You have been asked to make your WOODEN TRUCK from a block of softwood.  Do you know the difference between softwood and hardwood and do you know about the basic grain structure of wood and the implications this has for the way you will need to cut and plane the surfaces ?

Obviously as the wheels are so thin we could make them from either a manufactured board like plywood or from a thin piece of softwood.
From what you know about plywood and from what you know about the grain structure of wood - which choice would give you the strongest and most durable toy ? 
From what you know about mdf -Would this be a better choice of material from which to make the wheels - or even the body of the truck ?  Perhaps you should make a list of the good and bad points about each of the materials if they were to be used in making the toy.
   
What materials do toy manufacturers use -
                        Why do they choose the materials they have decided on ?

Understand Health and safety Issues in the workshop - Behaviour and using tools properly.
Understand ORTHOGRAPHIC projections and why they are used
Research transport   …….    and   …….     research toys and how they are designed
Use the correct cutting and shaping equipment
Design ideas and comment on them - analyse what is good and less good about the designs
Understand how abrasive papers are made and how to select the right sort for the task
Understand how the pillar drill works and how to use it safely
Understand how to use a micrometer to decide on drill sizes that should be used.
Understand why jigs are used in manufacturing
Know how to evaluate and analyse the work you have done and how to test the outcome
Be able to produce a good quality finished drawing of your toy.

Basic tools we might use:
The choice of saws to use with wood and plywood included the TENON saw and the COPING saw.  The coping saw  is designed for cutting curved sections in wood and plastic but our truck has simple sloping angles that are straight - these are most easily cut using the stiff-backed TENON SAW.

To mark-out the truck when it has been designed we will need a TRI SQUARE and a steel rule.  Why would it be easier to use a STEEL RULE rather than a ruler ?

We might use the PILLAR DRILL and the DISC SANDER - both of which require you to have done safety tests before you can use them.

The MICROMETER will let us measure the Dowel rod used for the axle - very accurately.  We will then be able to make sure the axle rotates freely in the hole rather than getting jammed.  The one shown here is very easy to read as the dial shows the measurement in millimetres.  The traditional sort of micrometer needs a bit more skill to read it.