www.wowimadethat.co.

uk

STUDENT
WORKBOOK

Name:

Teacher:

School: Year:

WOW I MADE THAT! is an education programme developed by the

British Woodworking Federation to provide insight into the Wood
and Furniture industries.
Student Workbook • Page 1
 WOW I MADE THAT!
Table of Content

Page 3 About WOW I MADE THAT!

Page 4 Survey Part 1

Page 5 Design Brief

Page 6 Worksheet 1 – Wood and Furniture Projects and Users

Page 7 Life Cycle Assessment

Page 9 Mood Board

Page 10 Materials

Page 12 Worksheet 2 – Classification of Timbers

Page 14 Worksheet 3 (Years 12) – Conversion and Seasoning

Page 17 Worksheet 4 – Wood Joints

Page 19 Design Ideas

Page 20 Photos of Your Model

Page 21 Final Design

Page 22 Year 12 Only – Final Design

Page 23 Evaluate It!

Page 26 Survey Part 2

Page 28 Project Checklist

WOW I MADE THAT! is an education programme by the BWF.

Student Workbook • Page 2
 WOW I MADE THAT!
About the Education Programme

WOW I MADE THAT! is an education programme created by the British Woodworking

Federation (BWF). It has been specifically designed for schools but has the potential
to be used by colleges and learning groups, such as STEM clubs, and prison education
programmes. Oriented towards project-based learning, WOW I MADE THAT! is mapped
to the national curriculum and associated design and technology qualifications.

The aim of the programme is to familiarise students with the Wood and Furniture industries, through
a programme of structured learning, researching and designing products. This includes sourcing
raw materials through to producing finished products. Each project asks students to research
and design a product, identifying the type of raw materials used, considering sustainable design
and investigating production processes as well as showing their understanding of environmental
issues.

Overview

The main objective of WOW I MADE THAT! is to raise the profile of the Wood and Furniture
industries, their importance to the UK, and possible future careers available within these industries.
This project-based programme is intended to be taught any time during the academic year.

About this Workbook

This book will guide you through the WOW

I MADE THAT! programme. All of the
associated resources needed to complete
projects are available to download from You will need to fill
the dedicated website: out a survey at the
start of your project
www.wowimadethat.co.uk and at the end. Please
ensure you complete
However, your teacher might have decided both surveys.
to already print out what you need, so be
sure to ask first.

Student Workbook • Page 3

 WOW I MADE THAT! SURVEY
Part 1

Please undertake this survey before starting your project.

How much
Loads Quite a Lot
do you know
about the Wood
and Furniture A little Nothing at all
industries?

Is a career If you ticked ‘No’ please tell us why:

Yes
in the Wood
and Furniture
industries worth No
considering?

A career in the Wood and Gathering more information

 
Would you Furniture industries on the Wood and Furniture
consider any of industries
An apprenticeship in
the following? 
the Wood and Furniture None of the above

industries

What sort of 1.
career interests
you at the
moment and 2.
why?
3.

4.

5.

Student Workbook • Page 4

 DESIGN BRIEF
Research and design a product

Identify the type of raw materials used, considering sustainable design and investigating
production processes. You must also show an understanding of environmental issues in the Wood
and Furniture industries.

You will need to select one of the design briefs below:

1. Design and model a timber structure (e.g. build an extension to an existing building or build a bridge).
The design should exploit the use of Glued Laminated Timber, commonly known as Glulam, or Cross
Laminated Timber (CLT) building material, as used in engineered wood industries and within the building
environment. Develop a design and produce visual representation (e.g. CAD drawing or a scale model).

2. Consider the layout of your school and explore the potential for creating an improved learning environment
making the most of properties and characteristics of timber. Develop a design and produce visual
representation (e.g. CAD drawing or a scale model).

3. Produce a creative and imaginative design solution for a wood-based piece of your choice (e.g. a piece of
furniture or children’s play equipment) which will be made using sustainable materials and an eco-friendly
manufacturing process. Think about your product’s target market and how it can appear on a shop floor.
It could be sold in a large DIY chain, a garden centre, furniture store or hardware store.

What were your reasons when making your project choice?

Chosen product:

Purpose:

Target market:

Student Workbook • Page 5

 WORKSHEET 1
Wood and Furniture Projects and Users

Work as a class, in groups or as

an individual to suggest as many Try and be
items made from wood you could
as creative
design for a wood and furniture
project: as you can!

Product User Description

Student Workbook • Page 6

 STUDENT WORKBOOK
Life Cycle Assessment

A Life Cycle Assessment helps to assess the environmental impact of a product from the start of
its life until the time it is destroyed or recycled.

Stage 1:
Raw
Materials

Stage 5: Stage 2:
Disposal Manufacturing

The five stages of life

cycle assessment

Stage 4:
Stage 3:
Use and
Distribution
Maintenance

Select a product and consider each of the 5 stages of the Life Cycle Assessment to help evaluate
the environmental impact of the product.

Chosen product:

Student Workbook • Page 7

 STUDENT WORKBOOK
Life Cycle Assessment

Stage 1:
Raw
Materials

Stage 2:
Manufacturing

Stage 3:
Distribution

Stage 4:
Use and
Maintenance

Stage 5:
Disposal

Conclusion:

If you were to redesign this product, state two things you would change to improve its environmental impact:

Student Workbook • Page 8

 STUDENT WORKBOOK
Mood Board

Help inspire your design ideas

Sometimes designers use “mood boards” to help them come up with ideas or moods for promotions
or products. By looking at examples of similar products, and inspirational ideas, you can stimulate
your imagination!

Start off by thinking about the key elements you have listed in your workbook and make some
notes about other ideas that come into your head linked to those. Try and find some images that
portray these ideas or draw your own and stick them all together.

Please visit
www.wowimadethat.co.uk
When your
to download your A3 Mood
Mood Board is
Board sheet complete, ensure it
is attached with
- the Bigger the your workbook
Better!

Student Workbook • Page 9

 STUDENT WORKBOOK
Materials Task - Material 1

www.wowimadethat.co.uk

Using the resources from the website choose a least two materials to research and record your
findings below:

Material 1 - Properties

List the mechanical and physical properties of the materials you may use.

Material 1 - Sustainability

How is this made? Can it be recycled? Is it a renewable source?

Student Workbook • Page 10

 STUDENT WORKBOOK
Materials Task - Material 2

www.wowimadethat.co.uk

Using the resources from the website choose a least two materials to research and record your
findings below:

Material 2 - Properties

List the mechanical and physical properties of the materials you may use.

Material 2 - Sustainability

How is this made? Can it be recycled? Is it a renewable source?

Student Workbook • Page 11

 WORKSHEET 2
Classification of Timbers

Use the word bank below to describe the properties of hardwoods and softwoods.

Hardwoods • Reach maturity in 30 years

• Deciduous trees (leaf losing) • Preferred for furniture production
• Grow in cool temperatures • Coniferous trees (evergreen)
• Reach maturity in 100 years • Relatively cheap and easily replaced
• Expensive • Commonly used as a veneer to reduce costs
• Closer grain

• Durable – generally more resistant

to surface marking

• 
Deteriorate rapidly outside without Exceptions:
protection
Tropical hardwoods
Softwoods
retain their leaves
• Slow growing
and as a result
• Generally heavier
grow faster!

1. Describe hardwoods

Student Workbook • Page 12

 WORKSHEET 2
Classification of Timbers

1. Describe softwoods

Useful information:

• Strong in one direction – along the length of the grain

• Shrinks – humidity due to temperature change can cause twist, bow,

Disadvantages
warp and cracks
of natural
woods: • Knots – where a branch intercepts the trunk

• Rot – can suffer from both dry rot and wet rot

• 
Issues with cost, availability, working properties and size of natural woods
have all been factors in the need and use of manufactured boards

• 
Less likely to suffer from the disadvantages of natural woods
Facts on
• 
No grain
manufactured
boards: • 
Strong in all directions

• 
Cheaper than natural woods

• 
Available in large standard sheets of uniform thickness and quality

Student Workbook • Page 13

 WORKSHEET 3 - Year 12 (Optional)

Conversion and Seasoning

After studying conversion and seasoning of wood you should be able to complete the following:

Hardwood and Softwood

Explain the difference between the structure of a hardwood and a softwood:

Explain the following terms:

Felling:

Conversion:

Seasoning:

Student Workbook • Page 14

 WORKSHEET 3
Conversion and Seasoning

Using notes and diagrams, explain the following conversion methods:

Slab sawn or
Method Quarter sawn
through & through

Diagram of
method

Description of
method

Advantages

Disadvantages

Student Workbook • Page 15

 WORKSHEET 3
Conversion and Seasoning

Explain why wood is seasoned:

Methods of seasoning:

Natural Air Seasoning:

Artificial Kiln Seasoning:

Student Workbook • Page 16

 WORKSHEET 4
Wood Joints

Describe the range of common wood joints and make notes on their advantages, disadvantages,
and identify where they are normally used:

Name and
Notes Uses
Picture

e.g. e.g.
Butt • simple to cut • drawer fronts in budget furniture
• weak as gluing end grain
• can see end grain

Rebate

Housing

Student Workbook • Page 17

 WORKSHEET 4
Wood Joints

Name and
Notes Uses
Picture

Mitre

Dowel

Mortise and Tenon

Student Workbook • Page 18

 STUDENT WORKBOOK
Design Ideas

Using 2D and 3D presentation techniques produce a range of

sustainable design ideas for your chosen product

Show your process of thinking through the design of your chosen products.

We are encouraging all students to think big and be as creative with your designs as you can, so
please use as many of the provided design sheets as you need to stimulate thought and get your
ideas flowing.

Create a great product design through

WOW I MADE THAT!

Please visit
www.wowimadethat.co.uk IT’S TIME TO
to download your A3 design
GET CREATIVE!
idea sheets
Work on your
- the Bigger the
design ideas.
Better!

Student Workbook • Page 19

 STUDENT WORKBOOK
Photos of Your Model

Attach a photograph of your model here:

If you were
able to make a
model - take a
photograph of
it!

Student Workbook • Page 20

 STUDENT WORKBOOK
Final Design

Produce a presentation drawing of your final design, labelling main

components and outlining chosen materials and possible manufacturing
processes.

It’s time to get WORK FREELY!

creative! Create your final
design on larger
1 paper.
Work on your
design ideas.

2
Please visit
www.wowimadethat.co.uk
to download your A3 design
idea sheets

- the Bigger the

Better!

We are encouraging all students to think big and be as creative with your designs as you can, so
please use as many of the provided design sheets as you need to stimulate thought and get your
ideas flowing.

Create a great product design through

WOW I MADE THAT!
Student Workbook • Page 21
 STUDENT WORKBOOK
Final Design - Year 12 Only (Optional)

Produce a detailed working drawing and cutting list of your final design with
enough information to enable 3rd party manufacture.

Final design – working drawing. Suggested formats:

1. Dimensioned 3rd
Angle Orthographic

2. Dimensioned Part
Drawings

3. Dimensioned
Exploded View

Please visit
www.wowimadethat.co.uk WORK FREELY!
to download your A3 design
idea sheets Create your final
design on larger
- the Bigger the
paper.
Better!

We are encouraging all students to think big and be as creative with your designs as you can, so
please use as many of the provided design sheets as you need to stimulate thought and get your
ideas flowing.

Create a great product design through

WOW I MADE THAT!
Student Workbook • Page 22
 STUDENT WORKBOOK
Evaluate It!

Evaluate your project by completing the

questions below.

Sustainable design

Explain why your final design solution should be considered sustainable. Include
relevant information about whether the chosen material is recycled or can be recycled:

Student Workbook • Page 23

 STUDENT WORKBOOK
Evaluate It!

Finishing methods

Using the resources available at www.wowimadethat.co.uk, identify two different methods that you could use to
finish the product you have designed.

Method 1

Why did you choose this method?

How would you apply this finish to your product?

Method 2

Why did you choose this method?

How would you apply this finish to your product?

Student Workbook • Page 24

 STUDENT WORKBOOK
Evaluate It!

Final design

Give reasons for selecting this idea as your final design proposal. Look back at the
initial brief and specification. Does it meet the requirements?

Give a description of the materials most suitable for producing the product and explain
your reasons and choice?

Student Workbook • Page 25

 WOW I MADE THAT! SURVEY
Part 2

Please undertake this survey after finishing your project.

How much
Loads Quite a Lot
do you know
about the Wood
and Furniture A little Nothing at all
industries?

Is a career If you ticked ‘No’ please tell us why:

Yes
in the Wood
and Furniture
industries worth No
considering?

A career in the Wood and Gathering more information

 
Would you Furniture industries on the Wood and Furniture
consider any of industries
An apprenticeship in
the following? 
the Wood and Furniture None of the above

industries

Do you associate An industry that requires

An industry that is exciting
any of the below modern technology and
with the Wood skilled people

An industry that is versatile
and Furniture
and dynamic
industries? 
None of the above
An industry that is
environmentally friendly

Student Workbook • Page 26

 WOW I MADE THAT! Survey
Part 2

Which part of WOW I MADE THAT! have you enjoyed the most?

What would you do to change the WOW I MADE THAT! programme to make a career
in the Wood and Furniture industries more appealing to students?

What are your ideas for the future of Wood and Furniture? How do you think the
industries could emerge and advance?

Thank you for

taking part in
our surveys!

Student Workbook • Page 27

 WOW I MADE THAT!
Project Checklist

I completed the following sections:

Survey 1 Worksheet 3 Year 12 (Optional)

Investigating Wood Design Ideas

Worksheet 1 Photos of your model (optional)

Life Cycle Assessment Final Design

Mood Board Final Design Year 12 (optional)

Materials Evaluation

Worksheet 2 Survey 2

Congratulations and thank

you for participating in Great
the WOW I MADE THAT! Job!
education programme.

Student Workbook • Page 28