This project and these materials allow my students to participate in an impressive, unique, and special project. They are creating a marketable and trendy teardrop camper that also serves as a representation of what students can achieve when presented with complex and authentic problems and situations.

In the past, shop classes have been stereotyped as holding bins for students who are not college-bound which undermines the value of the practical skills students learn in lab-based technology education classes.

My students are developing a sense of pride and craftsmanship as they apply practical, tool, safety, and career-related skills. My students represent a wide variety of academic and technical skill levels, and together we work collaboratively to achieve results and create projects that would be difficult on our own.

Building craftsmanship, confidence, and pride is easier when students know they are building something real, rather engaging in a hollow exercise. It has been proven that authentic experiences lead to deeper and more meaningful learning. A teardrop camper is just the right kind of project to offer this type of authentic experience as a self-sustaining yearly project.

These supplies will supplement the primary materials obtained through an educational foundation grant and increase the complexity of the authentic problem facing the students and the marketability of the final project.

By selling the finished camper, this project will also fund next year's teardrop so future students can share in a similar activity and current students can leave a legacy in a very real and tangible way.

The items requested will make this project more than just a simple camper and more like a scale model of a home. The rubber roofing and liquid rubber coatings increase the durability of the teardrop camper and offer students the chance to work with a material that presents a unique set of challenges and required skills.

There are also several electrical related items on the list. These items range from a distribution panel with an integrated battery charger to simple 12v LED light fixtures. Like a full-size construction project, wiring and electrical hook-ups are an integral part of the planning and construction processes. Including examples of these processes offers students a preview of another trade associated with construction and manufacturing.

Finally, there are some hardware items that allow the camper to function properly. From specialized hinges to weather seals, these hardware items represent often overlooked but critically important parts and help students discover how lots of little parts can add up financially and lead to the success or failure of a project.

Thank You!