This Week in the Classroom: Rulers & Frames

Applied Math Made Easy, a hands-on, application-heavy curriculum designed by a pair of teachers from Wisconsin, has a number of great math labs and activities.  Using worksheets to convey directions and learning, the curriculum utilizes a conversationalist tone and “interactive reading” (their term, not mine) to let students learn middle school to high school level mathematicsContinue reading “This Week in the Classroom: Rulers & Frames”

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 nailed together, the last coat of shellac being applied, the look of what-have-I-got-myself-into as the students tackledContinue reading “Community Watch: Build A Box!”

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 created eukaryotic animal cells while in Computer Applications the students created square, triangle and hexagon – based tessellations and designs.  Two resources I used heavily in theContinue reading “This Week In the Classroom: Sketch Up Projects at the Middle School Level”

This Week in the Classroom: Try Squares

My new “little” project obsession:  try squares.  These guys mark boards square.   That’s it.  All they do.  The try, not tri, comes from the act of “trying” an angle to see if it’s square, not three, or tri. This slideshow punctuated by a few of my favorite song titles, puns and lyrics in noContinue reading “This Week in the Classroom: Try Squares”

This Week in the Shop: Make Monopods

A quick and easy project to help you photograph or film outdoors.  This won’t solve all your problems, nor is it any good as a walking stick…but your filming becomes steadier.  Just another filming rig I’ve put together for my documentary class. First published in Make Magazine. Make it (get it?) safe & keep theContinue reading “This Week in the Shop: Make Monopods”

This Week in the Classroom: Gottshall Block Project

I’ve heard before from others in the “making” or woodworking communities I’m a little behind the times.  I make cigar box guitars when they were totally two years ago.  Or I teach developmental woodworking in manner more suited to a different century.  So of course, I discover a sweet little hand tool project about aContinue reading “This Week in the Classroom: Gottshall Block Project”

This Week In the Shop: Point and Shoot Camera Mount, V. II

Just a short slideshow this week.  Took a second shot at the camera rig.  It’s a little long, but the hardware’s been upgraded and it stays put.  I especially enjoy the mounted 1/4″ nut for the wrist joint. Make it safe and keep the rubberside down this week.

This week in the Shop: Dead Simple Jig for Drilling Bottles

For the last two years, I’ve spent one weekend before Christmas drilling holes in glass blocks to create lighting stands which look like something like this: photo credit: ike4014 via photopin cc This year, he’s asked for me to drill the same hole in a wine bottle.  In order to make this happen, I neededContinue reading “This week in the Shop: Dead Simple Jig for Drilling Bottles”

This Week in the Classroom (and the shop): Time Lapse Photography or Filming Rigs

In my second period this semester, I’m moonlighting as a video producer.  I don’t get to do any fancy music videos or full-feature movies, but I do get to make a documentary.  We’ve got the backdrop ordered, the lights rigged up and a the interview stool picked out.  I even have a low-slung directors chairContinue reading “This Week in the Classroom (and the shop): Time Lapse Photography or Filming Rigs”

Check Out the Shutter Table Project on Recyclart.org

Recyclart.org is a site dedicating to showing off recycled and salvaged projects from readers around the world.  If you’ve followed WodoshopCowboy for a while, you know I make the most of the Houston ReUse Warehouse’s offerings.  Here’s another shot at how my boys and I used louvered shutters and fence posts to create some pretty sweet littleContinue reading “Check Out the Shutter Table Project on Recyclart.org”