Samoa School Syllabus - Food & Textiles Technology

This syllabus covers the Year 11 curriculum for Food & Textiles Technology, based on the Samoa Secondary School Curriculum. It focuses on developing practical skills, knowledge, and understanding in food and textiles within the family and cultural settings. Students learn to apply technological practices to solve everyday problems and enhance Soifua Maloloina (health and wellbeing).

Strand 1: Design Process

Students learn the principles of design, making design decisions, and applying imagination and creativity to solve practical problems. Year 11 focuses on writing design statements for perceived needs, resolving choices of materials and equipment, effectively communicating design proposals, explaining the purpose and construction of design briefs, and developing a range of design skills using available materials and equipment. They also evaluate product outcomes in relation to design specifications, assessing strengths and weaknesses from different perspectives, including safety, health, environment, cost, and resource use. Finally, they evaluate product outcomes based on appropriateness, elegance, and simplicity.

Strand 2: Food and Nutrition

This strand covers keeping food safe, understanding food nutrients and their application in food preparation, and food budgeting. In Year 11, students research methods of processing and preserving food commercially, comparing quality, nutritional value, additives, packaging, and labeling of commercially preserved foods in Samoa with imported foods. They report on the nutritional content of commercially produced foods compared to fresh food, investigate hygiene and safety regulations, make food products from unprocessed ingredients, and evaluate food products based on various criteria. They also study macronutrients, researching their structure and function, main sources, recommended daily allowances, digestion, and role in energy production. They investigate factors affecting nutrient availability and conduct sensory and nutritional evaluations. For food budgeting, students create a nutritious weekly menu for a family on a specified budget, analyze food budget allocation, and investigate the cost of eating out versus home cooking. They also demonstrate making economical meals for family occasions.

Strand 3: Caring for the Family

This strand focuses on understanding the changing nature of families, the effect of lifestyle on family members, and the responsibilities family members have to each other. Year 11 students research career opportunities in family care services, comparing required knowledge, skills, and attitudes. They also review the Samoa Nutrition Policy and discuss its impact on family wellbeing.

Strand 4: Consumer Responsibilities

Students learn about consumer rights and responsibilities, the responsibilities of service providers, and resource management. In Year 11, they explore issues leading to consumer grievances and complaints, investigating the reasons behind them.

Strand 5: Design and Textiles

This strand covers fibers and fabrics and the techniques and processes of textile projects. Year 11 students experiment with natural fabrics to determine their properties, investigate traditional uses of u'a and fau, experiment with natural dyes, investigate siapo cloth making, and design and make craft items incorporating siapo or weaving. They also research factors to consider when manufacturing textiles for retail, develop production plans for textile items, and compare techniques used in domestic and commercial clothing manufacturing. They also report on the effectiveness of quality control in textile production.

Strand 6: Communication in Food and Textile Technology

Students develop oral and written communication skills, applying them to investigate, research, and report on projects. In Year 11, they participate in various speaking activities, summarize ideas from texts, use appropriate language and style, take notes from presentations, and use oral language to evaluate and influence thinking. They also use academic vocabulary, recognize language structures in various texts, extract and integrate information from multiple sources, write research reports, analyze problems and propose solutions, and follow academic writing conventions.