3. Skills analysis

* Ask learners to think specifically about the skills they use in doing things with their hands, and to expand their thinking to the skills they use in everyday life - budgeting, driving, cooking, reading, writing, speaking, thinking and so on. Ask them which skills are transferable from task to task, and which skills are specific to a particular task.

task specific skills transferable skills
     
driving knowing how to operate reading signs, judgement,
a car reading maps,
attentiveness
     
cooking knowing how to combine shopping, budgeting, math,
foods and spices, use an measuring, organization
  oven  

4. Poems

Read the poems "Concrete Fever" and "Think Like a Weightlifter, Think Like a Woman" from Covering Rough Ground by Kate Braid (page 131 - page 132). The activities suggested below could be used with both of the poems.

* Read each poem aloud a number of times, perhaps reading sections as a group, or taking parts, or reader's theatre style, each student reading a sentence.

* Some questions to consider after each poem:

  • What feelings does Kate have?
  • What qualities does she demonstrate?
  • How is she like you?

* Think about the attitude people have to women doing this work. Some questions to think about:

  • How would men in your life respond to a woman carpenter?
  • Would they disapprove? Why or why not?
  • Would they be supportive? How?
  • Would they work well with a woman on the job?
  • How would the other women you know react to a woman carpenter?
  • Why do women want traditionally male jobs?
Concrete Fever
Reading 131		 Think Like a Weightlifter, Think Like a Woman
Reading 132		 Think Like a Weightlifter, Think Like a Women
Reading 132

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