JUNIOR CYCLE
What will I learn in Home Economics?
Some of the things you will learn about are:
• Your body – what is good to eat and how to keep healthy?
• Food – how it nourishes your body, how to choose it, store it, and how to prepare and cook it
• using money – how to spend it wisely, how to save it, and how you are protected as a consumer
• Your home – about design in the home, about safety and hygiene
• Design and craftwork, child development, textiles – you will carry out a project in one of these areas.
How will I learn in Home Economics?
Some of the things you may do with your teacher and classmates are:
• follow recipes and cook dishes, in pairs and on our own
• carry out projects on foods
• use textbooks, DVDs, computer programs and other materials
• Hand and/or machine sew to make small items for yourself or your home.
Some other things that will help you learn in class are if you:
• ask questions
• take notes
• keep a file of your work and your recipes
• suggest things to cook and make
• keep a file of interesting ideas for your craftwork or textiles.
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How will Home Economics be useful to me?
You will be able to use information you have studied in your everyday life; from looking after yourself, to shopping and caring for others.
You will be more experienced at managing your resources and your time.
There are many jobs and careers that you can work in, e.g. chefs/cooks, catering, fashion and textiles, child care, teaching, food industry, tourism, and health and nutrition
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Will Home Economics have anything to do with other subjects I will be studying?
Yes, it will. You will find links with Science, SPHE, Physical Education, Art, Craft, Design and Business Studies.
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How can I learn more about Home Economics outside of school?
Some of the things you may do are:
• cook dishes at home
• If you are eating out, take note of menus, prices, etc.
• use a library, magazines and the internet for information and ideas on food, household items and design
• watch cookery and interior decoration programmes on television
• look at fashion magazines for design ideas
• When shopping for clothes, look at the care labels and the type of fabrics used
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You can get your family to help by:
• organising your food for cookery class
• tasting what you cook
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What is the Home Economics Junior Certificate exam like?
In Junior Certificate Home Economics you will be examined in three ways:
1. Coursework – with help of your teacher, you will choose a project from one of the following areas: Child Development, Design and Craftwork or Textiles Skills
2. A practical cookery exam – you will have a one and a half hour practical cookery exam which involves preparing and cooking food
3. A written examination – you will also have a written exam, which you can take at Higher or Ordinary level. When the time comes to decide, your teacher will help you choose the level that suits you best
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Will Home Economics be very different after the Junior Certificate?
In Leaving Certificate Home Economics you will study the core areas in greater detail:
• Food Studies
• Resource Management and Consumer Studies
• Social Studies.
You will also choose to study an elective area, in consultation with your teacher:
• Home Design and Management
• Textiles, Fashion and Design
• Social Studies