Christmas Family Saga Inspires Home Economics Curriculum



If you had asked author, Sylvia Hysen, what her greatest professional achievement had been after penning her family saga, A Very Dairy Christmas, she might have said having the screenplay version of her story in film development. But even that paled in comparison to being notified that her classic Christmas comedy about dysfunctional family life had been chosen for inclusion in Fresh FACS Publishing'ss A Novel Approach to Family and Consumer Science, an avant-garde life science curriculum that uses contemporary literature to teach practical skills to teenagers. It was always my intention to blend history and timely facts into the story line while bedazzling readers with humor, larger than life characters, and relatable situations, but I wasn'st prepared for the National Standards approved academic discipline that Fresh FACS Publishing authored, admits Hysen. Writing for entertainment is one thing. Writing for the classroom and students that are home schooled is quite another.

A Very Dairy Christmas is a contemporary comedy about dysfunctional family relationships that centers on the privileged and often controversial world of 15-year-old Callie Michaels when she'ss forced to spend her Christmas vacation with her estranged German grandparents on their Wisconsin dairy farm. Written for young adults but aimed at bridging generational differences, Hysen'ss novel uses humor, emotion, and a heavy dose of corporate branding to deliver endearing characters, thought provoking sentiment; and snippets of history, science, commerce, and technology. I believe a book can be both entertaining and informative at the same time, Hysen insists. You just have to find the right balance. And when you do, it'ss magic.

A Novel Approach to Family and Consumer Science by Ramona Hatch blends the story line and main characters of Hysen'ss A Very Dairy Christmas with creative, hands-on culinary, nutrition, and fashion assignments that emphasize the diverse skill sets found in three generations of strong women. Among Hatch'ss activities is a chemistry experiment resulting in a Mock Apple pie that mirrors the frustrating experience Callie endures when she attempts to bake a pie from scratch, and a crocheting project that produces a replica of the hat and scarf set presented to Callie by her terminally ill girlfriend, Amanda. The hat and scarf are symbolic and serve as a catalyst in a young woman'ss transformation, Hysen says. Ramona [Hatch took a descriptive passage and made it tangible by applying physical design. She may have just single-handedly resurrected crocheting as a popular art form.

Young women find Callie'ss character and attitude especially appealing. She'ss tenacious, intelligent, and a true trendsetter in fashion and beauty. Her propensity for nutrition is uncanny for a fifteen year old, and her ingenuity and scientific aptitude is a threat to most men. But even diamonds have flaws, and Callie is no different. She learns the hard way that value can be found in all walks of life, and that human kindness is inherent and not just something to be charged on a credit card. As a former high school teacher, I found Callie to be a delightful character, Hatch declares. Her evolution into a caring and compassionate person serves as an object lesson for young readersand her [Callie'ss exploits developed into great classroom learning activities.

To view Sylvia Hysen'ss AuthorWrap at BookWrapCentral.com go to http://www.bookwrapcentral.com/authors/sylviahysen.htm.

Or to read Juanita Watson'ss interview at ReaderViews.com go to http://www.readerviewskids.com/InterviewHysen.html.

A Very Dairy Christmas is published by 1st Impression Publishing and makes the perfect Christmas gift. It is available through the publisher http://www.averydairychristmas.com Amazon.com- http://www.amazon.com most other online booksellers, and Baker 's38; Taylor.





Christmas Family Saga Inspires Home Economics Curriculum




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