It’s not every day a Grade 4 or 5 student gets to pick up a hammer and saw and get to work. Nor is it something Homma elementary teacher Claire Haddock would normally think to do herself.
But that’s exactly what she and her students did last month, challenging themselves to build furniture, designed and crafted at Homma Hardware — so to speak.
“The basic idea is to get students involved in creating something, using their hands and their imaginations together to come up with new ideas. During the project, we talked a lot about the importance of having a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset; embracing challenges and persisting in the fact of setbacks” explained Haddock.
A problem was posed to students — to create a piece of furniture that met certain requirements. It had to be a unique design, adaptable for students of all physical abilities, and it had to have three additional functions.
“So a lot of them put in storage compartments, adjustable features, or some added wheels,” she explained.
Many students built chairs, while others built the likes of tables, shelves, and reading nooks.
This was the first time an elementary class in the district used tools supplied by district staff, via McMath secondary’s woodwork shop, to work on a project.
Haddock developed the unit during a professional development day dubbed Maker
“I wanted the kids to do something that’s really hands on, and do something they may not have had the opportunity to do in school before. I thought if they used tools, it might spark an interest later on, say if they take woodworking in high school. A lot of them may have thought they weren’t capable of building something like this before the Maker Day,” said Haddock.
Students were tasked to work in groups, design a piece of furniture and then, with help from district staff and parent volunteers, took two days to build the furniture.
Students were particularly excited to use a saw.
“I liked the saw part because the cutting was really fun. I have never used a saw before the maker project,” said Emily.
“I felt strong using a saw. I liked the power tools too. I was very careful with them. I never used any tools before,” said Sam.
Meanwhile students learned to work together better.
“Teamwork and cooperation are very important,” said Amelia.
“I would say you have no reason to get mad at your design because it might not turn out the way you wanted it to,” said Emma.
This story appeared in the June 2017 EdCom edition, a Richmond School District-led initiative in conjunction with the Richmond News.
