The Grade 5 - 8 students at St. Joseph Catholic School in Geraldton and Our Lady of Fatima School in Longlac had the experiential learning opportunity of woodworking. Karly Baker, Math Lead for Superior North Catholic District School Board facilitated a woodworking workshop that was grounded in mathematical thinking and modelling. Students were first required to select their woodworking project of either a small chest or a birdhouse.
Students created a blueprint design and used ratios to scale the drawing. They were then required to determine how much wood they needed as well as other materials needed to build their project - thus integrating financial literacy. Prior to the hands-on learning days, students were required to watch a safety video outlining how to work safely with construction tools and materials. The hands-on learning happened on June 13 and 14, when students started measuring, cutting, gluing and nailing their woodworking project together. Students documented their projects in their digital portfolios.