Home Economics S3/S4 Course

Health and Food Technology – National 4 & 5

Content

The course focuses on health and the nutritional properties of food as well as developing safe, hygienic and informed practices in food preparation. It raises learners’ awareness of the importance of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. The course also develops learners’ knowledge and skills so they can become informed consumers.

There are 4 main units:

Health & Food Technology: Food for Health

This unit develops basic knowledge of health, nutrition, dietary needs and advice, as well as lifestyle choices and their impact on health.

Health & Food Technology: Food Product Development

This unit allows learners to participate in practical activities that demonstrate the functional properties of food and its uses.

Health & Food Technology: Contemporary Food Issues

This unit allows learners to participate in activities to develop an awareness of current factors affecting food, lifestyle and wider consumer choices.

Added Value Unit: Health & Food Technology: Assignment

Learners will draw on, extend and apply the skills they have learned during the course.

Learners will also develop broad generic skills based on the SQA’s Skills framework: Skills for Learning, Skills for Life and Skills for Work

Assessment

All Units are internally assessed against the requirements shown in the Unit Specification. Units will be assessed on a pass/fail basis.

Homework

Homework is an integral part of the course and pupils will be given a variety of tasks throughout the course. Pupils should expect to spend, on average, one hour per week on Health and Food Technology. In addition pupils will be expected to revise work and regularly practice cooking dishes of increasing complexity at home.

Skills useful to the course

  • An interest in nutrition, individual physical needs and modern technological developments
  • A genuine interest in food and learning about food properties
  • A willingness to develop existing practical and organisational skills

Value of the course

Health and Food Technology contributes to personal development as it presents the opportunity to experience a range of study skills and encourages a structured approach to independent learning. This form of learning not only develops skills necessary for living today, but also prepares the student for further study at college or university as well as employment opportunities. Students with HFT qualifications may go on to have interesting and rewarding careers in dietetics, consumerism, product development, environmental health, food technology, marketing, journalism and the hospitality industry.

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