2007 home economics

© Sandra Cleary 2007

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HOME ECONOMICS 2007

SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL

SANDRA CLEARY

This article will cover the main aspects of both ordinary

and Higher Level Home Economics. Students should be

very familiar with the layout of a paper, the numbers of

questions to be answered, timing, style of questions and

most of all content of the syllabus before sitting any

Leaving Certificate exam.

Planned revision is of the essence; therefore I have

included a 9 week study guide, which must be followed

if all topics are to be covered in time for June.

Home Economics is a very long and detailed course

made up of a written paper and practical journal.

For students taking both the Higher and Ordinary

Level, the journal is worth 20% of the overall grade.

For students studying the Textiles, Fashion and Design

Elective the written paper is worth 70% and it is worth

80% for all other students. 10% of the overall grade is

allocated to a garment which students have already

submitted for the textiles Elective.

At this stage the Food Studies practical journal has

been examined and graded for 2007 therefore this

article will cover the written paper. Good luck!

LAYOUT OF HOME ECONOMICS PAPER

SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C

* 12 Short questions in this

section.

* Students are required to

Answer only 10 questions.

* Each question carries 6

marks.

* Five questions in this

section.

* Students must answer

Question 1 (80 marks)

* Two other questions must

be answered (50 marks

each)

* Three questions in this

section on the Elective

Topics.

* Students must answer one

question (80 marks)

*Part A and either Part B or

Part C


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TIMING

• Both Ordinary level and Higher level papers

must be completed within 2 hours and 30

minutes.

• Answer Question 1 (Section B) first and spend

30 minutes on this question.

• Forty minutes should be spent on the Elective

question next.

• Answer the two 50 mark questions after the

Elective question. Twenty minutes should be

spent on each of these questions.

• Finally the short questions should be filled in.

There are spaces provided on the examination

paper for the answers to these questions. Thirty

minutes should be allocated to answering this

section.

• If students follow the above timing guide there

should be approximately five minutes left to

read over the exam paper before you start the

exam.

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3

- Lipids

- Fats/Oils

- Cereals

- Specific Dietary

Requirements

- Carbohydrates

- Fruit/Vegetables

- Irish Diet

- Irish Food Industry

- Consumer Studies

- Resource Management

- Textiles

- Household Technology


- Minerals

- Milk

- Milk Products

- Fish

- Vitamins

- Water

- Family Finance

- Methods of Cooking

- Protein

- Meat

- Eggs

- Sensory Analysis


- Food Additives

- Packaging/Processing

Labelling

- Food Spoilage

- Microbiology

- Domestic/Commercial

Preservation

- HACCP/Food Laws

- Topics from Chosen

Elective


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POINTS TO REMEMBER WHEN

APPROACHING REVISION

• As mentioned earlier. Home Economics is a

very broad subject covering a number of

different areas. It is unlike some subjects where

whole questions are devoted to one specific

topic. For example, in the old Home Economics

syllabus Question 1 might have been on Protein

only. However if protein were to appear on the

new style paper it may appear with other topics

like Vegetarianism, Menu Planning, the Irish

Diet and Food Choices.

Therefore study inter-related topics together.

• Practice answering questions from the last

couple of years 2004, 2005 & 2006 and from

sample papers.

• Timing is important in the exam itself. Efficient

time management is important in order to

complete the exam on time. Therefore when

practicing exam questions you must try to

answer them in the time allowed in the exam.

There is no point writing out an ‘A’ answer that

takes an hour when you are only allowed 35 or

40 minutes in the exam.

• Follow the revision plan given above to ensure

that you have the whole course covered.

• Practice drawing diagrams particularly from the

area of Microbiology, Household Technology

and the Home Design and Management

Elective. A common downfall is students

studying diagrams from their textbook or notes.

They know the different parts of the diagram

from a given picture but if asked to replicate the

diagram in the exam, they cannot do so.


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Students should note that eight out of twelve short

questions are Food Studies questions. The remaining

four questions are from Consumer Studies, Resource

Management topics and Social Studies (Core).

It has been mentioned earlier that students should

answer these questions last.

If timing has not gone to plan (which of course will not

be your case!) the short questions can be done quickly

compared to the structuring of a long question.

Also, by the time you get to this section you will have

answered questions on a lot of key topics and will be in

a better frame of mind to tackle specific short questions

than at the beginning of the exam.

The following short questions have appeared on

previous papers at both levels.

Higher Level Q4. 2006

Explain two factors that contribute to the spoilage of

fish (6)

(i) Fish struggle in nets before being caught, using

up their store of glycogen leaving no lactic acid

which acts as a preservative.

(ii) Bacteria feed off the moist flesh of raw fish

and produce trimethylamine (a nitrogen based

compound) that gives spoiled fish a bad odour.

Q2. 2005

(a) State two functions of lipids in the body (2)

(i) Lipids are a source of fat soluble vitamins

A,D,E,K.

(ii) They protect delicate organs eg. Heart, kidneys.

(b) Complete the following table in relation to the

digestion of lipids. (4)


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Q9. 2005

State the function of each of the following parts of a

refrigerator (6)

The thermostat - regulates the temperature of the fridge,

It is based on the working principle of a bimetallic strip

where metals contract on cooling.

The Refrigerant - absorbs heat from warm food placed

in the fridge. Liquid refrigerant absorbs heat from food

and converts to gaseous refrigerant.

Ordinary Level

Q3. 2006

(a) State two functions of calcium in the body (4)

(1) calcification - laying down of calcium

phosphate.

(ii) blood clotting along with vitamin K

(b) List two good dietary sources of calcium (2)

(i) milk

(ii) cheese

Q2. 2005

(a) Name two types of fatty acids and list one food

source of each type. (4)

Digestive

GlandSecretion Enzyme Change

Pancreas Pancreatic JuicePancreatic

Lipase

Triglycerides

split to fatty acids

and glycerol

Type of fatty acid Food source

Saturated Meat

Unsaturated Vegetable Oil


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(b) What is an essential fatty acid? (2)

This is a fatty acid that cannot be produced by

the body and therefore must be included in

the diet.

Comment on short questions answered

• Students should try (particularly at Higher Level0

to give as much information as possible when

answering short questions.

• Use all of the available space on the paper

regardless of the language used in the question

eg. 'state', 'list', 'enumerate' might suggest one

word answers, however the fact that each

question is worth 6 marks (i.e. 11/2 % of overall

grade) indicates that a lot of detail is required.

• Higher level questions will require a more

comprehensive knowledge of the course eg. Q2.

2005 Ordinary Level (See above0 is quite basic.

If this type of question were asked at Higher

level, students would probably have to name

specific fatty acids eg. Stearic acid, linoleic acid

rather than just give food sources.


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SECTION B As mentioned earlier, Section B is made up of five

questions. The first question must be answered and two

other questions out of the four remaining questions.

Question One This question is worth 80 marks (i.e. 20% of the overall

grade). It is usually made up of four (2005) of five

(2004,2006) parts.

It is important to remember that this is an integrated

question covering a couple of topics in the one question

e.g. Higher Level 2006 Q1. was on Meat and Protein,

Higher Level 2005 was on Carbohydrates and Food

Labelling.

Finally, in 2004 this question was on Fish, Vitamin D

and Heart Disease. Therefore, it would be very unwise

to pick random topics to revise as the end result may be

a student being unable to answer this compulsory

question.

Ordinary Level students should be aware that the above

information applies to them as well e.g. Q1. 2006

covered Carbohydrates, High Fibre menu and Food

Labeling.


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Possible Answer

(a)

(b) Fatty Acids

VEGETABLE FAT ANIMAL FAT

Sunflower Oil Tuna Fish

Reasons:

(1) Sunflower Oil has 66% polyunsaturates

Which are known as essencial fatty acids

which are thought to make blood sticky,

therefore easier to flow and less likely to

cause clots which may lead to a heart

attack/stroke.

(2) There is only 10% saturated fatty acids

present. Too many saturates can raise

'LDL' (low density lipoprotein) levels of

Cholesterol

Reasons:

(1) Tuna fish has 37% polyunsaturated

content. These include omega 3 fatty acids

which reduce the risk of Artherosclerosis.

(2) In total tuna is made up of 63%

unsaturates which are thought to raise '

HDL' levels of Cholesterol in the blood i.e.

raise 'good' Cholesterol.

(i) Saturated (ii) Monounsaturated (iii) Polyunsaturated

Structure

Single bonds only One double bond present Two or more double

bonds present

Source Mainly Animal origin

eg. Stearic Acid (Meat)

Olive Oil

eg. Oleic Acid

Mainly vegetable or

marine sources eg.

Linoleic Acid (cereals)

Arachadonic Acid (Cod)

Effect on coronary

arteries

Raises 'LDL' Cholesterol

(Bad Cholsterol)

Raises 'HDl' Cholesterol

(Good Cholesterol)

Lowers 'LDL'

Cholsterol


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(c) Hydrogenation

• This property in the manufacture of margarine.

• Hydrogen gas is pumped into liquid vegetable

oils (mainly unsaturated). A nickel catalyst is

present and the mixture is heated to 200oC.

• Double bonds are broken as Hydrogen attaches

to the free carbon spaces around the double

bonds.

• Cis fatty acids can change to trans fatty acids.

• Result The mixture becomes more solid i.e.

margarine.

Emulsions

• Lecithin (emulsifying agent) in egg yolk is

added to olive oil and vinegar in the

production of mayonnaise.

• Lecithin has a hydrophobic (water hating)

part and a hydrophyllic (water loving) part.

The hydrophobic part attaches to the oil and

the hydrophyllic part attaches to the vinegar

keeping the fat globules away from each

other so they cannot coalesce. The end result

is that the oil and vinegar are in a permanent

emulsion.


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(d)

• Include oily fish (salmon, trout) twice a week as

they contain Omega 3 fatty acids which can

reduce blood pressure and lower risk of heart

disease.

• Include folic acid (brown bread, leafy greens,

oranges) to lower homocysteine levels in blood.

• Include plenty of fruit and vegetables as an

excellent source of antioxidants (prevent

oxidation of polyunsaturates).

• Poach, grill, bake and steam food as no fat is

added during cooking.

• Reduce intake of saturates (butter, cream, full

fat cheese) as they can raise 'LDL' levels of

cholesterol.

(e) Functional food: Benecol yoghurt

• This food contains plant stanol esters.

• They block the absorbtion of cholesterol in the

intestine and pass out of the body.

(f)

(i) Personal

Culture - Italians tend to choose pasta as a main food

source. Chinese choose rice or noodles, Spanish and

Portuguese eat a lot of fish. Natioanality will influence

choice of foods.

Health status

If a person is a celiac they will have to avoid foods

containing gluten (bread, biscuits, cakes). If someone is

anaemic they must choose foods rich in iron (red meat,

cereals, greens) and foods rich in vitamin C (citrus

fruits)

(ii)

Educational

Marketing/advertising - food labels contain information

about the nutritional content of food. They may

emphasise that a product is low in salt or high in fibre.

This will influence some people to purchase the

product.

Nutritional awareness - In general people are more

aware of the importance and benefits of healthy eating

on our bodies. TV programmes, health magazines,

home economics classes inform people of healthy

eating and the right food choices that should be made.


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(iii)

Economic - If a person has a limited income to spend

on food they may have to choose cheap cuts of meat,

fruit and vegetables in season and 'own brand' goods.

Those people that are not restricted to a budget can but

exotic fruits, expensive meat and cheeses etc.

COMMENT ON QUESTION 1

• Pie charts or tables usually appear on this type

of question. It is important to refer to some of

this data when answering the question.

• No long paragraphs. All answers are in point

format. The points may be brief or detailed.

This will depend on the language used in the

question. Key terms like describe, evaluate,

explain, give an account indicate more detail

should be given in comparison to words like

list, name, state and indicate.

• Always read the marking scheme. This will help

you to work out how long should be spent on

each section of the answer. Often a key term can

be misleading e.g. "List guidelines that should

be followed for the diet of an obese person who

is trying to lose weight" 15 marks. Obviously

the marking scheme is 5 points @ 3 marks each.

Three marks for each point indicates a little

elaboration is necessary. Compare this with

another possible question, "list factors that

affect our energy requirements" 6 marks. The

same key term is used in both questions but the

allocation of marks indicates detail for the first

question and lists of points for the second.

Other Questions in Section B.

Social Studies There is a possibility that one of the four 50 mark

questions in Section B will be on the core area of Social

Studies. A trend appears to be developing.


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The following is a Social Studies question from the

Department of Education (sample question)

Higher Level Ordinary Level

Q5. 2006

Family Structures/

Divorce

Q4 Family

2006

Q5 Elderly/

Making a Will

Q5 2005

Rights of Children/

Roles of Parents

Q5 2005

Marriage

Q5 2004

Functions of Family/

History of development

of Family

Q5 2004

Needs of Children/

Adolescents


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Possible Answer (a)

• Number of Partners In Ireland , monogamy

is a legal condition of marriage. A person can

only be married to one person at a time (one

man and one woman). A person is a bigamist if

they marry more than one person at the time

they are still married to someone else.

Polygamy exists in other countries where a

person can have more than one spouse

(i) polygny - one man and many wives e.g.

Muslims can have up to four wives.

(ii) polyandry - one woman and many husbands e.g.

Todas tribe in southern India.

• Age at time of marriage

In Ireland, a person must be at least 18 years old

before they can legally marry. In other countries

e.g. South African tribes, marriage is allowed

when the girl and boy reach puberty.

• Choice of Partner

In Ireland, people choose their partners of their

own free will. They marry for 'love'.

In some cultures, endogamy is required. This

is where people must marry within their

religion, race or social class e.g. the Caste

system in India. Also in Hindu culture betrothal

of children at a young age (pre-puberty) is

common.

(b)

• Both partners must be of the opposite sex 9one

man, one woman). Same sex marriages are not

allowed in the Irish republic.

• Both people must be at least 18 years old

according to the Family Law Act 1995.

• Three months notice must be given in writing to

the County Registrar of the couple's intention to

marry. This applies to Church and Civil

Ceremonies.

• Marriage must be voluntary i.e. must be of the

partner's own free will. Anyone who is married

under duress, the marriage can be annulled.


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(c)

Marriage confers the following rights and

responsibilities on each spouse.

• The right to each other's company i.e. to live

together as man and wife.

• The right to equal guardianship of children.

• The duty to maintain each other.

• The right to part of each other's estate.

• The right to be consulted and to have your

written consent before the family home is sold.

• The duty to rear children with due regard to

their physical, social and moral welfare.

(d) (i) Importance of making a will.

• Reduces the payment of Inheritance Tax by

those who inherit your estate.

• Protects your family business ensuring its

survival for the next generation.

• Prevents unpleasant family rows over the

distribution of your estate.

• Instructions can be left for the disposal of your

body.

• Ensures that persons you have named receive

the share of your estate you want them to

receive.

(ii) Procedure of making a will

• List your assets (actual and potential)

• Decide how you want your estate to be

distributed.

• Choose an executor (Ideally two executors).

• The will must be witnessed by two people.

• Seek professional advice about taxes.

• If you have underage children, name a guardian.


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MENU PLANNING

Menus may be asked as part of question 1 or may be

included in Question 2 or 3. A tip to get full marks in a

menu is to draw the framework of your menu

beforehand including a column with the different

servings from the food pyramid (see below).

• Give a brief introduction to your menu.

(i) State the nature of the disorder or give

the main dietary requirements of the

person mentioned in the question eg.

Teenager.

(ii) List some foods that should be avoided

from the menu.

(iii) List some foods that should be included.

• Write out the menu under the headings breakfast,

lunch, dinner and snacks. Draw a rectangular box

around the menu.

• Always follow the food pyramid and current

dietary guidelines.

• The dinner must have two courses (3 food groups

in the main course and the fourth food group in

the second course ie. Starter or dessert)

• NB If a table of foods is given in the question you

must include foods from the table or chart (at

least 4 foods).

• Students must also remember to stay focused on

who the menu is for eg. A coeliac, a diabetic etc.

and include relevant foods.

• The food pyramid is different for vegetarians,

learn these differences before the exam.


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Sample Menu

• "Plan a daily menu for a high fibre diet".

Introduction

1. It is important to have adequate fibre in the diet to

stimulate peristalsis and prevent bowel problems

like constipation and diverticulitis.

2. Avoid refined foods i.e. white food like white

rice, white bread, biscuits, cakes.

3. Include whole cereals, fruit, vegetables, nuts.

MENU

NOTE The above menu should be accompanied with

eight glasses of water.

NB Always follow current dietary guidelines . even

though this menu is specifically 'high fibre', the foods

in the menu are also low salt, low fat and low sugar.

BREAKFAST

- 2 Weetabix

Natural Yoghurt/

Blueberries

- freshly squeezed Orange juice

1 ² Dairy

2 ² Cereal Group

1 ² Fruit/

Veg. Group

LUNCH

- chargrilled chicken strips

wholewheat pitta bread

lettuce, tomato, cucumber

- 1 Mango/Pineapple smoothie

- Peanuts/raisins (25g)

1 ² Dairy

2 ² Cereal Group

2 ² Fruit/

Veg. Group

1 ² protein

DINNER

Vegetable Stir-Fry with

fillet Steak and served with

Brown rice

Strawberry/Rhubarb crumble

1 ² Dairy

2 ² Cereal Group

2 ² Fruit/

Veg. Group

1 ² protein

SNACKS 1 Homemade flapjack

Carrot sticks/ hummus

1 ² Cereal Group

1 ² Fruit/

Veg. Group


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FOOD COMMODITIES Topics include meat, eggs, fish, cheese, milk, yoghurt,

fruit, vegetables, cereals, fats/oils. These topics

regularly appear on both higher Level and Ordinary

Level.

Key terms that appear in Food commodities questions

include

− Nutritive value

− Dietetic value

− Nutritional value.

A suggested approach to answering these key terms

would be:

HIGHER LEVEL ORDINARY LEVEL

2006- Q4 Short Question

(fish)

- Q1 Section B

(meat)

2006 - Q5 Short Question (eggs)

Q8 Short Question (cheese)

Q2 Section B (fish)

2005 - Q4 Short Question

(milk)

2005 - Q7 Short Question (fish)

Q1 Section B (meat)

2004 - Q4 Short Question (cereals)

Q1 Section B (fish)

2004 - Q5 Short Question (meat)

Q8 Short Question (eggs)

Q2 Section B (fruit/veg)


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EXAMPLE

MILK

NUTRITIVE

VALUEANSWER

Approach to

answering this term.

________________

* List 6 nutrients.

*Give the % of each

nutrient, type and

examples present.

* Protein- - 3.5% protein in milk

- it is high biological value protein =

high in essential amino acids.

- casein, lactalbumin, lactoglobulin are

proteins in milk.

* Lipids - 4% fat in full milk, 2% low fat milk,

0.02% in skimmed milk.

- Mainly saturated fatty acids

- Cholesterol is present.

*Carbohydrates 4.5% present, disaccharide = lactose

*Minerals - Calcium and phosphorous are present

- lacks iron

* Vitamins A,D,E,K present in whole milk, B

carotene in milk, lacks vitamin C

* Water - 83% in whole milk

90% in skimmed milk


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DIETETIC

VALUEANSWER

Approach to

answering this term.

________________

* Give 5 points.

*Ask the following

questions;

(i) What groups of

people should

include this food in

their diet? Why?

(ii) Who should

avoid this food in

their diet? Why?

(iii) Are there any

nutrients missing

from the food. If so,

how can they be

compensated for in

the diet.

* Milk is suitable for children for calcification process due to

presence of calcium and phosphorous.

* Milk is essential for growth due to presence of protein =

suitable for teenagers and pregnant women.

* Low fat milk should be given to people with heart problems

because it contains less cholesterol.

* Milk should be served wih foods rich in iron and vitamin C

in the diet.

* Elderly people and convalescents find milk easy to digest as

lipid is a fine emulsion.


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NUTRITIONAL VALUE = Combination of nutritive

and dietetic value

Protein

- 3.5% protein in milk. High Biological Value Protein

e.g. casein, lactalbumin.

- Suitable for growing children and teenagers.

Lipids

- 4% Lipid in whole milk, 2% Lipid in low fat milk.

- Mainly saturated fatty acids present.

- Skimmed milk 9fat free) should be given to

those with heart problems.

Carbohydrates

- 4.5% carbohydrates in milk in the form of

disaccharide lactose.

- Supplies energy for all people.

Minerals - Calcium and phosphorous are present

for calcification.

Vitamins - Vitamin A for growth

- Vitamin D for calcium absorbtion


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CONSUMER STUDIES/RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT Another trend has appeared over the last three years.

Consumer Studies/Resource Management topics have

appeared on at least one of the four 50 mark questions

in Section B.

Consumer Studies is made up of three chapters

− Consumer choice

− Consumer responsibility

− Consumer protection

Resource Management is made up of finance topics,

textiles, household technology, housing issues and

family resource management.

Higher Level Ordinary Level

2006 - Q4 consumer responsibilities

and Family Resource Management

2006 - Q3 Finance/Local Authority

Housing

2005 -Q3 Microwave oven/ Hire

purchase

Q4 Retail

Psychology/Consumer research/

Voluntary Consumer Protection

Agency

2005 - Q4 Finance

Consumer Credit Act 1995

2004 Q3 Finance Topics

Q4 Consumer Studies and

Household technology

(appliance with heating element)

2004 Q3 Insurance/Housing

Q4 Consumer

responsibilities/ Environmental

responsiblities.


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SAMPLE QUESTION ON CONSUMER STUDIES

Q4 2004

4. A responsible consumer will make informed choices when selecting goods

and services, will know how to get best value for money and know how to seek

redress if things go wrong.

(a) Discuss three factors that affect consumers’ decision-making when

selecting

goods and services. (12)

(b) Name two types of retail outlets where household appliances can be

purchased.

State one advantage and one disadvantage of each outlet. (12)

(c) Set out details of a study that you have undertaken on a household appliance

with a

heating element. Refer to:

(i) working principle

(ii) guidelines for using the appliance

(iii) energy efficiency. (18)

(d) Outline the role of the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act (1980) in

protecting the consumer should the product prove faulty. (8)

Possible Answer (a)

Varying household income

− The amount of disposable income available will

vary between different families.

− Those on a limited income will have less money

to spend on luxury items.

− Families with a large disposable income have

greater choice when shopping. They are not

restricted to buying 'own brand' goods or

looking for 'special offers'.

Merchandising

− Retailers have a numbers of ways of trying to

increase sales of products.

− Examples of these include special offers e.g. 2

items for the price of 1, buy 2 items and get the

2nd one at half price.

Packaging

− The shape, colour, materials used in packaging

can influence shoppers to buy products.

− Products aimed at women are often in pastel

colours e.g. fructis shampoo.

− The shape of the product helps consumers to

recognize products e.g. dairygold, dawn Light

and other dairy spreads are always in

rectangular plastic cartons.


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(c) DEEP FAT FRYER

(i) Working principle

− The appliance is plugged in and an indicator

light comes on. This indicates that there is

electric current entering the appliance.

− Heat is generated by electricity. This causes (a)

the heating element to heat up which heats the

oil, (b) the bi-metallic strip heats up.

− The bi-metallic strip is composed of two metals

that expand at different rates when heated e.g.

copper and invar. Copper expands faster than

invar and the strip bends.

− When the desired temperature is reached e.g.

190oC for chips, the strip bends and breaks the

circuit. The indicator light goes off.

− The light goes off indicating electric current is

disconnected = the heating element cools down

(cooling oil and preventing oil from

overheating)

− The strip returns to its original position as it

cools, he light comes back on and oil is heated

again.

− This cycle continues while the fryer is on.

(ii) Guidelines for using the appliance

− Have the oil at the right temperature for cooking

specific foods e.g. 190 o

C for cooking chips.

− Never fill beyond the 'maximum line' with oil.

− Clean oil regularly.

− Follow the instructions.

(iii) Energy efficiency

− Replace the filter regularly so the appliance

works efficiently = saving energy.

Discount Store e.g. Argos Department Store e.g. Arnotts

Advantage Advantage

-Less expensive than department- Trained sales staff will give

consumers 'professional' service.

Disadvantage Disadvantage

- No specialised sales staff- More expensive than

discount store.


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− Do not 'half fill' the wire basket when deep fat

frying as this wastes electricity.

(d)

• If the fault is recognized straight away i.e. after

opening the box, the consumer is entitled to full

cash refund if he/she returns the product to the

shop.

• If a fault appears a few months after purchase, the

consumer is entitled to a replacement, repair or

credit note.

Other topics in Section B include Food Additives, Food

Spoilage, Microbiology, Food Preservation, Dietary

Requirements, The Irish food Industry, food

Processing/Packaging.


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SECTION C

Students should be aware that the Elective is worth

20% of overall grade (mentioned earlier).

Study all topics in each Elective before the exam as the

first part of each elective question i.e. part (a) is

obligatory.

Therefore if one topic is left out, it may be the very

topic that appears in part (a). DON'T RISK IT!

Parts (b) and (c) of the Elective topic, students have the

choice to pick one or the other.

Very few students take the Textile elective. The Social

Studies and Home Design/management Electives are

equally popular with Leaving Certificate students.

A point that applies to all students is to familiarize

yourself with up to date prices of fuels, floor coverings,

wall coverings (Home Design/Management) and

Laws/New Bills (Social Studies).

POSSIBLE QUESTION - HOME DESIGN AND

MANAGEMENT


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Answer 1. (a)

(i) At the beginning of the 20th century 70% of Irish

people lived in the countryside and 30% lived in cities

and towns.

Rural Housing

• The most common house in the countryside was

the thatched cottage. They had thick, solid walls,

tiny windows and roofs were thatched with reeds

or hay. Most cottages had only two rooms i.e. a

kitchen and a bedroom to the right of the kitchen.

The front door was a 'half door'.

• In some houses there was a small room up under

the thatch where the children slept. Some of the

family slept in a settle in the kitchen. More

prosperous farmers had an extra room called the

parlour.

• Better off farmers lived in two storey stone

houses with a slated roof and at least five rooms.

• Wealthy landowners lived in big estate houses.

• After the 2nd World War, thatched roofs were

replaced with slates. Extra rooms were added.

• Some people moved to new single and two storey

houses which they built near old cottages.

Urban Housing

• Most Irish towns were small at the beginning of the 20th century and houses were built around the

main streets. They were either terraced or two

storey stone houses and mainly housed working

people.

• In the cities, many poor people lived in tenements

(large Georgian houses, previously owned by

wealthy families). These houses were divided up

and the rooms were let to poor people. Most

could only afford one room.

• In the 1930's, the government gave grants to local

authorities to pay for council housing which

mainly consisted of two storey brick houses with

plaster walls.

• Three storey flats with deck access were built in

city centers. They consisted of two bedrooms,

kitchen and a bathroom.

• In the 1960's high tower blocks of flats were built

in Ballymun (now demolished).


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• Private developers built housing estates (detached

and semi-detached houses, usually three

bedroomed).

• In the cities, old Georgian tenements were

knocked down or crumbled to the ground.

• 19th century artisan cottages still remain in parts

of the cities (Dublin-Liberties).

POPULAR HOUSING STYLES IN IRELAND. Today only 43& of Ireland's population lives in the

countryside.

Rural Housing

• Many old cottages built in the mid 1900's still

exist in the countryside but they have changed in

appearance due to extensions, double glazing,

new bathrooms etc.

• The bungalow is a popular type of house in the

countryside. Most of this type of house were

built in the 1970's and 1980's.

• The dormer bungalow was a popular house style

in the 1990's. These are spacious and blend fairly

well aesthetically in the countryside.

• Today, Mock Tudor and Mock Georgian style

houses are extremely popular.

• In tourist areas in the countryside, new tradional

style cottages have been erected e.g.

Mountshannon, Co. Clare. (Some have thatch laid

over their tiled roof).

Urban Housing

Approximately 57% of Ireland's population live in

towns and cities today.

• Many old stone town house still remain in towns

today. Most of them have been converted to

shops and a lot of them are painted with bright

coloured paint e.g. Dingle Town and Killarney.

• Very few people live over businesses in towns

today (No remaining residents on Dublin's

O'Connell Street).

• Local authorities are trying to encourage people

back into cities by building apartment complexes

in city/town centers.

• The suburbs of towns and cities have developed so much that they are now referred to as urban

sprawl. Detached, semi-detached and terraced

houses in housing estates are very popular.


29

• There are local authority flats and houses in

towns and cities as well.

• Price - i.e. money available to spend on a site.

Depending on the location e.g. views of a river

and if the site is a serviced site i.e. near mains

water.

• Proximity of shops -, schools, local churches,

banks etc. must be considered. • Site orientation - How much sunlight the site gets

and whether it is a very windy location or not. • Near public transport route - i.e. near a main road

or main bus route to go to work or take children

to school.

NOTE: - Students must answer one other part of

this question. i.e. part (b) or (c)

CHOICE OF HOUSING STYLE CHOICE OF LOCATION

* Personal choice - Some people

will only live in a two-storey

house. They may dislike

bungalows.

* Environment - the style of house

must blend in with the style of

existing houses in the area.

* Building regulations - you may

want to build a two-storey but

planning permission might only be

given for a dormer bungalow.

* Fashion - There is a trend

towards Mock Georgian style

houses and stone faced houses in

the countryside.

* Price - i.e. money available to

spend on a site. Depending on the

location e.g. views of a river and if

the site is a serviced site i.e. near

mains water.

* Proximity of shops -, schools,

local churches, banks etc. must be

considered.

* Site orientation - How much

sunlight the site gets and whether it

is a very windy location or not.

* Near public transport route - i.e.

near a main road or main bus

2007 home economics

Documents

short questions

questions mustbe

numbers of questions

mark questions

style of questions

elective question

higher level home economics

written paper