Blockhead™ wood curriculum

Explore the properties of wood. Construct a figure of interchangeable parts that can pose and solve problems in math, science, social studies, art and language arts.

• A learning experiment, not a toy.
• Hammer, glue, and safety goggles required.
• Recommended for age 5 and above.
• Decorating materials and glue not included.

1. Insert short wooden dowels into legs, arms and head and secure with a bit of glue.

2. While the glue sets, sand all the parts.

3. Attach arms, legs, and head to body. Try different configurations for different postures.

4. Lay blockhead™ on his back. Nail feet to legs.

Sanding

Wood is a bundle of fibers, like celery or like a handful of hair.

We cut those fibers to shape wood. Carpenters use single blades like knives or chisels to cut wood, or sets of teeth that we call saws.

The sand in sandpaper also cuts the fibers. You have two pieces of sandpaper. Each has a different size grit. (Grit could be sand or another material with tiny, sharp edges.) Sandpaper comes in many sizes from Coarse to Fine, and Very Fine.

Experiment with your sandpaper. Which do you think you should use to shape your
BlockHead“ (That is, which cuts fastest?) Which do you think should be used to make the sur-face of the wood very smooth? (That is, which will cut away the very finest fibers?)

When wood is cut, you get sides of the fibers and ends of the fibers.

Which is easier to sand? The face (sides) of your blocks, or the ends of your blocks?

Nailing

Nails are connectors.
They have many sizes, and purposes and come in many different materials.

Which nails has a big head to hold down a roof ?
Which nail is meant to be pulled out easily?
Which nail won't be seen once it's all the way in?
Which nail can be used many different ways?

Experiment! You need to understand wood to be able to nail it well.

Is it easier to put a nail into the face of a board or the end of the board? Why?

Is it very hard to put nails into knots in the wood? (Knots are the places where branches came out of the tree as it grew.) Why?

Some wood is easier to nail than others. Why?

Types of Wood

Look around. You will see wood. Can you point out at least five differences in the wood you see? How? By color? By the pattern of its grain? By how it is used?

There are at least 50 types of wood in common use. Even your BlockHead™ has three types of wood used in it.

1. Pine: The body parts are pine. White Pine actually, which is a soft, common wood.
So, why do we use pine for the body?

2. Maple: The dowels that hold the block-head™ together are maple. It is a hard wood
with straight grain.
So, why do you think we use Maple for the connectors?

3. Cedar: The feet are cedar. It is soft but it has a smell that bugs don’t like.
Why do you think we chose cedar for the feet?

Staining

This of a list of ways you can add color and detail to your BlockHead ™ figure. Most of them change the surface color of the figure.

Paints, markers, colored pencils, inks, and stains all begin with pigment. Pigment can be the part of a plant (like flowers) or the part of a mineral (like chalk) that gives something color.

A tree grows with spaces in its trunk and branches to carry water from its roots to its leaves. When wood is dried to be useful to us, it becomes porous. It has openings where the water used to be. You will see that your wood is happy to soak up the stain.

Some stains are pigment mixed with oil. Your stain is pigment mixed with water.

Experiment!

1. Brush stain onto your wood. A little extra is ok.
2. Wait a minute.
3. Rub off the extra stain with a paper towel.

Besides color, how else does stain change the wood?
Do the faces and the ends change the same? Why?
Do all blocks of pine change the same? Why?

Teachers: Fingers stain too. Rubber gloves help.

Sculpture

Artists love to study the human figure.
It is a natural place to begin sculpture.
Here are some questions that artists ask.

Can I make my sculpture be in an interesting position or interesting poses?

Can I make colors real? Can I make them unreal?

Can I connect my figure to other things?

Can I tell a story?

Is my creation interesting?

Is my design different than others?

Blockhead ™ Stories

BlockHeads™ can help you explore many subjects. Here are some ideas we have tried. Send us your suggestions.

Social Studies
Costume BlockHeads from other countries or from history.

Language Arts
Make the hero of a fairy tale.
Make the subject of a biography.
Create the characters of a play
Use BlockHeads to name and show emotions.

Science
Demonstrate 10 ways to balance BlockHeads.
Explore the changes to BlockHeads in water.

Art
Create BlockHeads in the style of:
Picasso
Degas
Dubuffet
American Folk Artists

Math
Measure and weigh BlockHeads.
Make a chart of proportions.

More Questions?

This kit provides activities for young students exploring the properties of wood. The numbers after the headings refer to FOSS™

Curriculum Guides. The kit is not a FOSS™ authorized product.

Breakage
Wood has a mind of its own. it can be brittle. It can hide cracks. Even with careful hammering, parts my break. If we have not included enough extra parts, contact us to supply more.

Allergies
Some children are allergic to wood dust caused by sanding. It is possible to eliminate sanding from this project.