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This Week In the Shop: One Block Projects – Book Ends
A little while ago, I ran a book review on One Block of Wood. I recently made a pair of bookends using Ms. Tolstrup’s plans out of salvaged pine and live oak. Hope you enjoy the looksee. Read a good...
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This Week In the Classroom: Sketch Up Projects at the Middle School Level
In support of my Mathematics and Technology and Computer Applications: CAD courses, I’ve offered a number of Sketch Up projects for students to complete. In Mathematics and Technology, my students...
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Community Watch: It’s Build a Box Day!
Today at TX/RX Labs, I’ll be leading a class in building a few of these tea boxes. I’m sending a box to one random contestant on WoodshopCowboy Facebook page, just in time for Christmas. Remember to...
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Community Watch: Build A Box!
Eight students, six boxes built and finished. It was a long day in the shop – nearly seven hours with only a few breaks for liquids. I can think of a number of great moments: the first box getting...
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Community Watch: Houston Mini-Maker Faire
On Jan. 19th, I had the chance to attend and participate in Houston’s first annual Mini-Maker Faire. I brought 8 students, 3 fellow teachers (or maybe Ms. J brought me), a woodworking bench, my...
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Classroom Project: Try Squares
In my Applied Mathematics class, woodshop has put the shop in applied. During a unit on fractions, I asked students to build a number of these try squares, all different shapes and sizes. In order to...
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This Week in the Classroom: Pantographs
My school spends a lot of time, energy and financial resources on project-based learning. In my experience, teachers use project-based learning as a catch-all term for anything from make-it-take-it...
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Community Watch: Build a Bench this Memorial Day Weekend!
Are you in the Houston area? Ever wanted to get started woodworking? Maybe you just enjoy benches as much as I do? Join me for the Wood Workshop at TX/RX Labs on Sat. & Sun. May 25th & 26th...
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Community Watch: Build a Bench Is Complete!
Of the three or so classes I’ve taught at TX/RX Labs and the twenty to thirty projects I’ve taught at work, the simple bench project remains my favorite. It is an intermediate level project which can...
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This Week in the Shop: A Simple Pin Marking Gauge
To end the year, my students have been making simple marking gauges. My students learned to create a mortise and use hand planes to fit a tenon in this particular project. Here’s how we did it. 1....
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Making a Makerspace: Planning the Steamworks
This fall, I move into a brand-spanking new classroom. As part of this move, I’ve been heavily involved in the planning, organizing and logistics of moving my school’s Math & Science program into...
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This Week in the Classroom: Build Your Own CO2 Rocket Cars & Launching System
When I look at the popularity of CO2 rocket cars in STEM programs, its ubiquity and age hide a lot of potential for makers and project-based learning opportunities. The biggest drawback, as I see it,...
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This Week in The Classroom: The Simple Coffee Table in Spalted Red Oak
Earlier in the year, the great folks at Canyon Mesquite donated a number of spalted red oak boards to make furniture out of. It took a while, but we finally made some great use of them. Finished with...
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This Week in the Classroom: 3D Printed Pinhole Camera
Last spring, I had the opportunity to teach one of my dream units: Light and Waves. We completed three projects during this time: camera obsuras, cajon drums and a pinhole camera. This 3D-printed...
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This Week in the Classroom: 3D Printed Pinhole Camera
Last spring, I had the opportunity to teach one of my dream units: Light and Waves. We completed three projects during this time: camera obsuras, cajon drums and a pinhole camera. This 3D-printed...
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Home #Makerspace: Making Geometric Nets with Vinyl Cutter
In this project, young makers use a vinyl cutter to cut and score geometric nets, connecting 2D shapes to 3D prisms, polyhedrons, etc. They learn to recognize the difference between two and...
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Home #Makerspace: Two Easy #KidArt Mobiles
This week, we took to the skies with a two simple mobiles. Mobiles are kinetic sculptures which rely on and play with the scientific concept of equilibrium and center of gravity. The pieces often spin...
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This Week in the Shop: The Library Book Nook
This Week in the Shop, I build a library book nook for my school. My school librarian came to me with her coffee bar theme for a renovated library and she wanted a circular book nook to take advantage...
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