Basic 8 · Career Technology · Term Preparation

Preparing for the Term in Career Technology

In this topic you will review the key ideas of health and safety and materials for production from Basic 7, check the tools and safety equipment you will use, and plan for the term's practical work.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

Recall the key ideas of health, hygiene and safety from Basic 7
Recall the types of materials for production and their properties
Prepare a personal plan for safe practical work during the term

What you already know

Career Technology, Basic 7

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Lesson 1

Strand: Health and Safety
Sub-strand: Term Preparation

Introduction

Career Technology is a practical subject. Before we start using tools, food and materials this term, we must remind ourselves how to keep ourselves and others healthy and safe.

1. Health and Hygiene Review

In Basic 7 you learned that health is complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely the absence of disease. You learned that good personal hygiene includes bathing twice a day, brushing the teeth, washing hands with soap under running water, cutting nails short and wearing clean clothes. You also learned that food hygiene means keeping food safe from the farm to the plate.

These habits are even more important this term, because you will handle food in practical lessons, use tools in the workshop and work closely with other learners. A single careless act, such as not washing hands before handling food, can make many people sick.

2. Workshop Safety Review

Key safety ideas

Topic	Key points
accidents	cuts, burns, falls, electric shock, eye injuries
causes	carelessness, wrong use of tools, faulty tools, untidiness, no PPE
PPE	goggles, gloves, dust masks, aprons, boots, helmets
safety signs	red circle: do not; blue circle: must; yellow triangle: warning; green: safe
first aid box	plasters, bandages, antiseptic, cotton wool, gloves

Safety signs displayed on a workshop wall

Figure 1: Safety signs Draw four safety signs and write their meanings.

3. Checking Safety Equipment

At the start of every term, the class should check the safety equipment. Is the first aid box stocked and in date? Are there enough aprons, gloves and goggles? Is the fire extinguisher full and easy to reach? Are the sockets and cables in good condition? Report any missing or faulty item to the teacher so that it can be replaced before practical work begins.

4. Practical Review Task

In groups, learners inspect a set of tools and safety items, name each one, state its use and demonstrate the correct way to wear or handle it. For example, a learner shows how to put on goggles so they fit snugly, or how to carry a knife pointing downward. This short task refreshes your memory and shows the teacher what needs more practice.

New words

hygiene: Practices that keep the body and surroundings clean and healthy.
PPE: Personal protective equipment.
hazard: Anything that can cause harm.
first aid box: A container of supplies for treating minor injuries.

Summary

Personal and food hygiene protect you and others during practical work.
Workshop safety depends on PPE, safety signs, tidy work areas and correct use of tools.
Check safety equipment at the start of the term and report faults.

Class activity: Safety Equipment Check

Inspect the first aid box, PPE and fire extinguisher.
Record what is present, missing or faulty.
Demonstrate the correct use of two safety items.

You need: Safety goggles, Tape measure, Kente fabric offcut

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. Which PPE protects the eyes?
- A. goggles
- B. gloves
- C. boots
- D. apron
Show answer
Answer: gogglesEye protection.
2. A yellow triangular sign means…
- A. warning
- B. you must
- C. do not
- D. safe condition
Show answer
Answer: warningDanger.
3. Hands should be washed before handling food.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueFood hygiene.
4. Anything that can cause harm is a ______.
Show answer
Answer: hazardDanger.
5. State four items found in a first aid box.
Show answer
Answer: Plasters, bandages, antiseptic, cotton wool (or gloves, scissors).Any four.
6. Why should safety equipment be checked at the start of the term?
Show answer
Answer: So that missing or faulty items are replaced before practical work, preventing accidents.Prevention.

Lesson 2

Strand: Materials for Production
Sub-strand: Term Preparation

Introduction

Every product we make begins with the right material. In this lesson you will review the materials you studied in Basic 7 and plan your practical work for the term.

1. Materials Review

Materials for production

Group	Examples	Main properties
compliant materials	paper, card, fabric, leather, raffia	flexible, light, easy to cut and fold
resistant materials	wood, metal, plastic, ceramics, glass	hard, rigid, strong
smart materials	photochromic lenses, thermochromic ink, memory foam	change with light, heat or pressure
modern materials	carbon fibre, Kevlar, reflective fabric	improved strength or special properties
food commodities	maize, cowpea, yam, fish, eggs	nutrients from plant and animal sources

Choosing a material means matching its properties to the product's purpose. A school bag needs strong, flexible fabric; a desk needs rigid wood or metal; a road worker's vest needs reflective fabric.

Samples of wood, metal, fabric and plastic on a table

Figure 2: Material samples Classify five materials into compliant or resistant.

2. What You Will Learn This Term

Demonstrating skills in personal and food hygiene.
Giving basic first aid to yourself and others.
Managing household and industrial waste safely.
Using smart and modern materials in products.
The functions of food in the body and planning meals.
Measuring and marking out with the correct tools and techniques.

3. Planning for Practical Work

A practical subject needs planning. Each learner should have an apron, a notebook for recording practicals and a clean cloth. Before each practical lesson, read the steps, gather materials and check safety. After each lesson, clean the work area, return tools and record what you did and learned. These habits are the same ones used by professional caterers, tailors, carpenters and technicians.

4. Linking Career Technology to Careers

Career Technology prepares you for many jobs: chef, caterer, nurse, food scientist, fashion designer, tailor, carpenter, mason, welder, electrician and engineer. As you learn each skill this term, think about which career it supports and whether it interests you.

5. Keeping a Practical Record

Keep a practical record book for the term. For each practical, write the date, the title, the materials and tools used, the steps followed, what happened and what you learned. Add sketches or photographs where possible. A good record helps you revise, shows your progress to the teacher and is the kind of documentation professionals keep in kitchens, workshops and laboratories.

New words

property: A feature that describes how a material behaves.
compliant material: A flexible material that is easy to shape.
resistant material: A hard, rigid material.
practical: A lesson in which learners use real tools and materials.

Summary

Materials are compliant, resistant, smart, modern or food commodities, each with properties.
This term covers hygiene, first aid, waste, smart materials, food and measuring.
Planning, safety and recording are habits for successful practical work and future careers.

Class activity: Term Plan

List the items you need for practical lessons.
Write the topics of the term and one career linked to each.
Keep your plan in your Career Technology notebook.

You need: Safety goggles, Tape measure, Kente fabric offcut

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. Which is a resistant material?
- A. metal
- B. paper
- C. fabric
- D. raffia
Show answer
Answer: metalHard.
2. Photochromic lenses are an example of a…
- A. smart material
- B. compliant material
- C. food commodity
- D. resistant material
Show answer
Answer: smart materialReact to light.
3. Material choice should match the product's purpose.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueProperties.
4. A feature that describes how a material behaves is a ______.
Show answer
Answer: propertyCharacteristic.
5. Name three groups of materials and one example of each.
Show answer
Answer: Compliant: paper; resistant: wood; smart: memory foam.Any three.
6. Explain why planning is important in practical lessons.
Show answer
Answer: It ensures materials are ready, safety is checked and time is used well, so tasks succeed safely.Planning.

Homework

Make a list of materials in your home and classify each as compliant, resistant, smart or modern.