New Junior Cycle Home Economics
Junior Cycle Home Economics develops the knowledge, understanding, skills and values necessary to achieve optimal, healthy and sustainable living for every person as an individual and as a member of families and society.
Course outline:
There are three strands
Strand 1: Food, health and culinary skills
Strand 2: Responsible Living
Strand 3: Textiles and Craft
Assessment for Junior Cycle Home Economics
Written examination: 50% of final examination mark. There will be one examination paper at a common level. This is marked by the State Examinations Commission.
Practical Food skills examination: 50% of final examination mark. It is based on CBA 2, the food literacy skills brief. Students will demonstrate culinary and creative food literacy skills in the implementation of the chosen brief. They will have one and a half hours plus 30 minutes preparation time. Issued and marked by the State Examinations Commission.
Classroom-based Assessments (CBA’s)
CBA’s are completed during normal class time, are individual projects and are assessed by the class teacher.
CBA 1: Creative textiles will be completed in second year. The student will make a textile item for an individual or the home or recycle or upcycle a textile item for an individual or the home.
CBA 2: Food literacy skills brief will be completed in third year where the students will research, analyse and plan the requirements of a food literacy brief.
Some Vibrant Examples of our Junior Certificate Student’s Optional Study – Craft
All the Junior Certificate Home Economics students complete a craft project and support folder as part of their overall grade for Home Economics studies. This part of the examination is marked out of 15% for both Higher and Ordinary level students by an external examiner.
This work is usually completed by our second year students. Their resulting projects are all a vibrant mix of colour, texture and themes, here are are some examples of their work.
Some of our Junior Certificate Students Food and Culinary Skills Examination Submission
Our Junior Cert Home Economics students must complete a practical examination as part of their overall grade for their Home Economics Studies. This practical examination is usually held during the last few weeks leading to Easter Break of Junior Cert year.
The Department of Education issue seven food and culinary skills tasks each year, and at least two weeks before the exam the tasks are drawn by each individual student.
The student then has one and a half hours to complete their individual task with a half hour preparation time before the exam. The exam is marked out of 35% for higher-level students and 45% for ordinary level students by an external examiner.
Here are some of our Junior Certificate Students Food and Culinary Skills Examination Submissions, showing their imagination and individual skills.
An Board Bia food presentation from Maire Dufficy,for Second and Fifth year students
Home Economics students from Second year and Fifth year were treated to a Food presentation from Maire Dufficy, from An Bord Bia On Tuesday 9th October 2013
Maire spoke to the students about the importance of .a balanced diet, giving the latest information on the revised food pyramid .
She also demonstrated how to make a range of simple, tasty and nutritious dishes including a mango salsa, lamb stir-fry with noodles, baked potatoes , beef meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce, ham and pepper fritatta .She also showed the students a range of Irish speciality foods that are exported globally.
The presentation finished with a tasting session of all the dishes . We would like to thank Maire for her excellent presentation and of course, the students for their involvement and courteous behaviour.
