Practical Work, Projects and Internals
The practical component tests whether you can plan, execute and present home-management skills. The exam tests the journal, project report, practical test and viva.
Core concepts
- Typical practicals: rangoli or floor decoration, flower arrangement, table setting, menu planning, basic stitching, stain removal, cleaning a surface, making a family budget and a consumer survey.
- Project format: title, objectives, need, methodology, observations or data, analysis, conclusion, suggestions and bibliography, with dated records.
- Internal assessment: journal or portfolio, practical performance, project and viva. Marks are given for planning, skill, hygiene, safety, neatness and explanation.
- Record work: label diagrams, write observations honestly and note difficulties and corrections. A copied project loses marks.
- Viva: be ready to explain why a method was chosen, the cost, the time taken and the safety measures used.
Worked example
A project on water conservation at home sets objectives to measure daily use and test two saving methods. The method is to record meter readings for a week, install a tap aerator and reuse rinsing water for plants. Daily use falls from 400 litres to 340 litres. The conclusion is that the aerator saves about 15 per cent. The reasoning is that the objective fixes the method, the data supports the claim and the conclusion stays within the evidence.
Traps
Copying a project; having no objectives; ignoring hygiene and safety; not recording observations; presenting a conclusion unsupported by data.