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Power Tools In Social Context

I. Intro

    Before electricity, and the advent of electrical motors, trades people had to use hand tools and exert a lot of energy and time to build one product. However, power tools were invented and now have virtually phased out the hand tool. The ability to work quickly and build numerous identical products has made the power tool an invaluable item in any person's tool box.


II. Objectives/Goals and Major Messages

The overall goal is to acquaint the students with the social context of power tools. The students will demonstrate the ability to:

1. Identify the benefits of power tools.

2. Identify the drawbacks of power tools.

3. Identify how power tools have influenced the world around them.

4. Be aware of the proper safety when using power tools.


Major Message: With power tools, concentrate... DON'T AMPUTATE!

III. Lesson Strategy

    The teacher will compete with a student in screwing a screw into a piece of wood. However, the teacher will be using power tools while the student will be using hand tools. This will demonstrate the main benefits of power tools. The students will then be taught why power tools have come to such prominence and why a hand-made item is much more costly than one made with machines.


IV. Instructional Materials

1. Power tool transparencies & overhead projector

2. White/chalk board


V. Tools & Materials

1. Drill

2. Hand drill & screwdriver

2. Drill bits and screw bits

3. Wood samples

4. Safety goggles


VI. Procedure

1. Be ready to work safely.

2. Have contest with student to see who can screw in a screw fastest.

3. Explain why student lost.

4. Explain how power tools have shaped our lives.

5. Talk about pros and cons of power tools.

6. Talk about why a hand made item costs more than a machine made one.


VII. Integration

1. Woodwork

2. Metalwork

3. Physics

4. Energy and Power


IX. Social Context

    Power tools have come to the forefront of the production industry as the most versatile, invaluable tools available. They have made the task of making parts interchangeable much easier, and allowed the ease and speed of making products a reality.


X. New Terms

- interchangeable         - power tool         - energy

- circular saw              - palm sander       - router


XI. Questions

1. Why is it preferable to use power tools over hand tools?

2. What are some of the advantages/disadvantages of using power tools?

3. Why are hand made products more valuable than machine made products?


XII. Summary

    Power tools are used day in and day out without anyone really considering how important they are in the production process. What used to take days or weeks to make, can now be made in an afternoon. Also, if you had a product that broke, it was nearly impossible to find a part that would fit as good as the original, while now you can interchange parts without having to worry if it'll fit right or not because it will. We can only wonder where power tools will take us as we head into the 21st century.