JOINING AND ASSEMBLING
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Subject: Career Technology
Class: JHS 1
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 6
Grade code: B7.3.3.1.2
Strand code: 3
Sub-strand code: 3
Content standard code: B7.3.2.1
Indicator code: B7.3.3.1.2
Theme: TOOLS, EQUIPMENT AND PROCESSES
Subtheme: JOINING AND ASSEMBLING
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This lesson introduces the fundamental skills of joining and assembling materials to create useful items, or artefacts. In our daily lives in Ghana, from the furniture in our homes to the clothes we wear, almost everything is made by joining smaller pieces together. A carpenter joins pieces of wood to make a chair, a tailor stitches fabric to make a school uniform, and a welder joins metal to make a burglar-proof window. Understanding how to join materials correctly is a valuable skill for everyday repairs, creative projects, and future careers in technical fields.
A. What are Joining and Assembling? Joining: This is the process of fastening two or more pieces of material together. The connection point is called a joint. Assembling: This is the process of putting together various joined parts to create a complete, finished product or artefact. For example, you first join four pieces of wood to make the legs of a stool, then you join the legs to the seat. The whole process of making the stool is called assembling. B. Types of Joints
Joints can be classified based on how easily they can be taken apart without damaging the materials. Temporary Joints: These can be easily separated without damaging the parts. They are used when parts need to be taken apart for maintenance or transport. Example: Nuts and bolts used to attach the legs to a table. Semi-Permanent Joints: These can be separated, but doing so might cause some minor damage to the materials or the fastener. Example: Using wood screws to join a cabinet. You can unscrew the parts, but the screw holes will remain. Permanent Joints: These cannot be separated without destroying the joint and damaging the materials. Example: Using strong glue (like epoxy) to join wood, welding two pieces of metal together, or stitching fabric with a strong thread. C. Common Joining Methods and Skills
Here are some common methods you will use in Career Technology. Nailing This is a fast and common method for joining pieces of wood. It creates a semi-permanent joint. Tools & Materials: Claw hammer, nails (e.g., round wire nails, panel pins). Key Skill Steps: Mark the Position: Use a pencil and try square to mark exactly where the nail should go. Select the Right Nail: Use a nail that is long enough to go through the first piece of wood and at least two-thirds into the second piece. Hold the Nail: Hold the nail upright on the mark with your thumb and forefinger. Start the Nail: Give the nail head a gentle tap with the hammer to set it in the wood. Once it can stand on its own, remove your fingers. Drive the Nail: Hold the hammer near the end of the handle for good control. Swing from your elbow, and strike the nail head squarely until it is flush (level) with the wood surface.