8th Grade Canoe Journey Project
This project marks the important transition being undertaken by our students as they proceed into their high school years. The Canoe Journey Project has thee elements; crafting an individual canoe paddle, building a cedar strip canoe, and embarking on a wilderness canoe trip.
The Paddles
From white cedar trees on Twinfield’s 80+ acres of woodland, students harvest the tree and haul it into the shop to begin their task of
turning it into a handmade canoe paddle. After peeling the 6’ sections, the log is “rough cut” into lumber and dried. The lumber is then cut into pieces that are glued to make the paddle “blank”. Students trace their original handle and blade designs on the blank and it is cut out. Now begins the hard work of shaping the paddle to its final state with a variety of hand tools. And finally, the paddle is sanded, decorated and waterproofed. In the end, each student has created his or her own paddle, personalizing the instrument to represent the journey the student
imagines will unfold in his or her future. These paddles will belong to the students, and hopefully travel with them throughout their transition
from adolescence into adulthood and beyond.
The Canoe
Throughout the school year, eighth grade students cycle through the technology and design element of their curriculum in which they
take part in different aspects of the construction of a cedar strip canoe. Based on a traditional technique of using very thin flexible wood
“strips”, and using some modern materials such as fiberglass, the students work together to create a beautiful and functional canoe. The
students are able to describe the process and recognize which aspects of the canoe in which they had a unique and personal connection to. "I
steam bent the stems," a student might say, or "I set the strips on the left side there."
The Trip
At the end of the school year, the students take part in a four-day field trip in the Adirondack Park, supported by faculty, parent and
community member chaperones, as they navigate several small-connected waterways. The primary intent and focus of the group is on
the recognition of the students as burgeoning adults, transitioning into a new role not only in the school they will return to, but as individuals
and part of a community.
The Paddles
From white cedar trees on Twinfield’s 80+ acres of woodland, students harvest the tree and haul it into the shop to begin their task of
turning it into a handmade canoe paddle. After peeling the 6’ sections, the log is “rough cut” into lumber and dried. The lumber is then cut into pieces that are glued to make the paddle “blank”. Students trace their original handle and blade designs on the blank and it is cut out. Now begins the hard work of shaping the paddle to its final state with a variety of hand tools. And finally, the paddle is sanded, decorated and waterproofed. In the end, each student has created his or her own paddle, personalizing the instrument to represent the journey the student
imagines will unfold in his or her future. These paddles will belong to the students, and hopefully travel with them throughout their transition
from adolescence into adulthood and beyond.
The Canoe
Throughout the school year, eighth grade students cycle through the technology and design element of their curriculum in which they
take part in different aspects of the construction of a cedar strip canoe. Based on a traditional technique of using very thin flexible wood
“strips”, and using some modern materials such as fiberglass, the students work together to create a beautiful and functional canoe. The
students are able to describe the process and recognize which aspects of the canoe in which they had a unique and personal connection to. "I
steam bent the stems," a student might say, or "I set the strips on the left side there."
The Trip
At the end of the school year, the students take part in a four-day field trip in the Adirondack Park, supported by faculty, parent and
community member chaperones, as they navigate several small-connected waterways. The primary intent and focus of the group is on
the recognition of the students as burgeoning adults, transitioning into a new role not only in the school they will return to, but as individuals
and part of a community.