Seventh Grade FCS

2009-2010

Dear Parents of 7th graders,

Seventh grade is yet another great year in the Family Consumer Science department! As sixth graders, I have often heard the students ask with great anticipation, "When do we get to use the sewing machines?" Well seventh grade is finally here, and we do use the machines, a lot!

Our seventh grade unit provides a hands-on experience through the construction of a sewing project, which prepares students to be knowledgeable consumers. This unit introduces students to sewing terms and equipment, basic construction techniques, as well as how to follow instructions. Throughout the course we will be capitalizing on standards in reasoning, problem solving and personal development, as well as controlling the output using machine technology. Additional goals are for the students to learn practical skills and enjoy sewing as a hobby. Don't be surprised if your child wants to check out the machine at home, while they are learning here at school.

To reach our goals, we have used a shorts or pants project with an elastic or drawstring waist with great success and enthusiasm. Students have a choice of purchasing their own fabric or using what we have at school. The fabric available at school is a woven fabric of assorted patterns and colors. If your child would rather supply their own, check the back of this document for fabric suggestions and amount of fabric needed. It should be washed and dried, before it is brought to school. The school supplies the students with the pattern, thread, elastic and other notions as needed. The date the fabric is needed by is _______, _____, ____. The level of difficulty of this project is just right. It is challenging but not frustrating.

Another part of our program for our 7th graders is our delightful Marionette Puppet Unit. This is an integrated project with the Art, Family Consumer Science and Technology Education departments. Art students' design and create their puppet characters. The art designer works closely with a technology education student to make the wooden bodies. Once the body is constructed, the Family Consumer Science students' design patterns and constructs costumes using skills acquired with the shorts/pants project.

Irene Farrar

Family Consumer Science Instructor