Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/63126
EXTRA CREDIT LESLIE YALE, Rock Star BUILD AN ELECTRIC GUITAR to understand science, technology and engi- neering. That's how Leslie Yale, member of the South Humboldt Teachers Association, achieves rock star status when it comes to finding new ways of getting students excited about physics and chemistry at South Fork High School in Miranda. "By building a guitar with me, they will be able to take what they have learned in the classroom about sound waves, electric- ity, motion, velocity and math, and apply that to the real world, a pretty good bonding exercise, too." She took a workshop on how to build electric guitars and use them as teaching 38 California Educator / April 2012 " says Yale. "It will be tools last summer at the College of the Redwoods in Fortuna. (For more informa- tion, visit www.guitarbuilding.org.) Working from instructions in a guitar- building kit, Yale built an electric guitar from scratch during the weeklong session. She plans to build another guitar with students in an after-school science enrich- ment program. Yale says the experience of guitar- fixed up things around the house, but this challenged me beyond my comfort level, she says. "At first I felt that it was beyond my capacity, but I achieved my goal because I believed in myself. building was intense. "It put me in the position of thinking like a student in the classroom." Building a guitar requires using a drill press and lathe, plus soldering and computer-aided design (CAD). "I have remodeled a bathroom and collaborated on lesson plans to incorporate math, chemistry, physics and science les- sons with guitar-building. They continue to share their lesson plans and results with students online. Now that Yale has built a guitar, does Yale and other teachers in the workshop " she know how to play it? Afraid not. "My son plays very well, he says my guitar sounds beautiful." " she says. "And By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin Photo by Scott Buschman "