-H…) and related careers (see www.careerclusters.org)

Educational requirements of entry, skilled and professional levels of each

Considerations of each career area

Professionalism and ethics

Technology use

Legal requirements

Safety issues (personal)

Diversity and Disability Acceptance

Practice respect for those who are different than ourselves

Gender, age, culture, ethnicity, disability

Soft Skills Necessary for Success in the Human Services Profession

Character Development (Trust, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Citizenship)

Development of communication, teamwork and leadership in community applications

Conflict Resolution

Solve problems all can accept

Follow decision making process that allows input from those affected

Needs of the Family

Family as the Basic Unit of Society

Ages and Stages (birth to death)

Identification of the needs of the individual (strengths, weaknesses, interests)

Enhancing development of the individual

The development of relationships

Healthy and Unhealthy

Across the life span (parents to children, siblings, extended family members)

Need for intervention

Global influences

Role of families in developing children

Preparing for children

Meeting the needs of children

Physical, Emotional, Social, Intellectual, Ethical

Meeting them at their level (with appropriate language/actions)

Impact of Family and Consumer Sciences on meeting needs of the family and it’s members

Balancing work, family, and volunteer demands

                Personal and Family Financial Planning Basics

                                Practice principles

                Consumer Decision Making Basics

                Need for wellness across the life span (physical, social, emotional, mental)

                                Connection to physical activity

                                Nutrition

                                Impact of food science and technological advances

Food and Nutrition

                Basic nutrition and food preparation techniques

Clothing

                Selection and care of

                Basic clothing repair and construction