Just before February vacation, Suzanne's fifth-grade students finished the bookcase they designed and built for their classroom. During my regular Monday afternoon science lesson, the students cut the last boards, sanded them and finished nailing the bookcase together. Then after school on Friday, five children stayed late to seal the wood with a non-toxic, plant-based finish.

When they were done, we slid the bookcase into the seven-foot-wide space under the windows and between the radiators. The students were very pleased with their accomplishment. Another teacher stopped by and was amazed that the children had actually made such a beautiful bookcase.

When Suzanne moved to different elementary school in Bridgeport last fall, she left her extensive library behind. Fortunately, our librarian neighbor Nancy, donated many boxes of discarded children's books to Suzanne's new classroom. Now another bookcase was desperately needed.

Buying a bookcase to fit that space would have been expensive even if we could find one the right size. Although this might have been a solution, it would have no educational value for Suzanne's students, who were enthusiastic about the prospect of building a bookcase. So, we began right after the New Year.

Almost anything can be a learning experience if it is approached with that intention. This is especially true for today's children who spend so much time in front of TVs and computers. We started to design the bookcase by first measuring the books in order to decide how high the shelves needed to be. Here was an authentic reason to measure using inches and feet, and an opportunity to internalize terms like height, width and depth.

These fifth graders had studied local evergreen trees before the winter holidays, so they already knew something about White Pines, the monarchs of the Eastern forest. We chose this wood because it is easy to cut, sand and nail, is stable when dry and is local. The small sawmill near our farm sells wonderful, inexpensive fresh-cut white pine lumber.

I bought six, one-foot-wide by eight-feet-long, rough-cut boards which Carlton, the sawyer planed on both sides. The students enjoyed carrying the boards from my truck into their classroom. They stacked them in the bottom of the coat closet, with small spacers called stickers between the layers. This allowed the still-wet boards to dry further. The pine imparted a wonderful aroma to the classroom. Now, the children really know how fresh pine boards smell.

Although everyone was very anxious to get started with the actual building, we needed to do some blackboard work first. Once twenty-five kids are out of their seats, it's hard to get a message to all of them. We needed to talk about the use and care of tools, about right angles and the importance of accurate measurements. We discussed the grain in wood, cooperative behavior and the need for taking turns with the limited number of tools available. The importance of watching and paying attention was implicit.

Fortunately, Suzanne is working with a student teacher. The third adult, Ken, allowed for better supervision. We always use hand tools because they are much safer and more cost-efficient. One of our goals is to empower these children with the notion that they can do things for themselves. Much of their world - entertainment, food, education, transportation - is simply presented to them. The idea that a class could make a bookcase, or grow a meal has become really radical. This authentic learning is student directed and a source of great satisfaction.

The children were all very eager to saw, to measure, to hammer and to sand. Girls and boys, skilled and inept, shy and bold, all wanted to cut and smooth the boards and then bang in the nails which hold them together. In just five, hour-long classes, we planned and finished the bookcase. Other adults passing the room were excited to see these students engaged in and enthusiastic about this hands-on learning.

The Parents Club at the school was enthusiastic about this project, too, and gladly reimbursed our modest expenses for materials.

Truly valuable education isn't really about books, buildings and tests. It is more an attitude that emphasizes the possibility of discovering learning opportunities everywhere.

There is so much useful and educational work that needs to be done.

This is Bill Duesing, Living on the Earth

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