AIMS OF THE COURSE

The Practical Woodworking course is largely workshop-based, allowing you to gain a range of practical woodworking skills and to use a variety of tools, equipment and materials. It allows you to plan activities through to the completion of a finished product in wood.

Throughout the course you will develop practical skills in a specialist practical craft. You will be expected to develop safe working practices and to become proactive in matters of health and safety. This will allow you to learn how to use a range of woodworking tools, equipment and materials safely and correctly and provides skills that are complementary to other curriculum areas.

In addition to this you will develop skills in reading drawings and diagrams, measuring and marking out, as well as cutting, shaping and finishing woods. You will learn how to work effectively alongside others in a shared workshop environment; the skills that you acquire by successfully completing this course will be valuable for further learning, for life and for the world of work

 

COURSE CONTENT

The Course consists of three mandatory Units plus an Added Value Unit (N4) or Practical Activity (N5).

Each of the Practical Woodworking units will be taught through the production of a series test pieces before completing a unit project. The structure of the course allows you to experience and develop fundamental woodworking skills in a progressive fashion. Throughout each of the units you will be expected to demonstrate skills in measuring, marking out, cutting and jointing.

The areas of study are:

Flat-frame construction

Candidates develop skills, knowledge and understanding in the use of woodworking tools and in making woodworking joints and assemblies commonly used in flat-frame joinery.  Candidates develop their ability to read and use drawings and diagrams depicting both familiar and unfamiliar woodwork tasks.

Carcase construction

Candidates develop skills, knowledge and understanding in the use of woodworking tools and in making woodworking joints and assemblies commonly used in carcase construction. Candidates use working drawings or diagrams in both familiar and unfamiliar contexts that require some interpretation on their part.

Machining and finishing

Candidates develop skills, knowledge and understanding in using machine and power tools. Candidates also develop skills in a variety of woodworking surface preparations and finishing techniques.

Skills and Knowledge

The following provides a broad overview of the subject skills, knowledge and understanding developed in the course:

• using a range of woodworking tools, equipment and materials safely and correctly for woodworking tasks with some complex features
• adjusting tools where necessary, following safe practices
• reading and interpreting drawings and diagrams in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts
• measuring and marking out timber sections and sheet materials in preparation for cutting and shaping tasks with some complex features
• practical creativity in the context of simple and familiar woodworking tasks with some complex features
• following, with autonomy, given stages of a practical problem-solving approach to woodworking tasks
• applying knowledge and understanding of safe working practices in a workshop environment
• knowledge and understanding of the properties and uses of a range of woodworking materials
• knowledge and understanding of sustainability issues in a practical woodworking context

 

ASSESSMENT

For both National 4 & 5 candidates, your core units will be assessed by the production of a range of test pieces and unit projects completed to given standards and tolerances. Evidence of your knowledge and understanding will also be assessed through written tests.

National 4 – All three course units of work will be internally assessed on a pass/fail basis. These assessments may be on a unit-by-unit approach or by using a combined assessment. Course Assessment will be through the ‘added value’ unit – This is a Woodworking Project set by the SQA and involves producing a finished product in wood to a given standard. You will be expected to draw on, extend and apply the skills and knowledge they have developed during the course, this will be marked on a pass/fail basis.

National 5- The course assessment has two components:

Component 1:  The Question Paper has 60 marks (scaled to 30 marks), which is 30% of the overall marks for the course assessment.

Component 2: The assignment has 70 marks, which is 70% of the overall marks for the course assessment.

The practical activity gives candidates an opportunity to demonstrate the following skills, knowledge and understanding:

• selecting and using a range of woodworking tools, equipment, materials and finishes
• reading, interpreting and following given working drawings, outline specification information and cutting lists
• marking out, cutting and shaping component parts
• manufacturing a finished product to given drawings and standards
• working and using tools and equipment in accordance with recognised procedures and safe working practices

Practical Woodwork Course Overview

[pptx 1MB]