Home Economics, in simple terms, is all about learning how to manage and improve everyday life at home. It is sometimes referred to as Home management. It covers skills like cooking nutritious meals, sewing clothes, budgeting money, keeping a clean and organized home, and understanding how families work together. It’s about learning how to take care of yourself, your home, and your family healthily and efficiently.
Home Economics, an interdisciplinary field, covers various aspects of daily life. In the first year of Junior Secondary School (JSS1), students are introduced to fundamental concepts and hands-on skills vital for effective household management and individual growth.
Through a blend of theoretical teachings and practical exercises, the Home Economics curriculum for JSS1 endeavours to equip students with indispensable life skills applicable both at home and in wider societal settings.
In junior secondary schools, assessment methods in Home Economics may vary from one institution to another. However, the common approaches include regular tests or quizzes, known as Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs), and end-of-term exams.
Students’ performance is graded on a scale ranging from A to F. An A grade reflects outstanding achievement, corresponding to scores around 70% or 80%. An F grade indicates failure, typically associated with scores below 50% or 45%.
| LAGOS STATE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION: UNIFIED SCHEMES OF WORK FOR JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL | ||
| Home Economics Scheme of Work for Junior Secondary School 1(JSS1) | ||
| Class | J.S.S.1 | |
| Subject | Home Economics | |
| Term | First Term | |
| Week | Topic | Breakdown |
| 1 | INTRODUCTION TO HOME ECONOMICS | I. Meaning of Home Economics II. Areas of Home Economics III. Relationship of Home Economics to Other Subjects |
| 2 | HOME ECONOMICS AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT | I. Career Opportunities in Home Economics II. Career Requirements in Home Economics III. Importance of Home Economics to the Individual, Family and Nation |
| 3 | THE HUMAN BODY | I. Structure and Parts of the Hair and Eyes II. Functions of the Hair and Eyes III. Care and Grooming of the Hair and Eyes |
| 4 | THE HUMAN BODY | I. Structure and Parts of the Ears and Nose II. Functions of the Ears and Nose III. Care and Grooming of the Ears and Nose |
| 5 | THE HUMAN BODY | I. Structure and Parts of the Skin II. Functions of the Skin III. Care of the Skin |
| 6 | THE HUMAN BODY | I. Structure of the Teeth, Hands and Feet II. Functions of the Teeth, Hands and Feet III. Care of the Teeth, Hands and Feet |
| 7 | GOOD POSTURE AND EXERCISE | I. Meaning of Posture and Exercise II. Importance of Good Posture and Exercise III. Guidelines for maintaining Good Posture and Exercising the Body |
| 8 | HEALTHY FEEDING AND EATING PRACTICES | I. Healthy feeding practices include eat adequate diet, use of food in season etc. II. Healthy Eating Habits like Washing hands before and after eating, Keeping mouth closed while eating, Chewing food properly, etc. |
| 9 | HEALTHY FEEDING AND EATING PRACTICES | I. Effects of Unhealthy Feeding II. Practices e.g Margemus, Kwashiorkor, Obesity, etc. III. Food Activities – Uses, Misuse and Defection |
| 10 | HEALTHY FEEDING AND EATING PRACTICES | I. Food Contaminants II. Harmful Substances that should not be consumed, e.g. banned additives, spoilt fruits, undercooked food, etc. III. Meaning of Drug Abuse IV. Effect of Drug Abuse in the Body |
| 11 | REVISION AND EXAMINATION | |
| Term | Second Term | |
| Week | Topic | Breakdown |
| 1 | REVISION OF LAST TERM’S WORK | I. Introduction to Home Economics II. The Human Body III. Good Posture and Exercise IV. Healthy Feeding and Eating Practices |
| 2 | THE FAMILY | I. Meaning of the Family II. Types of Family III. The Family Tree |
| 3 | THE HOME | I. Meaning and Characteristics of a Home II. Difference between a Home and a House III. Explain the Meaning of Domestic Violence IV. Guide against Domestic Violence |
| 4 | CARE OF THE FAMILY HOUSE | I. Reasons for Care of the House II. Equipment, Tools and Materials needed to Care for the House III. Daily and Weekly Care of the Family IV. Waste Disposal |
| 5 | PRODUCTION OF CLEANING AGENTS, DEODORANTS, COSMETICS | I. Types of Home Made Cleaning Agent II. Uses of Cleaning Agents III. Preparation of Cleaning Agents – Prepare Home Made Polish and different Types of Cleaning Agents |
| 6 | USES OF HOME MADE POLISH AND CLEANING AGENTS | I. Types of Cosmetics II. Materials and Tools required for Making Cosmetics, e.g. Pomade, Cream and Deodorants III. Production of Cosmetics |
| 7 | PRODUCTION OF HOME – MADE CLEANING AGENTS | I. Safety, Quality and Regulatory Control of Cosmetics Products in Nigeria II. Roles of Regulatory Bodies of NAFDAC, Son, etc. |
| 8 | FAMILY NEEDS, GOALS AND STANDARDS | I. Meaning and Types of Family Needs and Wants II. Meaning of family Goals and Standards III. List Family Needs, e.g. Food, Clothing, Shelter, etc |
| 9 | FAMILY NEEDS, GOALS AND STANDARDS | I. Relationship among Family Needs, Goals and Standards II. Explain Family Resource Management III. Uses of Family Needs, goals and Standard in Resource Management |
| 10 | DECISION MAKING IN THE FAMILY | I. Meaning and Steps in Decision Making II. Simple Personal and Family Decisions |
| 11 | REVISION | |
| 12 | EXAMINATION |
| Term | Third Term | |
| Week | Topic | Breakdown |
| 1 | BASIC SEWING PROCESSES | I. Permanent Stitches II. Temporary Stitches III. Make Different Types of Temporary Stitches, e.g. tailor’s tacking, oven hasting, etc. IV. Make Different Permanent stitches e.g. Running, Tack, Hemming, etc. |
| 2 | BASIC SEWING PROCESSES | I. Decorative stitches e.g. satin II. Stem, herringbone, cross, etc. III. Seams |
| 3 | PRODUCTION OF CLOTHING AND HOUSEHOLD ARTICLES/CRAFTS | I. List and explain simple relevant household articles and crafts II. Tools, Equipments and Materials for making a Simple Relevant Articles and Crafts |
| 4 | PRODUCTION OF CLOTHING AND HOUSEHOLD ARTICLES/CRAFTS | I. Construction of Simple Relevant, e.g. apron, cap, needlework, bag, headrest, table mat, puffs, purse, curtain holder, bibs, armrest, shopping bag, napkins, handkerchief, headtie., etc. II. Production of income yielding crafts e.g tie/dye, batik fabrics. |
| 5 | PUBERTY, ADOLESCENCE, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (STIs), HIV/AIDS AND HUMAN RIGHTS | I. Meaning of Puberty and Adolescence II. Describe the signs of puberty in boys and girls |
| 6 | ADOLESCENCE, HUMAN RIGHTS | I. Needs and Challenges of the Adolescence II. Fundamental Human Rights and Rights of the Child |
| 7 | SEXUALITY TRANSMITTED INFECTION (STIs, HIV/AIDs) | I. Explain the Meaning of STIs and HIV/AIDs II. Explain the Causes, Signs and Prevention of STIs, HIV/AIDs |
| 8 | FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT | Fundamental Human Right and Rights of the Child |
| 9 | ENTERTAINMENT IN THE HOME | I. Meaning of Entertainment, Host/Hostess and Guests II. Writing of Invitation Letter III. Table Laying (Lay Table for Entertainment) |
| 10 | ENTERTAINMENT IN THE HOME/ PREPARATION FOR ENTERTAINMENT | I. Importance of Entertainment and Table Laying II. Types of Entertainment Styles e.g. Buffet, Cocktail, Tray Service, and Table Service III. Explain different Types of Entertainment Styles |
| 11 | REVISION | |
| 12 | EXAMINATION |
The recommended textbooks for Home Economics in J.S.S.1 are as follows:
