Coping Saw Progress in 3rd Grade Art

The third grade artists have been busy creating a new woodworking project in the art room. The third graders started their project by selecting an animal from the Chinese Zodiac. They created sketches of the animal, focusing on the main shapes of the body and head and adding details from there.

They then cut out their sketches in anticipation of transferring their drawings to wood. The cut-out drawings were traced onto pine wood and the third graders were introduced to the tool of the coping saw.

Remembering their use of the straight saw in second grade, the third graders soon caught on that the advantages of the coping saw are that the blade can be turned to tackle tricky angles and that it is possible to create curved cuts. Positioning their wood on the workbenches, securing the wood with the c-clamp and adjusting the position of the coping saw blade, give students the opportunity to engage in independent problem-solving.

The third grade class were quick learners and put a lot of muscle power into their projects! Over the course of three class periods, they have seen the fruits of their labor and are excited to add drawn and painted details to their animals.