Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 1

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Define manufactured boards and their significance.
• Identify different types and their characteristics.
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages compared to solid wood.
• Recognize the uses of manufactured boards in Ghana.

Lesson summary

Welcome, learners! Look around this classroom. Look at the teacher's table, the cupboards, and maybe even the door. Now think about the furniture in your homes – your wardrobe, your kitchen cabinets, your TV stand. Are they all made from solid pieces of wood cut directly from trees like Odum or Wawa? Often, the answer is no. Many modern furniture and construction items are made from manufactured boards. These are smart, engineered materials created by pressing and gluing together wood particles, fibres, or thin sheets. In Ghana, where we value our forests but also need affordable materials for building and furniture, understanding these boards is very important.

Lesson notes

This section contains the core content for the lesson. A. What are Manufactured Boards?

A manufactured board (also called an engineered wood product or composite wood) is a sheet material made by binding together wood elements (like fibres, particles, or thin layers called veneers) with an adhesive (glue) under heat and pressure. Key Idea: Instead of using one large, solid piece of wood cut from a tree log, we take the wood apart into smaller pieces and then put it back together in a new, controlled way. Solid Wood vs. Manufactured Board: Solid Wood: A single piece of timber cut from a tree. It has natural grain, but can also have knots, cracks, and can warp or twist with changes in moisture. Examples: Odum, Wawa, Mahogany. Manufactured Board: Made from wood residues. It is very stable, uniform (no knots), and often comes in large, standard-sized sheets (e.g., 4 feet by 8 feet). B. Types of Manufactured Boards, Characteristics, and Uses in Ghana

*(Teacher Note: It is highly recommended to have physical samples of these boards to pass around the class.)*

| Type of Board | How It's Made | Key Characteristics | Common Uses in Ghana | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1. Plywood | Thin layers of wood veneer are glued together with the grain direction of each layer at a 90-degree angle to the one below it. | - Very strong in all directions. - Resists warping, shrinking, and cracking. - Can be made moisture-resistant (Marine Plywood). - Surface has a real wood grain. | - Construction: Roofing underlayment, concrete formwork (the wooden mould for casting concrete pillars and floors). - Furniture: Carcasses for cabinets, doors, and general joinery. - Transport: Lining for tro-tros and cargo trucks. | | 2. Particleboard (or Chipboard) | Small wood particles (chips, shavings, sawdust) are mixed with resin and pressed into a sheet. | - Relatively cheap. - Not very strong. - Prone to swelling and damage from water. - Often covered with a thin plastic laminate or wood veneer for a better finish. | - Affordable Furniture: Flat-pack furniture, office desks, bookshelves, wardrobe carcasses. - Interior fittings: Shelving in shops. - Core Material: Used as a base for countertops, covered with laminate. | | 3. Medium-Density Fibreboard (MDF) | Wood is broken down into fine fibres (like wool), mixed with wax and resin, and pressed under high temperature and pressure. | - Very smooth, dense, and flat surface. - No wood grain or knots. - Easy to machine and paint. - Heavier than particleboard. - Swells if it gets wet, unless it's a moisture-resistant grade. | - High-Quality Furniture: Kitchen cabinets, doors (especially for painting), speaker boxes. - Shop Fitting: Display stands and panels. - Interior Mouldings: Skirting boards and architraves. | | 4. Hardboard (High-Density Fibreboard) | Similar to MDF, but the wood fibres are pressed at even higher pressure and temperature, often without much additional resin. | - Very thin, hard, and dense. - Smooth on one side and often has a textured pattern on the back. - Brittle and cannot support heavy loads. | - Furniture: Back panels for wardrobes and chests of drawers. - Doors: The flat "skin" on hollow-core internal doors. - Other: Clipboards, drawer bottoms. | C. Using Non-Wood Residues

Evaluation guide

• Outline the uses of manufactured boards made from Wood and non -wood residues
• Critical Thinking and Talk for Learning Approaches: Guide learners through whole class
• session to brainstorm the meaning of manufactured boards (Engineered wood) with open -mindedness
• conceptual