Construction Lab
Construction lab allows students to explore physical science in a safe shop setting. With different projects in each grade, learners continue to build skills as they enter Senior School.
Course Overview
Construction lab focuses on bringing physical science to life in a hands-on shop setting. Students are provided with project opportunities tied to the grade-level science curriculum in a highly personalized way. Projects are distinctive per grade level but also allow for intentional personalization.
While accomplishing desired science curriculum objectives, students will also learn and practice hands-on shop skills, tool use, and necessary age-appropriate workplace safety protocols.
Construction lab is available for students in Grades 6–9, and further exploration through design and fabrication is available in Senior School.
Learning by Grade Level
Grade 6
Construction lab 6 provides students with hands-on exposure in a shop setting, focusing on the scientific concepts of aerodynamics and flight. Students will build model rockets and airplanes, testing their creations.
Students also learn how to tune a pair of skis or a snowboard, building their knowledge of drag and friction. Students are taught all the mechanical skills necessary to perform each task.
Grades 7–9
Construction lab 7 provides students with hands-on experience in a shop setting, focusing on learning lifelong skills such as using a hammer and nails, sanding, and painting wood, and applying them to various structures and forces. Students explore these concepts while building a birdhouse. They will also build a balsa-wood tower, bringing valuable physics and engineering concepts to life.
Construction lab 8 provides students with hands-on exposure in a shop setting, focusing on mechanical systems through bicycle repair. Students will also learn the mechanical skills necessary to complete a full overhaul of a bicycle. The bikes will then be donated to local families in need. Students are taught all the mechanical skills necessary to perform each task.
Construction lab 9 provides students with hands-on exposure in a shop setting, focusing on matter and chemical change through skateboard deck lamination and graphic design. Basic woodworking skills, such as gluing and pressing wood in a vacuum press, shaping with a rasp and file, and finishing with sanding and painting, are taught to students. Each student gets to take home a custom-designed skateboard deck upon completion of the class.
Integrated Studies Blog
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