Let's get woodworking!

Here is a quick list of the tools you would need to complete this project (all are available at Kidder Canada):

• glue guns and glue sticks OR wood glue
• rulers and/or measuring tapes
• safety goggles, one pair per student
• clamps
• basic hack saws
• bench hooks (mitre boxes) for cutting with saws (these provide a cutting guide for straight cuts and corner cuts)
• Kidder Kutters - these are specially designed cutters from Kidder Canada and are great as an alternative for saws
• MDF boards - these are good for clamping onto the tables you will use to protect the table surface
• we also used 1cmx1cm paper grids that we photocopied so that students could use them to draw their plans and cut list
• the wood - we used balsa jinx wood that was 1cmx1cm
• acetate sheets (for the plastic that they will glue the pictures to)
• paper and colouring tools for their pictures
• glue sticks (for gluing the pictures to the acetate)

Safety Notes:

There are a lot of safety precautions and rules that need to be discussed with students before beginning this sort of project. An understanding of basic woodworking shop rules and how the equipment is used is important for teachers to understand and teach to the students. We would recommend having a board qualified person, such as a technology advisor, come and teach the teachers who are interested in doing these sorts of projects with students before embarking on them; we had our board technology consultant come in and do a project with our students so that we could learn about safety regulations and guidelines. There are downloadable safety posters that should be put up in your work space and reviewed with students (we have included some posters in our resources section). Goggles are necessary for every student in the room, as well as staff. For due diligence, you need to review all safety rules and instructions for all tools being used with every student; to track this, we use a checklist to ensure that all students have had the training, and if students are away, they must participate in the same lesson before using the tools and materials. If students are being unsafe with tools, there should be a consequence, such as leaving the work space and contacting parents, to ensure that the work space is safe for all persons in the room.

Lesson Plan:

1. Set the Stage:

• REVIEW AND GO OVER SAFETY RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR TOOL AND MATERIAL USE IN DEPTH BEFORE BEGINNING ANY PROJECTS OR LETTING STUDENTS WORK WITH TOOLS
• We use a past 3 D picture frame to show students what the final product will look like. We then ask questions like:
  • How do you think the student who made this project got the wood to be the same size on all 3 levels?
  • How did the student decide what to put in the foreground, mid, and background?
  • Is it important to cut and measure accurately? Why?

2. Prepare for and start the project:

• You will need to set up a work space (Maker space) area in your classroom for glue guns or wood glue, a cutting area for saws and/or Kidder Kutters, and areas for measuring and decorating.

a) Have students do a practice plan. Ask them to make a frame that is 25 square centimeters on a 1 x 1 cm grid paper. They need to draw their frame, and be able to explain that it is no larger than 25 square centimeters. You can then do a consolidation time where students share their frame designs and compare them (you will hopefully have some different designs like a 4 x 6, and a 5 x 5, etc.).

b) Have students measure how long the pieces of wood would be cut for their frames using their plan diagram, and prepare a 'cut list' = a list of the lengths of the sides for all 3 frames (example - they might need 6 - 6 cm lengths and 6 - 2 cm lengths for a 4 x 6 design frame). They will discover some interesting things:

• that the length of the two sides going one way will cut off 1 cm on each end of the sides going the opposite way and that their 'cut list' will be different than the length of the sides
• if they use a corner cut, they will need to account for that on their plan
• Share their thinking and calculations as a consolidation or in groups to check thinking and understanding, as well as sharing strategies.

c) The size of wood lengths we got from Kidder were 60 cm long. Next, ask students how they can use as little wood as possible to cut the wood for their cut list. Have them draw out the 60 cm lengths and how they would cut their wood to be as efficient as possible. Use this as another opportunity for discussion and consolidation by sharing their strategies and drawings.

d) These were their trial calculations! You can now ask students to build their frames either using the trial calculations or to make a new set of calculations and cut list for a different dimension of frame. But first, students will need to draw their pictures to fit in their frames (making sure their drawings are no larger than 25 cm square). They will need to draw their pictures to be 3 dimensional - an image for the foreground, mid ground, and background (we also let them put their names or a favourite saying on it). My favourite picture was one that was done with a hockey net in the background, a goalie in the mid ground, and a shooter with a puck coming in to the one side on the foreground!

e) Once their pictures are completed, they will need to ensure that their picture will fit on their frame by comparing it to their diagram. If it fits, they can bring their completed cut list, cut diagram, and pictures to us for approval. At this point, it is critical to have each student complete their cut list and cutting diagrams before getting the wood. We usually hand out the wood ourselves after the work has been given a seal of approval! This ensures that students have completed all the steps required, and are being thoughtful about their planning and use of materials.

f) After students have cut their wood, they need to cut their plastic acetate to fit their frames, and attach their pictures to the front or back of the acetate using glue sticks. They will need 3 same sized pieces of plastic acetate cut to fit each of their 3 frames. Encourage them to think about limiting waste and how they will cut using the least amount of acetate.

g) Once the pictures are glued to the acetate, it is time to use the glue guns or wood glue to glue the frames together and attach the acetates to the frames in the correct order for their 3 dimensional picture. A nice mini-lesson on corners and use of gussets will help them take care when lining up their wood pieces for gluing 90 degree corners.

Discussion:

• Have students complete a self assessment on their project. My favourite way of doing that is to have them write a list of advice to themselves on what they would do differently or what not to do if they were to do this same project again.

Evaluation:

• The final product can be evaluated as far as precision of measurement and application of problem solving strategies as assessment of learning. The diagrams that were produced can also be evaluated for their calculation skills in area and measurement as assessment for learning.

Overall Assessment for Math Expectations:

• Math - estimate, measure, and record length and area using the metric measurement system; measure and construct angles up to 180 degrees; construct a rectangle and/or a square using a variety of tools; make connections among mathematical concepts and procedures, and relate mathematical ideas to situations drawn from other contexts; develop, select, and apply problem-solving strategies as they pose and solve problems and conduct investigations, to help deepen their mathematical understanding; develop and apply reasoning skills to make and investigate conjectures and construct and defend arguments; communicate mathematical thinking orally, visually, and in writing, using everyday language