"Horsing" Around in Providence Academy Industrial Arts Class

(November 4th, 2008) – At Providence Academy students spend a quarter of their 7^th grade year learning about woodworking.  They practice using all the tools available, work on safety rules, and build exciting individual projects.  “The first project the students work on is cutting their names out using the scroll saw,” said Providence Academy Industrial Arts teacher Mike Boone.  “After that we work on a large group build, and students can put in time on constructing items of their choosing.”

Boone likes to offer the students a chance to put their new skills to use in practical ways.  He divides his industrial arts students into groups who work on framing the walls of a room.  The students organize themselves and apply their general knowledge to the project.  The walls go up and Boone gives lessons in wiring the walls for electricity and hanging drywall.  Students learn how to patch and repair a hole in the drywall, and run wiring for an outlet or light fixture.  “It’s really important that the kids become confident in light maintenance and construction.”

While an end-of-quarter lunch in their newly framed “room” is the highlight of each industrial arts course, students also focus on individual projects.  Seventh grade student Madysen Offerman found the plans for a rocking horse in a book of woodworking projects.  “It’s taken me since the third week of school this year to complete,” said Offerman who was finishing up with some light sanding and staining this week.  She said the legs were the hardest part of the construction of the horse, “It was hard to get them aligned properly, but I like how it’s turned out.”  Offerman thinks that the rocking horse will make a nice gift for her cousin, but she hasn’t quite figured out how to have it delivered. “My cousin lives in California,” she said with a smile.

Other students chose to work on projects from a variety of plans including small model airplanes, model cars, bookshelves, and little sleds.  “It’s been great to see them work so hard and to get recognition for their projects.  They’ve been putting in so much time and effort,” said Boone who seemed sure that, with three quarters to go, there is plenty more creativity to come this school year.

Seventh grade student Maddie Offerman of Plymouth is shown with the rocking horse she created from the plans in a book of woodworking projects.

Girls from the Providence Academy 7^th grade class are pictured with their framed and newly raised wall which will soon be wired for electricity.

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