PROFESSIONAL
Rigor, Relevance, & Relationships
The New “Three Rs”: Why Do They Matter?
By Erik Amerikaner
Oak Park High School
Oak Park, California
Rigor, relevance, and relationships have been called the new “three Rs” of learning. Legislation such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the Perkins Act has focused to attention on the need for academic rigor as well as real-world skills. But how do we integrate standards-based learning into our FACS classrooms in a way that engages students and makes learning truly meaningful? The “three Rs” offer a framework:
- Rigor: Instruction that supports core academic subjects to help students succeed at school, on high-stakes tests, and in life!
- Relevance: A curriculum that ties learning to students' personal experiences at school, work, and home.
- Relationships: Projects that support connections to school and community.
When we target the three Rs in our classrooms, we make education challenging and rewarding for students of all interests and ability levels. Here are some ways FACS teachers can introduce the three Rs in our classrooms.
Rigor
FACS courses offer many opportunities to strengthen students’ proficiency in the core academic subjects of reading, writing, and math, which are critical to success in future education and the workplace.
When students analyze nutritional data or calculate a budget, for example, they are dealing with math concepts. Working through measurements and computations with students can help them see how what they are learning in their FACS course relates to what they are learning in their math class.
When students work on interpersonal communication and conflict resolution, they practice the grammar and verbal fluency skills emphasized in the English language arts classroom. All of Glencoe's FACS texts explicitly integrate core subjects into the lessons and reviews. Students can use skills learned in the FACS classroom to increase their success in core academic subjects—and vice versa.
Relevance
Students need to see a meaningful connection between their lives and what they learn in school. This means linking school to the broader worlds of work, family, and community and to the skills associated with different professions.
FACS courses are an ideal place to make these real-world connections. Features in your Glencoe textbooks are designed to help you make these connections explicit for students. For example, healthy recipes in food and nutrition texts support the whole family's well-being, and career opportunities and guidance in all texts support job readiness and lifelong learning.
Most FACS classrooms contain students of varying abilities, interests, and experience. Glencoe's real-world activities are scaled to different ability levels to help keep all of your students attentive and motivated. Community- and project-based learning can both challenge advanced students and help keep at-risk students involved by making learning immediately relevant.
Relationships
Students need strong communication, interpersonal, and self-management skills, as well as academic and technical skills, to succeed in the workplace and to meet their personal goals. In the FACS classroom, students can learn how to collaborate successfully to create projects that are high quality and on schedule.
FACS courses can include both one-on-one learning opportunities and projects that are team-based, requiring students of varying skills to work collaboratively, resolve conflicts proactively, and share knowledge and skills. Glencoe includes features throughout the student editions and tips throughout teacher resources to launch productive class discussions or team projects. Students will quickly discover they can use what they’ve learned in your FACS class to achieve success in other classes, improve their health and well-being, to build relationships with elders or younger siblings, to contribute to volunteer organizations, and to make other positive contributions to their world.
