Working with Wood, Stages One and Two

The Science 5/13 unit for teachers Working with wood stages one and two contains suggestions for practical activity relating to wood. It includes comment on ways of starting work, suggestions for children's activities and guidance about the materials they might use. It aims to show how working with a familiar material can contribute to their scientific understanding and general personal development.

Contents
1. Introduction
Understanding the Unit
Getting help from the Unit

2. Making a start
Possible starting points
Organising the work
Working with objectives

3. Materials and safety
Wood
Tools and other materials
Safety

4. Some things to make and ideas for development
Making a xylophone
Exploring wood and sound
Making patterns in wood
Investigating the hardness of wood
Making patterns with wood
Investigating the joining of wood
Making models
Investigating wood and water
Making useful things
Investigating the strength of wood
Some objectives to keep in mind

5. Looking at wood
Driftwood
'Ordinary' wood
Rotting wood
'Worm-holed' wood
Charred wood
Some objectives to keep in mind

6. Man's use of wood
Looking at wooden things
Finding out how wood is made ready for use
Some objectives to keep in mind

7. Useful materials and equipment
Wood
Tools
Other useful things
Reference material

Objectives for children learning science
Subject index

Background Book
The Science 5/13 book Working with wood background information was written to accompanying the unit Working with wood stages one and two for teachers who wished to gain more knowledge of wood. It was recognised that much of the material would be too detailed or abstract for children to understand but it was hoped that it would benefit children indirectly in their investigations of wood with their teacher.

Contents
Introduction
1. The nature of wood
2. Timber from trees
3. Sources of timber
4. Properties of timber
5. Defects in timber
6. Wood products
Teachers’ bibliography
Index

• URL: http://stem.org.uk/rx4vs