The industrial arts in the high school

Abstract

Time and space will not permit a detailed history of the development of Industrial Arts in the high schools, therefore I will limit my discussion to a brief history of its development and of its merits as a subject worthy of its place in our American High Schools. There have been changes in the name and purposes of Industrial Arts. It probably owes its beginning to the desire and need of the early man to fashion a weapon or weapons for gathering food and for his personal protection. Hence the cave man made his crude wooden club. Then a lighter club with a sharp rock in the end, similar to the tomahawk used by the American Indian. Woodwork, or manual comes from a desire on the part of the young boy to whittle with a knife or fashion play things by the use of hammer and saw. Manual or woodwork simply aided in directing the natural desire of most boys through the use of woodworking tools. Closely correlated with the development of woodworking was the development of tools, machines, and implements to facilitate and extend its possibilities. Axes to fell the trees; adzes to hew and shape great timbers for roofs and frames for ships; saws to cut more evenly and expeditiously; knives, gauges, and carving tools to decorate; planes and files to smooth; bits to bore holes for wooden pegs or screws and bolts. Next came the development of the various labor saving machines to do most of the work that was done by hand. As an educational term, manual includes all work used as a means in general education. It differs from trade education through the apprenticeship systems in that it emphasizes the educational element rather than the commercial or industrial element. This hand training or manual emphasizes manual skill. This developed habits of accuracy, judgment and observation formed through manual activities. There are differences in opinion as to when and what country in-