Preserving The Pathway to Mushroom Hollow in The Middles (4th/5th)

Our first Woodworking project in the Middles is complete. Last week we were able to try out our new ladder to our Woods Spot for the first time! The entrance to our Woods spot, recently named Mushroom Hollow, has a steep incline that I skidded down the first time I visited the woods in August. We’ve also noticed that the added foot traffic on the hill has greatly increased erosion. The Middles aimed to solve this problem by designing and building a ladder during our first six weeks of school. The idea for the ladder came out of necessity and the designing, building, and installation of the ladder was student-driven. 

Our process began by finding ladders to observe and measure. Armed with rulers, pencils, and clipboards, a small group of Middles roamed the hallways looking for the school’s tall green ladder. Unsuccessful in our search, we settled for measuring two different step ladders, one from the Atelier and one from the Projects Room closet. Students measured the height, length, and width of the steps, as well as their thickness and the distance between steps. Towards the end of our measuring, one student suggested we build our ladder like a step ladder, where the rungs are flat so we can walk up them like stairs. 

During our next Woods time, a student volunteered to help measure and design the implementation site of the ladder. This student, who was new to the project, also suggested we make the rungs of the ladder flat. And so our step ladder design was born!

We spent the next few weeks working in small groups on this project whenever we could spare a minute. We sawed and sanded each step and side rail of the ladder. Some students were immediately drawn to the woodworking process. The hardwork of sawing and drilling can be a much needed outlet for students whose bodies are constantly in motion throughout the day. Along with the physical benefits, woodworking requires great mathematical and spacial thinking.

We (nearly) finished our ladder just in time for Grounds Day. On Grounds Day, a team of parents and students helped us install the ladder in our Woods spot. Last week we got to use it for the first time! I interviewed two students about the process of ladder making. Here’s what they shared:

Courtney: What did you enjoy about building the ladder?

Madax: I enjoyed that a lot of people got to have a turn building it. 

Zander: I agree. I also liked bringing equipment in [from home] to help.

Courtney: What do you like about woodworking?

Zander: It’s so gratifying when you finish a project and you get to use it for a long time if it’s a sturdy build.

Madax: Alot of things you build can be useful.

Courtney: What did you feel was the hardest part of making the ladder?

Zander: The hardest part was getting the last rung to fit cause we kept having to cut off little pieces of the end.

Madax: It took a while to saw one piece off at a time, and after you did you’d say “Yay!” and then be like, we still have so much to do!

Courtney: Madax, how did you think to make the steps for the ladder flat?

Madax: I just have so many designs in my head. I like thinking about all of them. That’s like the steps at my house, they are flat like that.

Courtney: Zander,  you were here when the ladder was finished. How did that happen?

Zander: On Grounds day we had to put in the last rung and cut the edges so they would fit. It was very heavy to bring up the hill. We then screwed it to a root so it would stay and buried the other end in the ground. Marlow (Courtney’s almost 2 year-old child), was the first one to climb on it.