By: Savannah C

Magical Tool Box

Many people refer to us as “Weekend Warriors” We are the home improvers and the weekend fixer uppers. I am working on the Construction Basics Module in PLTW. We are working with advanced tools that are intimidating just to look at. Scary. Big. Dangerous. Remember the time you helped your dad work on his car or fix the squeaky cabinet? Again we are getting handy with our tools.

The other day we ran into some trouble getting a nut on a bolt. The stupid thing would not go on. A classmate jokingly said, “This is why we should let the guys do this stuff.”  Though, she meant no harm by it, it got me thinking. No, that is not the way we should think, we belittle ourselves sometimes. This class is a way to show us that this is not true! Mrs.Sauter and Ms.Deeter have worked hard to show us how to use this scary and intimidating equipment.

Right Angle Birdhouse

The sound is the most intimidating but, that is what ear protection is for. That, and so you won’t hurt your ears. We use  miter saws, jigsaws, drills, finish/brad nailers and so many other tools. Do you know how many tools there are? Too many to count, I would say thousands. We did a activity to name all the tools in the tool box. We know the names of almost all of them.  We were all so proud.

We are building a Right Angle Birdhouse . This was used to introduce use to sawing straight cuts and using a brad nailer. We have a blast with the designing and construction of our creations. We are empowered  to try something new and intimidating.  The tools in our hands make us feel powerful.  Our class wants to use them. We do everyday. As a whole our PLTW class is loving what we are doing.

Wonderful Chopper

Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do, only you know what you are capable of. Or, maybe not in that case, it can’t hurt to try it. So roll up your sleeves, get out there, and don’t be afraid to get dirty. Or mess up. Go ahead make mistakes.