Introductuion to Cardboard

Why I Started Using Cardboard
Early in my second year as an elementary grade 5/6 teacher, I learned a remarkable lesson from one of my students. She demonstrated something that made my life as a teacher a lot easier and a lot more fun!

It all happened toward the end of lunch-time. As I was standing between my design table and work-bench, encouraging my students to clean up and go outside for recess, one of my students came up to me and asked if she could finish a project.

Grudgingly I told her she could, as long as it wouldn’t take her too long because I had a lot of things to do, but looking back, I’m glad I let her finish her work.

After I gave her permission, she walked over to her slot in front of the binder cabinet, and removed her three ring binder. After opening it, she took out a piece of cardboard, walked over to my tool cabinet, and selected a keyhole saw.

Then she walked over to a workbench, turned the handle of the vice, counter clockwise, and opened it slightly. Placing the cardboard precisely on the vice, she then cut the cardboard easily with the saw. I was astounded! I was shocked!

Let me go back about a year and a half and tell you why. In the early nineties, after 17 years as an elementary shop teacher, I became a full-time classroom teacher.

The first year I taught in a classroom, my students concentrated on designing and making small wood projects. The projects were good, but expensive because good quality wood cost a lot of money.

What I really wanted to do was to have my students design and make bigger architectural and engineering projects, but that was going to be too expensive. I did not have that much money in my budget. What was I going to do?

Then, right in front of me, this smart, innovative student easily cuts through a piece of cardboard. I had cut cardboard in the past to recycle it, but I had never used it to make a project. I had to start thinking of cardboard as a construction material.

When my students left, I knew I had empty cardboard boxes in my storage room so I ran up there, brought one down to my room, and cut off a flap with my utility knife.

After drawing a straight line on its surface, I walked over to my scroll saw, adjusted the foot rest, started the machine, and cut the cardboard with ease!

Next, I drew a curved line and again, cut the cardboard curve with ease. I had discovered a new strong construction material.

With an endless supply of material that my students could cut to size safely, all kinds of new projects started comming to my mind.