Canes and T-squares...One of the best things about teaching woodshop is the opportunity to be creatively engaged in work with children. There are literally thousands of things that can be made from wood that can connect children with their communities or deepen the educational experience. I've found that as my confidence has grown, my imagination has grown also, and it has become quite easy to come up with projects that integrate and support nearly every field of study. I've placed a couple example projects on my website today, making them available for download as pdf files. You are welcome to use these projects in your own classroom, or with your own children in the woodshop. The canes were made as a public service project with seventh and eighth grades. The students enjoyed the project so much that some decided to make canes for themselves as well. "I plan to be old someday," one student said.
The T-squares were made with a 9th grade class prior to a unit in drafting. I wanted them to make their own tools that they could take home with them, enabling the students to carry the experience and skills acquired away from the classroom.