✂ The Workshop · Teacher Guide
HOLIDAY ORNAMENT LASER EXTENSION
A short seasonal application after students learn the core laser workflow.
Where this fits
Use this as an optional 2 to 3 day extension after the CNC/Laser Cutting module. Students should already know cut, score, engrave, SVG, real-size testing, and the class file queue. This project applies those skills to a smaller seasonal object. It does not replace the core laser lesson.
2 to 3 class periods
One 4 by 4 inch ornament
Canva, SVG, Glowforge
5-point Minor check
Teacher materials
Laser Cutting Teacher Deck · Make a Google copy. Reuse slides 4 to 10 for pixels, paths, cut, score, engrave, and safety. Reuse slides 15 to 23 for file setup, real-size testing, partner trace, the teacher-run queue, and documentation.
- Project the teacher model already embedded in the student activity. It shows the digital plan and the finished wood ornament.
- Prepare teacher-approved wood, string or ribbon, safety equipment, and a labeled drying or pickup area.
- Create the class queue folder before students export. The exact filename is Period-Lastname-Firstname-Ornament.svg.
- Test both videos, Canva access, and one sample SVG before class.
Run sheet
| Day | Teach | Students do | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Use the Define video and CNC deck slides 4 to 10. Make the distinction explicit: paths and fills describe geometry; the teacher confirms the machine operation. | Sketch three genuinely different ornament ideas. Select one using the size, hanging-hole, and readability constraints. | Three sketches plus one reasoned choice. |
| 2 | Use slides 15 to 20. Model the closed outer path, hanging hole, engraved or scored detail, filename, and paper test. | Build the SVG in Canva, print or trace it at real size, and revise after a partner traces the expected operations. | Laser-ready SVG that passes the partner trace. |
| 3 | Use slides 21 to 23. Check material, scale, placement, and operations. You run the Glowforge. | Finish the ornament, photograph it, and explain one design decision and one revision. | SVG, finished-object evidence, and reflection. |
Default video route
The student Define item embeds Holiday Ornaments: Define. That portable route works when the course is copied.
If you want questions, accountability, or Live Mode, copy the Edpuzzle lesson into your own account and reconnect it as an External Tool in your course. Test the new assignment in Student View before publishing. Do not rely on an imported Edpuzzle launch from another Canvas class.
Machine and material boundary
- The teacher operates the Glowforge. Students hand off a checked file through the class queue.
- Run the required exhaust and filtration. Never leave an active laser unattended.
- Use only material you can identify and approve. Do not guess about unknown plastics or coatings.
- Do not bypass the lid, interlocks, or other safety systems.
Important correction to the old lesson
Color can help a class organize a file, but color is not the machine instruction by itself. A closed stroke or path can be assigned to cut or score. A filled shape or raster image can be assigned to engrave. The teacher must inspect the imported file and confirm each operation before running the job.
The student page now teaches the simpler chain: geometry → operation → material result.
Five-point check
- Closed outer cut path
- Hanging hole placed safely inside the edge
- One readable engraved or scored detail
- Real-size test, revision, and correct filename
- Submitted evidence plus a specific reflection
Keep the module, guide, and both student items unpublished until you choose this extension and test the queue in Student View.