Home EjaoMjnics Circular No. 11. January, 1922. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF EDUCATION WASHINGTON \939 $ EQUIPMENT AND EOOM8 FOE HOME ECONOMICS DEPAETMENTS, |p CONTENTS. Introduction (A) Essential conditions for teaching home economics in i 3 lic elementary and secondary schools (B) Space requirements for home economics artments : Assumed conditions governing use of rooms ; home economics rooms in tith grade school of 1,000 or 1,200 pupils, in sixth grade school of 600 or 700 pupils, junior high school of about 600 pupils, in larger junior high schools, in 4-year high schools requiring home economics in ninth grade with elective courses in grades 1012, in high school of six grades, in small schools (C) A residence or portable building as a place in which to teach home economics (D) Equipment for home economics rooms: Introduction ; standard permanent cooking equipment with group arrangement, with unit kitchen arrangement, for small school (E) General type of cooking desks (F) Types of tops for cooking desks (G) Location of desks, sinks, and stoves (H) Lists of cooking utensils (I) Equipment for teaching garment making (J) Suggestive plans for arrange- ment of equipment. INTRODUCTION. The type of rooms assigned for the use of home economics departments and the location of these rooms in the school building largely determine the kind and quality of the instruction given. It is true that the best of material surroundings will not transform a time- serving teacher into one imbued with loving zeal for her work. It is equally true that dark, damp, inaccessible rooms, placed below all other instructional space, overcrowded with classes and inadequately supplied with suitable equip- ment, will dishearten even the most enthusiastic teacher and result in her resig- nation in favor of schools where there is greater appreciation of the dignity of the home and the representative of that home the public school home economics department. Cooking and sewing, heretofore the only phases of home economics subject matter generally recognized by school officials and school architects, are but two phases of home economics. These subjects appeared in public school courses of study as the first evi- dence of the recognition that some differentiation should exist in the education of girls from that of boys, and as a concession to those who believe that chil- dren may receive training of mind and hand simultaneously, and as an ac- knowledgment that mothers of to-day for various reasons can not give to Ameri- can girls the training in arts and sciences relating to household activities which as American daughters they now need and which later as wise and capable home makers they must have. With a broader conception of what should constitute satisfactory home eco- nomics instruction in the elementary and secondary schools, with a realization that the schools must serve more efficiently a much larger portion of the popu- lation, and with a realization that lowered ideals of home life lower the margin of safety for all American institutions, a readjustment of home economics teaching conditions is imperative. 84103 22 2 EQUIPMENT AND ROOMS FOR HOME ECONOMICS. School children naturally interpret the desirability of the place and the types of rooms, and the support given a subject, as the evaluation placed upon that subject by the school and community. If assigned to the least desirable place in the building, then to the pupil it is of least value as a subject. The rooms in which home economics is taught are all too frequently the only rooms that represent to a child of foreign parentage standards of American home life. How can such children have borne upon their consciousness the fact that Americans do not approve of eating, cooking, and living in basements, if they know no American homes, and if the teaching of home making is in basement rooms in close proximity to heating plant and toilets? Were home economics rooms used but a few hours per week, there would be some excuse for reserving for more efficient use the most desirable rooms ; but to-day in a modern and well-organized school the home economics rooms are in as constant use as are others of the school plant. Architects and builders have assumed responsibility for the selection and placement of home economics equipment because, in many instances, there was no home economics woman in a position to speak with authority concerning these matters. For a similar reason these men have located the rooms where they most easily fitted into their plans and where such location least inter- fered with the wishes of other department heads. That school authorities, architects, and patrons may better understand the aims, extent, and needs of home economics departments, the Bureau of Educa- tion offers the suggestions here given. A. ESSENTIAL CONDITIONS FOR TEACHING HOME ECONOMICS. 1. All home economics rooms should be above ground. The rooms may be upon the first or upon the top floor, but should never be in a basement. The objections to basement rooms are founded upon psychological as well as biological reasons, the most important of which is that home economics rooms and lunch rooms are the only places in the school plant where American standards of living can be presented to children from poor homes. 2. Where possible home economics rooms should be conveniently near the school lunch room and the arts and crafts rooms. 8. There should be an abundance of natural light from windows placed on one side or one side and one end of the room. Overhead lighting by skylights is unsatisfactory. Hand sewing, machine work, costume design, millinery, and many food preparation processes necessitate postures which throw shadows upon the work if the light is from above the worker ; moreover, it is desirable to secure in home economics rooms the maximum resemblance to satisfactory home conditions. 4. Window ventilation should be arranged for the food rooms. Owing to the excessive amounts of moisture, cooking odors, gas waste products, and stove heat to be removed from the atmosphere of the room, the usual method of schoolroom ventilation does not prove satisfactory. 5. Walls should be given a sanitary finish in light and attractive colors. 6. Floors should have a sanitary finish or a sanitary floor covering well laid. An uncovered cement floor is not suitable for the use of home economics students. 7. Adequate blackboard space should be provided in every foods and clothing classroom. 8. Bulletin boards for exhibits should be provided. 9. All home economics rooms should be supplied with an ample supply of running water and connected with a sewage system. EQUIPMENT AND KOOMS FOR HOME ECONOMICS. 3 10. Toilets and lavatories should not be adjacent to or immediately opposite home economics rooms. 11. Since home economics rooms are to represent good local home conditions, flues should be so provided that one or more ranges using the common fuel of the locality can be installed. 12. There should be adequate provision in the home economics rooms for the personal cleanliness of the pupils. Not less than two lavatory basins, with bubbling fountain attachments, should be provided in each classroom accom- modating 12 or more pupils. 13. Home economics department heads should have supervisory authority over lunch rooms. Foods cooked in home economics classes may be served in lunch rooms, but educational values are sacrificed when home economics classes are expected to do the entire cooking for lunch rooms, or when all products of classrooms are marketed in the lunch room; hence, home economics class- rooms should not be considered to be lunch rooms except in the smallest schools. All other schools should have lunch room and kitchen for lunch room separate from, though contiguous to, the home economics rooms. B. SPACE REQUIREMENTS FOR HOME ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT. 1. Assumed conditions governing use of room: a. These estimates as to space required for schools of different sizes are based upon the following time-allotment plan, which is that recommended by the Fed- eral Bureau of Education: Fifth grade, 160 to 180 minutes per week. Sixth grade, 160 to 180 minutes per week. Seventh grade, 200 to 225 minutes per week. Eighth grade, 200 to 225 minutes per week. Ninth grade, 360 to 450 minutes per week. Tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades, elective, 360 to 450 minutes per week. One-half day five times per week for intensive courses for girls 14 years old or over wherever there is a demand for such courses or where there is a group who will profit by such instruction. Continuation classes to meet local conditions. Not less than the above time will be assigned to home economics in the more progressive schools. b. It is assumed that not more than 20 girls will be enrolled in any one class in home economics at any one time. c. In reorganized and progressive schools it is certain that all phases of home economics will be taught to each pupil in the degree in which she is prepared to profit by such instruction. d. It is recognized that home economics appears in various types of public schools, i. e., in elementary schools of 8 grades ; in elementary schools of 6 grades ; in junior high schools of 3 grades ; in high schools of 4 grades ; in high schools of 6 grades ; in schools having all 12 grades ; in rural consolidated schools of 12 grades and in small rural schools; hence, rooms and equipment suitable for one type and one size of school may be inadequate or superabundant for some other of different size or of different grades. Therefore, there is in this report an effort to estimate accurately the minimum amount of space which should be set aside for home economics in each of these different types of schools. e. The figures for the distribution of pupils in the various grades are drawn from Bureau of Education Bulletin, 1920, No. 24 Statistics of City School Systems, 1917-18. These, of course, are averages and may require readjustment 4 EQUIPMENT AND ROOMS FOR HOME ECONOMICS. in any specific place because of peculiar local conditions. The better the school system the larger the relative size of upper grade classes will be. This means that in a progressive school of a certain size more classes in home economics will have to be provided than in average schools. ttaa - tanx a nrrca HOT saoa o too ICTUS 2. In an elementary school of 1,000 to 1,200 pupils distributed through eight grades it is probable that there will be 63 to 65 girls in the fifth grade, 57 to 60 girls in the sixth grade, 48 to 50 girls in the seventh grade, and 39 to 40 girls in the eighth grade. This would mean Tcriods. 3 classes of about 20 in fifth grade, 4 periods per week 12 3 classes of about 20 in sixth grade, 4 periods per week 15 3 classes of about 17 in seventh grade, 5 periods per week 15 2 classes of about 20 in eighth grade, 5 periods per week 10 49 1 class in intensive home economics, 15 to 20 periods per week 15 ' Total 64 Interpreted, this indicates that there would be 64 class hours of home eco- nomics per week for girls in grades 5 to 8, inclusive. A school of this size would have some 30 or more girls of 14 who have not reached the eighth grade, some of whom would inevitably drop out of school as soon as possible. Therefore it is right to assume that provision should be made for instructing them in intensive courses in home economics occupying more than one-fourth of their school day. EQUIPMENT AND ROOMS FOR HOME ECONOMICS. 5 One room will provide for either 30 or 40 class hours per week, according to whether the school day is of 300 or 360 minutes. It is evident that to provide home economics of the kinds advocated, and in the amount assumed as requisite for the girls of 1,000 or 1,200 pupil schools, there will be need of the following rooms : One food room, approximately 22 by 48 feet. One clothing room, approximately 22 by 40 feet. One 40-pupil classroom for lectures and recitations. One home kitchen, approximately 9 by 10 feet. One home dining room, approximately 12 by 16 feet. One fitting and pressing room, (with windows), 7 by 10 feet. One food store room (may be inside space), 7 by 10 feet. One closet for clothing class material (may be inside space), 7 by 10 feet. One teachers' rest room or nurses' room with lavatory and, if possible, bath and toilet. This room to be used to teach housekeeping. This space will accommodate the 49 class hours for students in grades five to eight and one class of girls in intensive home economics using the rooms from 15 to 20 class periods per week. 3. In a six-grade school of 600 or 700 pupils there probably will be 60 or 65 girls in the fifth grade and 55 or 60 girls in the sixth grade, which means the following home economics space requirement: Periods. 3 sections, fifth grade, of about 20 girls, 4 periods per week 12 3 sections, sixth grade, of about 18 or 20 girls, 4 periods per week 12 1 section ungraded or special pupils, 10 periods per week 10 This equals 34 periods per week, or full use of one room equipped for 20 pupils. Elsewhere will be discussed the dual-purpose equipment for this type of school. A school of over 700 pupils will require the same room as suggested for the 1,000-pupil school, though it will not be used quite so effectively. 4. A junior high school of about 600 pupils will have from 114 to 120 girls in seventh grade, 96 to 100 in the eighth grade, and 78 to 80 in the ninth grade, which means the following: Periods. 5 sections, seventh-grade girls, 5 periods per week 25 5 sections, eighth-grade girls, 5 periods per week 25 4 sections, ninth-grade girls, 8 periods per week 32 1 section, intensive home economics 15 This is a total of 97 periods of home economics classroom use. With the best of scheduling this would necessitate the full use of three units of home economics and one recitation room. This would mean : One foods classroom with storeroom. One clothing classroom with fitting room and storeroom. One 40-pupil recitation room. One home kitchen. One home dining room. One home living room and bedroom combined to be used as teachers' rest room or students' social room. One bathroom. The latter four rooms compose the third unit of the home-economics space allotment. 5. Junior high schools of more than 600 pupils will require additional home economics space for the first 200 or fewer additional pupils, for which there should be one extra foods room and one extra clothing room. For a school of 1,000 pupils the original space should be doubled. EQUIPMENT AND ROOMS FOR HOME ECONOMICS. EQUIPMENT AND ROOMS FOR HOME ECONOMICS. 7 6. In high schools of four grades with 600 or 700 pupils, requiring home eco- nomics in the 9th grade for all girls and offering elective courses for the girls of the upper three grades, there may be expected about 150 or 160 girls in the 9th grade, 90 to 100 in the 10th grade, 60 to 70 girls in the llth grade, and 50 to 60 girls in the 12th grade. Of the 200 or more girls in the upper three years not more than 40 or 50 will be found in the elective courses in home economics ; hence the demand for space may thus be analyzed : Periods. 8 classes of 20 each In 9th grade, 8 periods per week 64 3 classes of 12 to 15 each in 10th, llth, and 12th grades, 8 periods per week 24 or a total of 88 periods of home economics per week. With these classes, use can be made of three units of home economics equipment. The same space and arrangement are recommended as suggested for junior high schools of 600 pupils. If home economics is elective in all four high-school years in a 600-pupil high school, probably only about one-third of the girls will elect this subject ; hence, a foods room, a clothing room, and a practice dining room should be supplied. Other rooms in the building can be used for housekeeping practice and home making. 7. In high schools having six grades with home economics required in first three and elective in the upper three, the distribution of girls in a 600-pupil school will be about as follows: Seventh grade, 96; eighth grade, 78; ninth grade, 62 ; tenth grade, 40 ; eleventh grade, 26 ; and twelfth grade, 20. For these the following classes will be needed : Periods. 5 sections, 7th grade, 5 periods per week 25 4 sections, 8th grade, 5 periods per week 20 3 sections, 9th grade, 8 periods per week 24 2 sections, 1012 grades, 8 periods per week 16 1 section, intensive home economics 10 Total 95 These classes will require at least a three-unit home economics department similar to that recommended for the junior high school, together with one class- room seating 40 pupils. 8. In eight-grade elementary schools of 500 pupils or less, in junior high schools and four-year high schools of 300 pupils or less, and in ordinary consoli- dated rural and village schools, but one room will be required for teaching home economics if that room is large enough and is properly located and equipped. The rooms for these smaller schools should be not less than 22 by 42 feet with the maximum number of windows possible on the long side and on one end of the room. There should be a storeroom for food supplies and one for clothing. It is recommended that a teachers' rest room or nurse's first-aid room be placed near this room, so that the pupils may have the opportunity to practice the instruction given in housekeeping. If there is to be a lunchroom, that also should be placed near the home eco- nomics room in order that cooked food may be easily transferred from the home economics room to the lunchroom. In small schools the home economics room and adjacent classrooms may be used as rooms for the service of hot foods. 8 EQUIPMENT AND ROOMS FOR HOME ECONOMICS. MO V t 5 S if 5 sill a H*) (a) 5 or 6 kitchen cabinets, commercial type. (6) 5 or 6 sinks with backs and drain boards. (e) 5 or 6 kitchen stoves, elevated ovens. (d) 5 or 6 kitchen tables, enameled tops. (e) 5 or 6 towel racks. (f) to (w) As in previous list of equip- ment. 3. Permanent equipment for small school. (a) 8 double cooking desks to be used also as sewing tables. (6) 4 sinks, 18 by 24 inches without backs or drain boards, with boards that may be used as covers. 4 gas stoves, 4 burner, if gas is used in community. 1 gas hot-water heater or 2 ranges with hot-water tanks. 2 oil stoves, 4 burner. 4 towel racks. 2 lavatory basins with drinking spigot. 2 stationary tubs with hinged covers. 1 washing machine. (c) *) (e) (f) (ff) (h) 1 ironing board. (i) 1 supply table, 42 by 81 inches and 31 inches (high), to be used as din- ing table, pupils lunch table, and as a sewing table. (}) 1 kitchen cabinet, commercial type. (k) 1 cupboard (see previous list). (I to 10) As in previous list. (tc) 4 sewing machines. (y) 8 folding sewing tables. (z) 8 folding chairs to be used by pupils, in sewing. E. THE GENERAL TYPE OF COOKING DESK. It is generally agreed that all of the cooking utensils frequently used should be close at hand, and that no unnecessary walking should be requisite in the preparation of a meal or the cooking of an article. Hence, the cooking desks should have drawers and cupboards and places to hang dish pans. Desk drawers should not be deeper than will accommodate the utensils to be placed in these drawers. All drawers and cupboards should be painted on the inside with two or more coats of white paint. The different cooking desks in the room should be of different heights. There are in every class some tall girls and some smaller ones. F. TYPES OF TOPS FOR COOKING DESKS. There are many excellent materials now used for surfacing the tops of cook- ing desks. 1. Well-seasoned oak or maple, carefully tongued, grooved, and bolted, makes a good surface. This can be scrubbed and kept in good condition. It wears well, and it presents problems in cleaning similar to those met with in the pupil's own home. The wooden top should never be painted or varnished. No woman would choose a varnished cook table for her own kitchen. Unsuitable and extravagant woods, such as birdseye maple and mahogany, should not be chosen. 2. Glass, marble, and slate have been used in some places. All were sanitary and easily cleaned, but the glass fractured when there were sudden sharp 12 EQUIPMENT AND ROOMS FOR HOME ECONOMICS. changes in the temperature of the room or when hot kettles were placed in contact with it. Marble, while desirable, is very expensive. Slate because of its dark color has proven unattractive. 3. White enameled metal table tops are now on the market and meet the ap- proval of many good housekepers. These are smooth surfaced and easily cleaned, and they can be fitted over locally made cooking desks. 4. Locally made desks can be covered with either sheet zinc or aluminum. Of the two, aluminum is somewhat the easier to keep clean and attractive. Both wear well. 5. There are many commercial desks on the market. Some of these have composition tops. These tops are smooth, durable, and easily kept clean, and the more recently made ones do not stain badly. Some of the commercial desks are all metal and are particularly suitable to moist warm sections of the country, where special care is necessary to overcome the evils of mold, bac- teria, and insects. 6. The tile-topped desk is no longer so popular as it once was. The tile is expensive, and it is difficult to find workmen to so lay them that they will remain even and in place. There is no one best kind of desk top. Local conditions, economy, and good judgment must decide what is chosen for each school. Especially should those knowing local conditions make this decision. G. LOCATION Or DESKS, SINKS, AND STOVES. Edges of stoves and edges of desks should not be contiguous. There should be not less than one inch of space between any two edges in order that these edges may be kept perfectly clean. In figuring location of desks, sinks, and stoves, it must be borne in mind that edges too closely placed afford a small crack in which moisture and dirt find lodgment. H. COOKING UTENSILS. Introduction. A somewhat greater number of cooking utensils, per group of four pupils, is needed in school kitchens than would be necessary to properly equip a home kitchen, because there are always four pairs of hands to be kept busy. 1. Equipment for Each Group of four Pupils.