A south hall on the first floor of Eisenhower Middle School (EMS) was briefly turned into a drag strip Oct. 7, complete with cheering fans.
Students in Ray Kimbrell’s woodworking class raced their dragsters to see which ones would survive the race down the hall and make it into the finals, while students in Larry Wayman’s class acted as fans in the grandstand.
“These kids are going to have a lot of fun seeing their hard work pay off,” Kimbrell said just before the race for his 9:15 a.m. class. “There’s a lot of joy and happiness even when you lose. Like mine. It went up in the air and the wheels came off. Several cars, when they hit the end of the line, are being pushed so fast, they hit the end and fly up in the air and go twisting up in the air. It’s pretty fun to watch.”
When students in Kimbrell’s first hour raced their cars, he realized he had forgotten something – each car needed eye screws on the front and back in order for a fishing line to be attached. The students acted as pit crews to make the adjustment before race time.
Then the race was on.
The cars, which were made from a block of balsa wood, were attached to fishing lines to keep them straight and were powered by CO2 cartridges and a launcher. Kimbrell attached each car to its fishing line and inserted the CO2 cartridge as students lining the hall counted down. Kimbrell then sent the cars on their way as the “fans” cheered.
The students spent weeks working up to this moment. First, they had to learn how to use the proper tools and to pass safety tests on each tool. Then came designing the cars, cutting them out, sanding and painting them. Not everyone finished their car in time for Monday’s big race.
But for those who did, it was an exciting time.
“It lost, but I’m OK with that,” eighth grader Athena Halford said. “It went farther than I thought it would. I like my little car.”
Her “little car” was painted white with black spots.
“It was supposed to be a cow, but everyone calls it the Chick-fil-A mascot, so I changed it to a Dalmatian,” Halford said.
Halford said it took about two weeks to build the dragster.
“I learned to be careful because the wood is fragile. I learned to take my time,” she said.
Alford said she wanted to take the woodworking class so she can help her mother with a cabin they are building. She intends to take more woodworking classes and plans to be a mechanic, artist or woodworker.
Although racing the cars was fun, that wasn’t the only purpose of the activity.
“This is authentic teaching,” Kimbrell said. “The things I am teaching them, they have a need to learn. They are learning basic tools of woodworking and seeing that woodworking can be fun. Sometimes they need to have a reason to learn what they are learning, otherwise it just becomes work. Sometimes work can be fun.”
The students learned more than how to use tools; they also learned problem-solving skills.
“Lots of kids bring it to me with problems,” Kimbrell said. “I did not solve the problems for them. I gave them options and they solved their own.”
Ben Mills was one of those students. He had made a bad cut with the saw and was trying to repair the damage Monday.
“I messed up on it a little bit,” he said. “I’m trying to sand the car and paint it white with red spots. I think it will stand out.”
Mills said he was taking woodworking so he will have something to do when he gets out of high school. But he also had a more immediate practical reason for taking the class.
“I want to help mom with things she needs help fixing around the house,” he said.
Kimbrell recorded the names of the winners in each heat. The first day was single elimination day for each class and the finals were held Oct. 8. Winners in each class received certificates.
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