These courses provide students with the opportunity to begin the development of life-long skills that will aid in decision-making, problem-solving, and independence. Students will apply academic skills and express themselves with originality and creativity.

Learning Goals

• Master basic kitchen essentials
• Demonstrate basic knowledge of sewing
• Develop an understanding of clothing care
• Gain personal self-reliance through goal setting
• Identify positive peer relationships
• Master basic consumer skills
• Become aware of career opportunities in the fields of foods and clothing
• Enhance study skills, goal-setting and personal self-discovery
• Career choices

Student Choice

All 6th-grade students will have six weeks of Discovering Life Skills. As 7th- and 8th-graders, students will rank their encore preferences. Students have the opportunity to take Applying Life Skills in 7th and/or 8th grade.

Class Descriptions

Discovering Life Skills

This six-week required course will introduce students to basic life skills including: building and sustaining good relationships with peers; working in groups and teams; and learning kitchen essentials and clothing and sewing basics, such as hand-sewing and mending.

Applying Life Skills

In this 12-week course, students will integrate hands-on learning with important life skills. Students will learn to follow written directions by preparing recipes for the oven and microwave. The basics of sewing machine operation will be introduced and students will complete a simple machine-stitched project. Students will learn about basic clothing care, design concepts, and making good choices as a consumer. Career choices in foods and clothing will be investigated.