So girls...

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

It was required for everyone in junior high (early 80s). Half the year we had home-ec, the other was shop.

I remember making a shield shaped wall shelf, an acrylic carving (I think I made a donkey), a stained glass rainbow/cloud sun-catcher and screen printing a Def Leppard tee shirt.

 

[Linzybrooke]

Not here! Well, we don't actually have shop teachers, I'm as close as it comes and its far from actual shop. But, we have a dedicated Technical Theatre teacher on each high school campus as part of the fine arts department, and we have 2 FT FCS teachers who teach everything from child development to advanced culinary arts. There is also a Career and Technology center for the district where the kids can go to take things like welding and auto shop and specialized culinary arts and fashion design courses.

 

[starrzone]

Let's see; I did, back in Grade 8 or 9 (1994/95/96) and I honestly can't remember anything that I made! Quite frankly, I was (and still am!) intimidated by power tools and got this guy in my class to make all my stuff for me! . We did have a drawing segment, though, which was sort of like a very basic architecture class. Now that I enjoyed! I go to my old junior high (now a high school) for a meeting every week, and the shop is still there (it's quite a nice one, I might add; the man who was the shop teacher there for many years was a well-known local woodcarver/artist. He also used to eat wood shavings in front of us during class...).

 

[Pikester]

I did! I graduated in 1991.

We HAD to take Sewing, Cooking, Wood Shop and Metal Shop. I think that was in 7/8 grade. I still have the stuff animal that I made in Sewing and I think I or my Mom has the candle holder that I made.

 

[teacups]

We weren't allowed to take shop. Girls took Home Ec and boys took Shop.

Really???? Not ALLOWED?

 

[lillygator]

me me me!!!
I made a napkin holder that my mom still uses and a tic tac toe game......was awesome.....AWESOME, the only girl in the class!

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

We weren't allowed to take shop. Girls took Home Ec and boys took Shop.

Same here. Too bad it did me no good

 

[Ephany]

I made a little box, a clock, and a thingy that sits next to the phone and holds a roll of paper to write down messages. My parents still have them and it's been 20 years. I loved shop, much more fun than Home Ec. My box in shop at least looked like a box, my handmade pillow in Home Ec, not so much.

 

[lillygator]

1992 here.

 

[debbi801]

I took wood shop, metal shop, and drafting. Don't remember anything I made, other than they were disasters. But, I refused to take cooking and sewing and it was required that everyone either take Home Ec or Shop. This was in 78-79.

 

[jen0610]

86 Grad here and in middle school, 6th-8th, you had to take 1 semester of HomeEc in 6th and 7th and 1 semester of Shop in 6th. You had the option to take advanced HomeEc and Shop, which I did.

While the woodworking portion of Shop was fun, I excelled at the drafting portion. I kicked 3/4 of the boys butts in the drafting grades. They hated seeing me in the advance classes.

 

[ImMarcik]

I took it. I made a bench that finally broke a couple of years ago. I loved that bench.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

We had a choice. I took wood shop, metal shop, and electrical shop. I was the only girl in my class who chose this. On the other side, a lot of the boys did take home ec. I made a charcoal starter, a pop can lamp, and a jewelry box. I also learned about electrical lines, and wiring. Oh yeah, I still can't sew!

 

[Cool-Beans]

We were all forced to take Home Ec and Industrial Arts. The boys did all the work in one class and the girls did it in the other. At least in my little group.

We didn't really plan it. We did the Industrial crap first and the girls were like, "No, thanks, it smells in here and that looks boring" but the guys were really into it. So they did ours (though we put the numbers on the clock and painted the finished metal project.) When we got to Home Ec, the guys were like, "What? Sew it how? Hold the needle?" and we were like, "You did our Industrial art crap, we'll make your pillow for you."

We were happy. All the people who wanted unisex classes were happy.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I graduated in 1997 and was required a semester of home ec and a semester of shop. Our shop teacher really disliked girls in his class for the most part. In our group projects, the groups had to be all girls or all boys. No mixed.

I made a small bookshelf and we had to wire an electric switch to a lamp.

In home ec we learned to make cookies, sew aprons, and took the aptitude test for our future.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Shop was a required 6th grade class in my school system. It included a boating safety class and was used primarily to ensure that every kid in town got their boating license (small town southeastern Michigan...go figure). I made a very ugly birdhouse. I hated that class.

I did take Home-Ec (which wasn't required) only because I decided to drop out of the band and it was the only elective still open. Strangely, it has become one of the most useful classes I ever took. The sewing portion alone has been unendingly useful in my real life experience.

 

[zagafi]

I took Home Ec as a freshman and shop as a senior. I hated sewing but I love to cook. I loved woodworking a lot, though. My grandpa had a shop in the basement and I got to make stuff with him all the time. I *loathe* band saws to this day,though. I had one snap on me and thought I was going to die! LOL!

 

[Nyerathrt]

I did!!!! Back in Jr. High, Shop class was mandatory for everyone. Had Woodshop one year...made napkin holder and a birdhouse..lol. Had media shop one year, which was actually really fun and interesting.

 

[Camicar]

I graduated high school in 1979 and tech ed was in 7-8 grades (so about 1975) and girls were not allowed to take shop class.

I know because I asked to take shop rather than 'girl's ed'. I did not want to take cooking. I really DID want to take carpentry. The teacher refused, the guidance counselor refused, the principal refused.

In high school, they did technically open up 'basic car repair' to girls, but the guidance counselors refused to allow girls to register for it.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I wanted to take auto shop in HS, but my counselor called me in when she got my class requests and talked me out of it because I may be taking a spot from a boy who would really need it to earn a living for his family. She made me feel so guilty, I backed down. I will never, ever forget that, Mrs. Eberle.