Students in the Grade 7 Introduction to Design and Engineering course at the Southwest Junior High have been learning how to safely and confidently use the tools in our Maker Space. The unit began with an overview of Maker Space expectations and tool safety, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Over the past few weeks, students rotated through six tool stations. Each station introduced a different tool and gave students a chance to practice safe handling and basic skills. The stations included:

• Hand sanders
• Cordless drills for fastening
• Handsaws
• Hammer and nails
• Cordless drills for cutting holes
• Band saws

At each station, students reviewed PPE requirements, received instructions on how to use the tool, and practiced several times to build confidence and accuracy.

With these safety lessons and foundational skills complete, students are now ready to begin designing and shaping their wooden blocks into CO₂ cars.

This post was improved with ChatGPT using the prompt “Clean up this blog post for an audience of parents at a junior high. Improve grammar, flow and tone. Limit superlatives”