Middle School Family & Consumer Sciences
Middle School F&CS Overview
Family and Consumer Sciences (F&CS) at the middle school level prepares students to begin their journey toward becoming independent, productive citizens. The Middle School F&CS Education program in Indiana is designed to be comprehensive, holistic, and multidisciplinary across F&CS areas of study, and to be compatible with local school-wide approaches. Multiple F&CS areas of study are integrated into the FACS program are offered at each grade level (sixth, seventh, and eighth). Core F&CS Concepts and Core Process Competencies create a foundation for teaching and learning. The Middle School F&CS curriculum provides learning experiences in
- life and careers,
- financial literacy and resources,
- nutrition and wellness,
- human development, and
The core F&CS concepts which are essential for all middle level students are organized around four areas central to all middle level students. These four areas of adolescent development are addressed in each middle school grade level program: 1. developing self-concept; 2. relating to others; 3. becoming independent; and 4. managing resources. Selected English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies are integrated into the applied contexts of F&CS.
It is the aim of F&CS courses that all students increase their ability to act responsibly and productively, work cooperatively, apply concepts of balancing school/work and family, create solutions to critical and emergent issues, utilize technology effectively in personal and family settings, and maintain healthy lifestyles. F&CS education provides the bridge needed by all students to deal with life and career issues.
F&CS at the middle level prepares students to acquire personal skills and plan ways to transfer those skills to the workplace; investigate and assume appropriate individual and family roles; understand and apply concepts of balancing work and family; and acquire skills and attitudes that lead them to contribute to the good of the community and society. F&CS curriculum includes acquisition of problem-solving, decision-making, higher order thinking, communication, literacy, and numerical skills in applied community, work, and family contexts. It is the aim of F&CS courses that all students increase their ability to act responsibly and productively, to synthesize knowledge from multiple sources, to work cooperatively, and to apply the highest standards in all aspects of their lives. Family and Consumer Sciences Education provides the bridges needed by all students to deal with major societal issues such as work-and-family, child and elder care, family and community violence and crime, and usage of technology. A variety of themes or focus areas, such as "Career and Life Connections", "Heart Healthy Hoopla", “Taking Charge 2000 & Beyond”, and "Reduce Reuse Recycle", can be used in middle schools to develop the F&CS Concepts and the Process Competencies.
Middle School F&CS Framework
Grades 6, 7, 8 - updated September 2005
DOE Course Code: 0492
Grade Levels: 6, 7, and 8
Length of course varies according to local program resources and needs:
Minimum - 90 hours over the two- or three-year period a student is in middle school
Recommended/Preferred - at a minimum, 180 hours over the middle school years for achievement of the five essential units and standards needed by all students; additional days are required for coverage of the more comprehensive Middle School F&CS Framework content and for "elective" units or classes that offer enrichment and/or in-depth coverage of additional F&CS content
Indiana State Board of Education Rules: middle school students are to receive instruction every year in a minimum of two of the following program areas: Agriculture, Business, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Technology Education.
Students in Indiana Middle Schools are expected to achieve, at the minimum, the Academic Standards for the F&CS Five Essential Units by the time they finish the 8th grade.
Multiple F&CS areas of study are expected to be integrated into the F&CS program offered at each grade level (sixth, seventh, and eighth) as detailed in F&CS Five Essential Units Framework and Pacing Guide and the more comprehensive Middle School F&CS Comprehensive-Enrichment Framework that details 13 units of study.
Essential process competencies needed for living and working successfully in the 21st Century are addressed in each grade-level program, including five competency areas: (1) Identify, organize, plan, and allocate resources; (2) Work with others; (3) Acquire and use information; (4) Understand complex interrelationships; and (5) Work with a variety of technologies. Three types of foundation competencies (basic skills, thinking skills, and personal qualities) and four integrative focuses (citizenship, leadership, volunteerism, and managing change) unify the topics in each grade-level program.
F&CS programs at the middle school are to be based on curriculum and instruction standards that incorporate:
- student-centered curriculum with emphasis on hands-on involvement;
- focus on practical problem solving skills in developmentally appropriate real-life applications;
- activities that carry into family, work, and community settings;
- activities that aid students in planning for school-to-work transitions;
- increased efforts to maximize involvement in total school programs and in development of the school’s basic educational goals for all learners; and
- learning environments, including project-based learning, designed to meet developmental needs of students.