Hammer Time!

These girls are never going to need any handyman.


TODAY'S ACTIVITY
This week, we introduced woodworking. We've assembled an array of hand tools that we will learn to use, the most important of which are SAFETY GOGGLES. After an in-depth lesson about our tools, their care and safety, we were ready to begin.

The first part of our activity was sorting screws and nails based on the following criteria:

Is it smooth or threaded (bumpy) on the sides?
Is the end flat or pointy?
Is the head smooth or does it have a "+" or "–" in the end?



Once the nails were sorted into a dish, we proceeded to learn how to hold, aim and swing a hammer without bending our wrists. In turn, each child then selected a nail and drove it into a stump, using the following procedure:

1. Hold your nail at the bottom in the place you want it. Keep your eyes on the nail at all times.
   
2. Place the plastic head of the hammer on the head of the nail.
3. Begin by gently 'bouncing' the head of the hammer on the nail, holding it straight until it is seated.
4. When the nail stops moving or wiggling, you can let go of it and bounce a little harder.
5. If you wish, switch to the metal claw hammer. You can hit the nail as hard as you wish, as long as you keep the hammer IN FRONT WHERE YOU CAN SEE IT AT ALL TIMES.
6. Hit the nail until the head is flat on the surface.

These steps may seem overly detailed, but each child successfully drove their nail flush into the stump, without a single missed swing or accidental whack on the finger. Once this careful process is mastered and ingrained, we'll offer this activity 'at will' for those interested.

Tomorrow, we DRILL!



"R2-D2 with all his tools out." by Liam

TODAY'S STORY
Burger Boy, by Alan Durant and Mei Matsuoka. Benny loves burgers. In fact, they are all he'll eat. His mom correctly predicts,"If you don't eat something else you will turn into a burger, one day." Chaos ensues! He is chased by hungry dogs and hounded by angry cows. His only salvation is to eat vegetables and fruits, even the ones he doesn't like. He gradually returns to his original form, safe and sound. However his newfound love of vegetables turns him into a carrot!

The moral: Eat everything, in moderation.