Inventor's Workshop; Hands-on Carpentry for 4th Graders.
My students need a variety of hand-tools to build their carpentry projects. This hands-on unit gives them an opportunity to create & construct--Inventor's Workshop!
Inventor's Workshop is a hands-on learning unit that enables students to transfer their "book learning" skills to real-world design and construction. This experiential learning activity is tremendously popular and enthusiastically received.
My 4th Graders at come from a very diverse background.
Many are sons and daughters of university professors, some come from hardworking middle-class families, others are living in poverty. Our school is 50% free & reduced lunch. Demographically, we are 25% Black, 15% Latino, 10% Asian, 10% Mixed-raced, 40% White. It is a relatively small school for an urban setting, 430 students. 100% of the students have the potential to learn at a very high level. This hands-on learning project literally provides the students with the TOOLS to succeed.
My Project
My students are very excited about the opportunity to learn about carpentry. They will use the materials received to help them create their project. The students will learn the basics of carpentry: designing, measuring, cutting, and assembling. They will learn tool safety and tool names, appropriate usage, cleaning, and storing of tools. They will build book shelves, birdhouses, picture frames, and coffee tables. They will be able to share their projects with their friends and families. Specifically, they will be able to learn how to properly use the hands saws, screw drivers, files, & wrenches that I will receive with your help. They will learn how to determine if a socket wrench, crescent wrench, or Allen wrench is the best tool for the job. With your help, I will be able to purchase these tools for my students.
From my 17 years of teaching experience, I've found that providing learning lessons that are hands-on and experiential enable ALL students the unique opportunity to succeed regardless of their reading level, math abilities, or writing skills.
When we allow our students to envision & build, new classroom leaders emerge. It is important for me to cultivate a learning community in which ALL my students have an opportunity to SHINE.
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