What is Family and Consumer Sciences?

• Family and Consumer Sciences, previously known as home economics, is a discipline comprised of five different subjects including interiors & housing, child development & parenting, consumerism & home economic decisions, fashion design & clothing, and foods & nutrition. Currently Family Consumer Sciences is taught in public schools across the United States typically at the middle and high school levels. Depending on the school district Family Consumer Sciences goes by different names which gets slightly confusing….for example: life skills, FCS, FACS, home ec, home economics, family studies, life studies, skills for living, living skills, etc.

What is FamilyConsumerSciences.Com?

• FamilyConsumerSciences.Com is a place for Family and Consumer Science teachers to find lesson plans in all our different content areas, find helpful resources, discuss textbooks, learn about good sources of professional development, and network and discuss best practices.
   

   

Why does FamilyConsumerSciences.Com exist?

• FamilyConsumerSciences.com exists to give back to the community of F.C.S professionals and our future Family Consumer Science teachers. The idea for the site came after I finished student teaching and realized how much I wanted to help other new and experienced Family Consumer Science teachers by categorizing and sharing lessons, ideas, strategies, etc. At the very beginning of my student teaching experience I remember feeling so overwhelmed because I had to teach areas of FACS that were my weakest. I was so relieved when I stumbled upon the Utah Education Network’s website that published many different lesson plans with the supporting materials that I was inspired to create a resource that was similar but allowed for more community interaction and contribution. I believe that teachers spend too much time trying to reinvent things that have already been done but are not available to them. We struggle alone often times not realizing that people that are more experienced have already done what we have been struggling with and have real answers. That is why I desire to categorize and freely share lessons and supporting materials so that teachers across the country can spend more time perfecting and tailoring lessons than having to create ones that already exist.   

   

When was FamilyConsumerSciences.Com Started?

• The website was started in 2008. We have come a long way but have much to do to make it a invaluable part of every FACS teacher’s life. 

Who is Behind FamilyConsumerSciences.Com?

• The creator of FamilyConsumerSciences.com is Melanie Sandoval, a second generation Family Consumer Science teacher who taught both inner city and suburban kids in Virginia and Connecticut. Through my experience of running a kitchen and a program to help fund the school’s culinary program, I realized that there was another subject that interested me immensely—business! I so enjoyed figuring out the accounting, marketing, customer service, and making business decisions through running the school’s culinary program. The state of Connecticut requires their teachers to begin a master’s degree program within the first three years of teaching so I pondered everything including an advanced degree in FACS. Unfortunately, there were no advanced FACS degrees from the local universities and I didn’t want an online education so I decided to pursue the next best thing—business, because it fascinated me. I enrolled in UConn’s MBA program and in the process, I changed careers to free up my time and help me pay for my degree. I still enjoy the FACS subject area and always will for the rest of my life so I found an outlet to continue adding to the FACS body of knowledge even while pursing a different day job for now.

  

• If it wasn’t for all the wonderful FACS teachers that have given me lesson ideas & worksheets as well as wisdom and insight, I wouldn’t be in the place I am today. I know we all have similar stories of how other FACS teachers encouraged us and helped us build upon our foundation to become professionals. In this same spirit, I encourage you to add to the body of knowledge and share your original lesson plans by submitting them here so other FACS teachers can too build upon their foundations to become better educators.

• If you don’t have the time to contribute lessons, worksheets, or PowerPoints would you consider a financial donation to keep this site running? Thanks for your Support!