Part of Lesson Plan: Cutting and Shaping Wood

Activity Overview / Details

(This is a great unit to do at the end of the semester around winter break.  Kids always need gifts for family this time of year, and most woodshops have a lot of scrap wood that can be used up to make the cutting board.)

Start the class off asking the question "How many of you are done gift shopping for the upcoming holidays?"  Solicit some answers from the class and find out what kinds of things the average high schooler is buying this year.  "I have a few people that I can't think of a good gift for, and my personal funds are running a little dry"  Ask the class for suggestions, then roll in a bin or wheel barrow full of scrap wood from the shop or from local lumber yards.  " What could we make that would be a good gift from this pile of scrap?"  Guide the class to the answer that you are looking for which is a laminated cutting board.  Show a few and discuss what goes into making them. "Today we will study the way that wood is harvested and finished so that we can use it to make useful and beautiful things like these cutting boards".