Life Skills Overview:

Everyday Life Skills: A Hands-On Adventure

Objective:

In today's rapidly evolving society, life skills have become increasingly relevant, particularly for teenagers who are navigating the complexities of adulthood. Mastering essential skills such as sewing, automotive maintenance, health and nutrition, culinary arts, kitchen safety, food storage, housekeeping, and laundry fundamentals equips young individuals with the ability to manage their daily lives effectively. These soft skills are paramount as they foster independence, boost self-confidence, and promote healthy living.

Assessment:

• Students will complete a "Life Skills Challenge" where they must:

• Prepare a simple, nutritious meal within a given time frame

• Create a basic monthly budget for a fictional allowance

• Plan a daily schedule that balances school, activities, and personal time

• Demonstrate hands on skills learned (laundry, ironing, gift wrapping)

Key Points:

• Basics of personal hygiene, self care and nutrition

• Basic cooking skills include following recipes, measuring ingredients, and kitchen safety

• Simple budgeting involves understanding income, expenses, and saving

• Time management requires prioritizing tasks, estimating duration, and creating schedules

• Home management skills that are essential for independent living 

Introduction to New Material!

Health and Nutrition:

We will focus on you and the ever-changing world of food. It will prepare individuals for living on their own in terms of eating, purchasing, and keeping food safe, as well as lay a good foundation for working in the kitchen in Foods 1 and 2. This course covers a wide variety of food topics, including the importance of food in our lives, the food supply, nutrition, MyPlate, the current USDA dietary guidelines, serving sizes, food labels and product information, eating patterns, meal planning, shopping for food, wise food consumption, and food safety.

Cooking Skills:

• Demonstrate how to read and follow a simple recipe

• Show proper measuring techniques for dry and liquid ingredients

• Discuss kitchen safety rules (e.g., handling knives, using the stove)

• Knife Skills

• Cook simple meals

• Food Storage and Safety

Home Cleaning: 

• Develop an understanding of personal responsibility through maintaining a clean environment.                                 

• Learn the importance of hygiene and sanitation, including how to properly clean different surfaces.

• Practice time management by allocating specific times for different cleaning tasks.

• Gain skills in organization by categorizing items and understanding where to place them after cleaning.

• Explore the chemical reactions involved in cleaning products and their effectiveness on various surfaces.

• Understand basic principles of biology regarding bacteria and how cleaning prevents the spread of germs.

• Investigate the properties of materials (e.g., wood, metal, plastic) and how they respond to different cleaning methods.

• Learn about environmental considerations, such as using eco-friendly products to minimize pollution.

Laundry basics (sorting, washing, stain removal, ironing):

1. Sorting Laundry

• Importance of sorting (colors, fabrics, and types)

• Color categories (whites, darks, and colors)

• Fabric types (delicates, heavy fabrics, etc.)

• Understanding care labels

2. Washing Laundry

• Choosing the right detergent

• Setting the correct water temperature (cold, warm, hot)

• Understanding washing machine settings (cycle types)

• Loading the washer properly (not overloading)

3. Drying Laundry

• Differences between air drying and machine drying

• Choosing the right dryer settings (heat levels, cycle types)

• Choosing the correct detergent

• Avoiding shrinking or damaging clothes

4. Folding Laundry

• Different folding techniques for various clothing types (shirts, pants, etc.)

• The importance of folding neatly to save space

• Organizing folded clothes in drawers or closets

5. Ironing Clothes

• Safety precautions while ironing (using a safe surface, avoiding burns)

• Setting the correct temperature for different fabrics

• Techniques for ironing various clothing items (collars, sleeves, etc.)

• Storing the iron and ironing board properly

6. Stain Removal

• Identifying types of stains (grease, food, ink, etc.)

• Common stain removal techniques and products

• Importance of treating stains promptly

• Testing for colorfastness before applying stain removal method

Stitching 101:

• Sewing Basics and Supplies

• Different Kinds of Stiches

• Hemming

• Mending a Tear

• Basic handyman skills

Future Self - Goal Setting

How to fill forms

Time Management

Organization Skills

Gift Wrapping 101

Financial Literacy

Phone Etiquette

Digital Citizenship

Closing:

• "Life Skills Reflection": Students write a brief reflection on which skill they found most challenging and why

• Share reflections in pairs or small groups

• Class discussion on how these skills can be applied in their daily lives

Extension Activity:

"Life Skills Mentor": Students create a short video tutorial teaching one of the life skills to younger students