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Woodshop

In Whitney Young's woodshop program, children receive instruction in the use of and begin using simple hand tools and create many wonderful things both planned by the Whitney Young instructor and of their own design and imagination.

Children work together in a group to complete "hot plates" for a Mothers Day gift. Using 3/4" square molding the children cut to size, sand, nail and glue the plates together. This project serves as a introduction to woodshop.

 

Beginning with Preschool, all children take shop to become familiar with hand tools and to develop carpentry skills. Shop projects reflect the interests and skills of the children. Students attend shop in small groups where each child is given instruction and supervision.

Hands-on projects provide our students with alternative paths to learning and enhance creativity and opportunities for project planning, implementation and successful completion. As their skills develop, they prepare scale drawings and use increasingly complex tools for proposed projects. Children are encouraged to build abstract and representational sculptures, assemblages, and constructions, as well as functional objects.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

The main focus is to allow children the opportunity to learn how to read a schematic, (associating a picture on paper to a three dimensional object) use raw boards, make measurements, and have the hands on use of a variety of tools without an instructor "doing" for them or "hovering", but to provide instruction and observe children, providing an environment for children to gain these skills first hand.

GROUP PROJECTS

Group projects create an environment that enhances the different facilities and sets an example of the programs for our families, partners, funders and community. Frames for the children's photography department (above) were made using high grade Birch,

 

PROJECT EXAMPLES:

  • Birdhouses - constructed from 1x8 pine flat board & cedar shingled roofs.
  • Hot plates from ¾ square molding
  • Made musical instruments, Flutes made from ¾" PVC tubing
  • Worm farms, using pine for the frame and two sheets of clear Plexiglas as front and rear viewing. Soiled and filled them with earthworms (night crawlers)
  • Much more

 
 

Larger projects like the pinewood derby track (above) build in 2001 are projects the entire school participates in and uses as a group.

This race gives children much more than just a woodshop session. They design cars using their own imagination rather than following an instructor's direction or schematic. They experience competition, learning sportsmanship, teamwork, patience and even the important lessons of loosing with dignity. .

    
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