FREE Home Economics Course

This course has 5 units that are 12 days each. It is designed to be done 2 days per week for 30 weeks. However, you can complete the 60 days of lessons however you like. The units may be completed in any order, though I do recommend completing the cooking unit before the household management unit. This course is designed for middle or high school students.

Students: You will need a 3 ring binder for this course. Put 6 dividers in the binder labeled by unit. This will serve as a place to organize all your work throughout the year. You can also use this as a portfolio to demonstrate what you have learned this year. Later it will be a handy resource to refer to as you grow older.

Download and print out this editable grade record sheet and put it in your binder.

Unit 1: Cooking
Supplies Needed: Additional 3 ring binder with clear view front and card stock paper (day 6)

Day 1: Basic Cooking Supplies, Food, and Cooking Terms

Download the "Cooking Basics" and "Basic Cooking Terms" documents. Print both documents. Go through your kitchen and pantry and try to find all of the items listed on page 2 of "Cooking Basics." You will need to be familiar with what these are and where to find them in your kitchen for this unit. Once you have identified them all (it's okay if you do not own some of them) file this in your binder behind the cooking unit.

Then, read over the "Basic Cooking Terms" handout. Now make flash cards using index cards or make flashcards here and then print them out. You will have a test on day 4 on these words and definitions. Make sure you study them daily. File this handout in your binder.

Day 2: Basic Food Safety
Read this page about food safety basics. Then print out pages 2-3 of the "Keep Your Food Safe" handout (found about 1/3 down the page) and put it in your binder for reference. You will have a test on food safety on day 4. Make sure to study.

Day 3: Food Safety & Sanitation
Download and read this PowerPoint presentation on food safety. Download and print this food sanitation chart. Read it and then add it to your binder.

Day 4: Basic Cooking Terms Test & Cooking Safety and Food Hygiene Test
Take your vocabulary test here. At the end you will see your score. Record your score on your grade sheet. Print out the page (top left) and file it in your binder.

Then, take this cooking safety and food hygiene test. Do not look at the answers until you have finished the test completely.  Score your test out of 30. Record your grade on your grade record sheet. Add your graded test to your binder. (Note: for question 3, cross out "food lab" and write in "house")

Day 5-6: Make a Recipe Book
Today you will start making your very own recipe book. You will have today and tomorrow dedicated to making this recipe book, however, if you do not finish you can work on it until day 12. 

You will need a 3 ring binder (separate from your main home economics binder). Go here and choose a recipe book cover to print. Slide this into the front plastic on your binder. Add the back and sides as well. 

Then download and print the pre-printed dividers (I recommend you use card stock). After, download, print and add the tabs to each divider page. Now you are ready to start adding recipes to your book!

There are 16 categories in your recipe book. We are going to ignore a few categories for now: new recipes, canning and freezing, drinks, sauces and spices, and seafood. The other 11 categories are: appetizers and snacks, breads, breakfast, casseroles, desserts, meat and poultry, pasta, salads, side dishes, soups and stews, and vegetables.

For each of the 11 categories you will find 3 recipes to include in your book. You can ask your mom for her favorite recipes and record them on these recipe pages or you can search for recipes on allrecipes.com, or any other recipe website. You can print the recipes directly from the websites or record them on the recipe pages. Either way, add them to your recipe book behind the correct tab. Once your recipe book is completed, show your parents. You should have a total of 33 recipes. On your grade sheet, give yourself 35 points if you completed this assignment; 1 point for each recipe and 2 points for assembling the book.

Days 7-12 you will be cooking. Make sure to plan ahead.

Day 7: Prepare a snack or appetizer
Now you have a book full of recipes! Today, choose a snack or appetizer recipe and make it for your family. Follow the directions carefully. Make sure you follow food and cooking safety guidelines you learned. If you need help, ask your parent/s. Once you have made your snack or appetizer fill out a practical food self assessment sheet. Add this to your binder. Give yourself 10 points for making your snack or appetizer and 5 points for completing your assessment sheet. Record your grades on your grade record sheet. 

On day 8 you will be preparing breakfast for your family, so make sure to plan ahead.

Day 8: Prepare a breakfast
Today you will preparing breakfast for your family. Choose one of the recipes in your recipe book. Follow the directions carefully. Make sure you follow food and cooking safety guidelines you learned. If you need help, ask your parent/s. Once you have made your breakfast fill out a practical food self assessment sheet. Add this to your binder. Give yourself 10 points for making your breakfast and 5 points for completing your assessment sheet. Record your grades on your grade record sheet. 

Day 9: Prepare a lunch
Today you will preparing lunch for your family from one of the following categories in your recipe book: casseroles, pasta, salads, or soups and stews. Follow the directions carefully. Make sure you follow food and cooking safety guidelines you learned. If you need help, ask your parent/s. Once you have made your lunch fill out a practical food self assessment sheet. Add this to your binder. Give yourself 10 points for making your lunch and 5 points for completing your assessment sheet. Record your grades on your grade record sheet. 

Day 10: Prepare a dinner
Today you will preparing dinner for your family. Chose one recipe from the meat and poultry category, and at least one recipe from the side dish category. Follow the directions carefully. Make sure you follow food and cooking safety guidelines you learned. If you need help, ask your parent/s. Once you have made your dinner fill out a practical food self assessment sheet. Add this to your binder. Give yourself 10 points for making your dinner and 5 points for completing your assessment sheet. Record your grades on your grade record sheet. 

Day 11: Prepare a dessert
Today you will preparing dessert for your family. Choose one of the recipes from your recipe book. Follow the directions carefully. Make sure you follow food and cooking safety guidelines you learned. If you need help, ask your parent/s. Once you have made your dessert fill out a practical food self assessment sheet. Add this to your binder. Give yourself 10 points for making your dessert and 5 points for completing your assessment sheet. Record your grades on your grade record sheet. 

Day 12: Final Project
For your final project you will invite friends or family over to share a meal. You need to make at least four different foods (perhaps an appetizer, main dish, side dish, and dessert). This does not need to be done exactly on day 12. Make sure to ask your parents when you can have friends or family over. Once your guests leave fill out a practical food self assessment sheet for each food you made. Give yourself 39 points total for your final project. Record your grade on your grade sheet.

Congratulations! You are done with the cooking unit! You can make yourself a certificate to add to your binder if you'd like.

Unit 2: Sewing 
Note: Videos are linked through SafeShare

Materials Needed: needle, thread, buttons, fleece (and possibly other materials depending on final project chosen)

Day 1: Sewing Tools and Terms
Before you begin sewing you will learn some sewing terms. Do this sewing tools and terms project. The directions are on the first page. Give yourself 20 points total and record on your grade sheet (1 point for each term). 

Day 2: Sewing Tools
Complete pages 4-6 of the "The Basics of Sewing" (found towards the bottom under worksheets). These pages review sewing tools. You can skip the safety rules in the sewing lab question. Give yourself 16 points and record on your grade sheet.

Day 3: Sewing Basics
Watch this video on threading a needle. Practice threading your own needle. Then watch this video on how to tie a knot for hand sewing. Practice this. Then, watch this video on how to do an overstitch. You will practice this yourself using this sewing paper grid. Watch this video on making an overstitch knot. Practice on your sewing paper grid. Give yourself 5 points for completing today's assignments and record on your grade sheet.

Day 4: Overstitch & Knot
Watch this video about making an overstitch 2. Practice on your sewing paper grid.  Then watch this video on the overstitch knot 2 and practice on your sewing paper grid. Give yourself 5 points for completing today's assignments and record on your grade sheet.

Day 5: Overstitch & Knot
Watch this video on making an overstitch 3. Practice on your sewing paper grid. Then watch this video on the overstitch knot 3 and practice on your sewing paper grid. Give yourself 5 points for completing today's assignments and record on your grade sheet.

Day 6: Backstitch
Watch this video on making a backstitch. Practice on your sewing paper grid. Then watch this video on the backstitch and practice on your sewing paper grid. Give yourself 5 points for completing today's assignment and record on your grade sheet.

Day 7: Hand Stitches
Practice the hand stitches on page 12 of "The Basics of Sewing" (found towards the bottom under worksheets). Staple your samples to the bottom of the worksheet and add it to your binder. Give yourself 5 points for completing today's assignments and record on your grade sheet.

Day 8: Pinning
Watch this video on pinning and practice. Give yourself 5 points for completing today's assignment and record on your grade sheet.

Day 9: Sewing Buttons
Watch this video on sewing a button and practice. Give yourself 5 points for completing today's assignment and record on your grade sheet.

Day 10: Sewing Buttons Practice
Complete page 13 of "The Basics of Sewing" (found towards the bottom under worksheets). Staple your sample to the bottom and add the page to your binder. Give yourself 5 points for completing today's assignment and record on your grade sheet.


Day 11-12: Final Project
If you are a brand new sewer you are going to make a simple project. If the first project doesn't take you long, you can make 2 projects. You can make one of the projects on pages 14-18 of "The Basics of Sewing" (found towards the bottom under worksheets). You could also sew a felt bird (follow the instructions here).  If you are a more advanced seamstress you can choose any alternate project you like, such as sewing a baby blanket to donate to a local charity. Give yourself 20 points for completing your final project and record on your grade sheet.

Once you have completed your project, take a picture of it and print out the picture. Glue it onto this showcase poster. In the other "quote" boxes, write about what you liked most/least about sewing, what you learned about sewing, advice you would give others, the hardest/easiest part, etc. Put this in your binder when finished. Give yourself 5 points for completing your showcase poster and record on your grade sheet.

Congratulations! You are finished with the sewing unit. You can print out a sewing certificate and add it to your binder if you'd like. 

Unit 3: Household Management
Day 1: General Cleaning
Scroll down about halfway on this webpage to "Laundry and Cleaning Checklists". Download and print the house cleaning checklist, daily household chores checklist, weekly checklist for house cleaning, kitchen cleaning checklist, and bathroom cleaning checklist. You can also print out any of the other checklists that interest you. Read all of the checklists.

Day 2: Cleaning the Kitchen
Using the kitchen cleaning checklist you already printed, go through and clean your kitchen. Ask your mom to evaluate your work and give you and tips for next time. Give yourself 5 points and record on your grade sheet.

Day 3: Cleaning the Bathroom
Using the bathroom cleaning checklist you already printed, go through and clean the bathroom. Ask your parent to evaluate your work and give you tips for next time. Give yourself 5 points and record on your grade sheet.

Day 4: Daily Schedule
Make a daily schedule for yourself.  Make sure to schedule in all your school assignments, sports or activities you do, time for chores, etc. Give yourself 5 points and record on your grade sheet.

Day 5: Doing the Laundry 
Complete this Doing the Laundry workbook. Put it in your binder when finished. You will see there is 100 points total for this assignment. Divide your total score by 4 and record that grade on your grade sheet. For example, if you scored 80 out of 100 points, you would divide 80 by 4 to get 20 points. You would write 20 points on your grade sheet. 

Day 6-8: Meal Planning, Grocery List, and Shopping
Step 1:
Print out a meal planning sheet (you can use meals from your recipe book). Plan meals for an entire week for your family. Using the meal plan you made, make a grocery list.  Then, ask your parents to take you to the grocery store. At the store find each item on your list and write down the price next to it. Keep in mind, that if you have 2 pounds of ground beef on your list, and ground beef is $3/lb, then you would need to write $6 next to the ground beef. In other words, make sure you are looking at quantities when writing the prices next to the items on your list. During this trip you will NOT be buying any food. 

Step 2:
After you have written the price of each item on your grocery list, take the list home. Add up the total. How much would these groceries cost you? Then, ask your parents how much they typically budget for a week of groceries. How close is your list to that amount? Adjust your meal plan and grocery list to reflect the budget. If you are over budget maybe you will need to cut out a few extras, or change meals to include cheaper or less/no meat. If you need help, just ask your parents. They have done this many times! 

Step 3:
Once you have adjusted your meal plan and grocery list, ask your parents if you can use the plan and list to do your families shopping for the week. If they agree, you will go to the grocery store again and purchase everything on your grocery list. If you/your parents would like, clean (and cook) all the meals this week (since you have probably already been through the cooking unit of this course).

After you have completed all the steps, give yourself 25 points and record on your grade sheet.

Day 9-10: Reducing Clutter
Watch this video on reducing clutter and getting organized. Now you are going to go through your own belongings. You will start with your closet. Like in the video, take everything out of your closet. Gather three boxes or baskets for three categories: keep, store, and donate. Then, go through all your clothing and accessories that were in your closet and place in the appropriate box/basket.

Repeat this process with your dresser, desk, make-up, etc., until you have gone through all your things. Box up all your donations and ask your parents to take you to donate them. If you have things you want to store (such as momentos from when you were little) ask your parents if they have a storage tub you can store the items in. If you do not have a plastic storage tub you can use a box. Once you have gone through all your things you are ready to move onto your final project for this unit-organizing your room!

Day 11-12: Final Project-Room Organization 
Since you have reduced the clutter in your bedroom it is time to organize it! Use this room organization planner and make a plan for how you'd like your room to be. If you share a room, plan for how you'd like your space in the room to be. Then follow your plan and organize your room!

When you have completed your final project, give yourself 35 points and record on your grade sheet.

Unit 4: Financial Literacy

If you are in 7th or 8th grade, follow this linkhttps://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/teach/lesson_plans/grades_7_8 and complete all 14 lessons. You only have 12 days and 14 lessons, so plan accordingly.


If you are in high school, follow this linkhttps://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/teach/lesson_plans/grades_9_12 and complete the lessons. There are 22 lessons for you to do in 12 days, so plan accordingly.

Give yourself 5 points per lesson completed and record on your grade sheet.

Unit 5: Child Care
Day 1: Baby-Sitting
Read Baby-Sitting Basics. When you are finished take this baby-sitting quiz. Write your score out of 10 on your grade sheet.

Day 2: First Aid
Click on each First Aid topic on the left hand side. Read the information thoroughly. At the end take the quiz. Record your score out of 20 on your grade sheet.

Day 3: CPR
Click on each CPR topic on the left side. Read the information thoroughly. When finished, take the quiz. Record your score out of 8 on your grade sheet.

Day 4: Caring for Kids
Read each section under Caring for Kids (except planning activities).
 
Day 5: Baby-Sitting Rules and Safety
Read these baby-sitting rules and baby-sitting safety links.


Day 6: Doing Business
Read each section under Doing Business.

Day 7: Ages and Stages
Read about different ages and stages of children.


Day 8: Project Planner
Read about planning activities. Then, plan 2 different projects to do the next time you baby-sit. You can add these to your portfolio. 

Day 9: Quiz
Do the baby-sitting puzzle quiz. Record how many questions you get right on the first try out of 12 on your grade sheet.

Day 10-12: Final Project
If your parents allow you to, you can make your own flier (only to be passed out to people your parents give permission for-never give out to strangers). Remember, your parents always have final say on who and where you baby-sit. 

For your final project, read this page (we have already read some of these links). Then complete the assignment.

Assignment:  Create a portfolio or list of activities and materials to take with you to a babysitting job.  Sort the activities and materials by the age of the child (infants, toddlers, preschoolers, school age). Use a software program, like Microsoft Word or Inspiration to make a professional looking plan that can be shared with parents.  (Click the programs to see examples) 

Finally, give this rubric to your parent. Have them review the portfolio you made and work you've done during this unit. You can receive a maximum of 12 points. Record your score on your grade sheet. Then, complete the rubric to self-evaluate. Again you can receive a maximum of 12 points. Record your score on your grade sheet.

Congratulations! You have completed the child care unit. You can print out a certificate and add it to your binder if you'd like.

If you'd like to do more on baby-sitting, this packet is amazing!