As A Matter of FACS–Creating A Social Timeline

Objective:To lead students to an appreciation of the FACS curriculum and its impact on American social structure.

State Goal 16: Understand events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States and other nations.

16.A.5a Analyze historical and contemporary developments using methods of historical inquiry (pose questions, collect and analyze data, make and support inferences with evidence, report findings).

This lesson plan was developed to be used as an introductory activity in any Family and Consumer Science course. To be prepared for the activity you will need:

  • Copies of student hand out.

  • Computer(s) with Internet access.

  • Banner paper or joined sheets of copy paper measuring 8 to 12 feet in length. Draw a line lengthwise through the middle of the paper with dates indicated following model below.

  • Glue sticks or Scotch tape

  • Markers

  • Scissors

Project Directions:

  1. Transfer quotation below to a transparency or projection medium of your choice.
    "Home Economists in early 20th century America had a major role in the Progressive Era, the development of the welfare state, the triumph of modern hygiene and scientific medicine, the application of family health, and family economics. What other group of American women did so much, all over the country, and got so little credit?"     Joan Jacobs Brumberg, Stephen H. Weiss

  2. Read the quotation with students and briefly discuss its meaning. Should you require some background on the source of this quote, visit This website will be a valuable resource for your students in the completion of this activity as well.

  3. Post banner paper in area of classroom to which students will have easy access. Begin the dates for your timeline at 1865 and mark off segments for each ten years after that time until 1970.

  4. Divide students into pairs or groups of no more than four students each.

  5. Assign each pair or group of students a cluster of topics to research on the Internet. As the students conduct their research, they are to be looking for the link(s) between the search topic and Family and Consumer Science.

  6. As students accumulate data (printed information, photos, tables, etc.), they will affix their information on the appropriate space on the timeline.

Project Sheet

Evaluation Sheet

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