Grade 11 -
Family Studies - Family Resource Management

This sub-organizer contains the following sections:
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Recommended Learning Resources

Prescribed Learning Outcomes

It is expected that students will:

describe ways that individuals and families acquire resources to meet their needs and wants
develop strategies for managing family resources
identify how personal and family values relate to consumer purchases
analyse the relationship between marketplace practices and consumer behaviour in families
demonstrate an understanding of how the work done in families relates to skills needed in the workplace

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Family Studies - Family Resource Management in grade 12 click on an icon below.

Suggested Instructional Strategies

To acquire the necessities and luxuries of life, families need to effectively manage resources such as time, money, energy, and skills. Students learn that the work done in families develops skills that can be applied in the workplace.

Using case studies, have students create posters (e.g., in the form of a 24-hour clock or a graph) showing the use of time, money, energy, and skills. Ask students to analyse the uses of these resources and to suggest ways to be more effective.
Provide case studies showing how various families allocate resources based on factors such as family size, desire for education, travel, recreation, material goods, and investments. Ask students to evaluate the strategies used by each family to manage its resources.
Invite each student to use software to develop a monthly budget for a teenager who has a summer job away from home. Ask students to consider housing, food, utilities, transportation, work clothing, and entertainment. Have them identify the values reflected in their budgets.
Ask students how crisis situations (e.g., job loss, illness, divorce) can affect family resource management. Challenge them to suggest ways to allocate resources to deal with such unexpected events.
Ask students to prioritize lists of items they would like to purchase and to show how this list reflects their values.
Suggest that students in pairs prepare class presentations about how advertising targets specific cultural, gender, and age groups. Ask them to describe the impact of advertising on family consumer decisions.
Invite an employment counsellor to discuss with the class how skills learned at home can be transferred to the workplace. Ask students to prepare charts outlining skills learned within families and to brainstorm careers related to each skill. Have students update their résumés to include skills learned at home.

Suggested Assessment Strategies

When students analyse case studies to develop strategies for more effective resource management, look for evidence that they are able to:
- show some insight into the impact of these strategies on the individual and, where appropriate, the family
- develop a specific, realistic estimate of the effectiveness of each strategy suggested
When students analyse case studies about resource allocation, look for evidence that they:
- recognize and classify the various resources families have
- accurately summarize how these resources are allocated to meet needs and wants
- identify patterns, strategies, and values that influence how family resources are acquired and allocated
- suggest alternatives consistent with the values, needs, and wants of families
After students discuss how values affect consumer purchases, have them work in small groups to create collages to represent their understanding. Beside each collage, post a sheet that invites feedback from other students. When students finish viewing and commenting, have them complete self-assessments that include summaries of the comments that their work elicited.
Review students' résumés for evidence that they are able to make connections between skills learned at home and those needed in the workplace.