From Wikipedia: "A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. "
Many consider the use of tools to be proof of a higher intelligence. Before getting into the lessons, ask your kids if they can think of any they used today.
Books
978-147-784-7244
Let’s build…a fort! Grab a pencil, draw the plans. We’ll construct it with our hands. Dad and son hit the hardware store. And then they start to build! Raise the walls up, hoist that beam. Real construction takes a team! When they’re all done, they’ll have the coolest fort ever!
Fliess is great at sing-songy rhymes that are fun to read out loud, and the vocabulary is simple enough that your young reader may be able to do it themselves!
978-015-205-1075
A child watches her mother and father as they work with their hands, and she knows she wants to build and sew and garden and paint just like them. When they give her a special place to work, lots of good materials, and plenty of encouragement, she makes the most wonderful things!
Tools aren't just for construction! This gorgeous book features tools for crafting and gardening as well.
978-145-216-5059
Old Mac and Mrs. Mac are at it again! This time, these DIY-happy farmers wield a host of noisy tools—from hammers to sanders, and even a blowtorch—to soup up their rusty old fishing boat. With a BANG BANG here and a BUZZ BUZZ there, this silly, summery sequel to the wildly popular Old MacDonald Had a Truck is sure to make a splash—and have the whole family singing along.
Love this spirited couple! If you missed the first book, make sure you go looking for it! Take some time to look at how they are handling their tools, though...why do you suppose all the animals go running when Mrs. MacDonald gets the table saw going? Learning to use tools means learning to use them SAFELY. Pick out some good ideas you see (like wearing goggles) and some bad ones (like pointing that nail gun towards somebody). Look at the tools you use in your home, kitchen, garden, etc., and talk about safety rules in each area.
This series is a bit older, but has very simple examples of what a saw, hammer, level, screwdriver, wrench and pliers do:
978-076-138-9798
Science
The simplest tools are simple machines. These two titles are both parts of recent series that include experiments and examples:
9781410968012
9781728416427
Use these or other books to find out about levers, wheels and axles, pulleys, screws and wedges. If you are local, come to the library and check out one of our Simple Machines Learning kits! If not, see what you can do to make your own. Anything can be a ramp (how does the height of one end change the way things roll up or down? What about texture on the ramp?), empty containers or their lids can be wheels...you could have a whole Rube Goldberg contraption going before long!
Rhymes
Cumulative rhymes are loads of fun, and the repetition and predicting build those prereading skills. Here is an old one about building:
This is the house that Jack built.
This is the malt that lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the rat that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack built.
(and so one, ending with)
This is the horse and the hound and the horn that belonged to the farmer sowing his corn that kept the cock that crowed in the morn that woke the priest all shaven and shorn that married the man all tattered and torn that kissed the maiden all forlorn that milked the cow with the crumpled horn that tossed the dog that worried the cat that killed the rat that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack built.
Whew! Can you say it all without catching your breath?
Here are a couple fun book versions of that rhyme:
978-043-985-3385
978-141-970-7957
Math
Our first book featured a set of blueprints with measurements. Pick a project that you would like to make together - it doesn't have to be as big as a fort! - and draw up the plans before you get started. What pieces will you need? What sizes should they be? What tools will we use to measure and cut them?
Grab some graph paper and get everything down to scale. Don't forget to allow for the thickness of your wood/cardboard/etc. in your measurements!
Writing
Now that you have your plans drawn up, you need to write down the instructions. Practice using sequential directions (first, next, finally, etc.) and giving clear details. Give your plans to someone else and see if they can follow them, or if there is something you need to go back and edit.
Social Studies
1) What types of tools do people in different careers use? See if you can take a field trip to a fire station, a dentist, a bakery, a farm, and check out the tools of their trade.
2) When did humans first start using tools? What did they look like? How did they make them? Can you replicate those tools and use them for a project? Pick one type of tool, such as a hammer or scissors, and learn how they have changed and evolved over the years. Draw pictures showing how they looked at different times in history.
Science
Are humans the only beings who use tools? Not at all! Primates, elephants, birds and others have been seen using tools.
9781536200935
Read up on animals using tools in books or online, then see if you can replicate what they do. Can you hold a stick in your mouth to scoop up your food?
Community
1) What can you build together that will improve your community? Bird or bat houses? A park bench? A Little Free Library? Ask your friends and neighbors what they would like to see in your neighborhood, or what would be helpful to them. Use the steps we listed in math and writing to get your project started.
2) Tools can be expensive or sometimes hard to find. Is there a tool lending library in your community? What would it take to start one? (If you are local, we have a few to check out at the Alamogordo Public Library, and would be happy to take more!)
Art
978-144-243-5711
Lois Ehlert always knew she was an artist. Her parents encouraged her from a young age by teaching her how to sew and saw wood and pound nails, and by giving her colorful art supplies. They even gave her a special spot to work that was all her own.
Today, many years and many books later, Lois takes readers and aspiring artists on a delightful behind-the-scenes tour of her books and her book-making process. Part fascinating retrospective, part moving testament to the value of following your dreams, this richly illustrated picture book is sure to inspire children and adults alike to explore their own creativity.
If Hands didn't inspire you to create some collages, Scraps certainly will. Take a look around for colors and shapes and textures that speak to you! What types of tools will you use?
TV
If you are as old as I am, thinking about tools and TV shows brings one name to mind. Available on several streaming services, maybe it's time to introduce your kids to the phrase "More power!"
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