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LOVELADY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT LOVELADY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Cody Kyle's Classroom
Ag Equipment and Design

Fall Semester (1st, 2nd, 3rd Six Weeks)

1st Six Weeks: Shop Safety, Leadership & Hand/Power Tools

  • Weeks 1–3: General & Shop Safety

    • Laboratory orientation, personal protective equipment (PPE), OSHA standards.

    • Fire prevention, safety data sheets (SDS), hazardous materials handling, and bloodborne pathogens.

    • Deliverable: Safety exam mastery (100% required prior to entering shop labs).

  • Weeks 4–6: Hand Tools, Measuring & Layout

    • Standard and metric measurement, precision layout tools (squares, calipers, micrometers).

    • Selection, care, and proper usage of mechanical hand tools.

  • Weeks 7–9: Power Tool Operation & Metal Preparation

    • Stationary power tools (drill press, band saw, bench grinder, cold cut saws).

    • Portable power tools (angle grinders, circular saws, rotary tools).

    • Material identification, cutting, and joint preparation.

2nd Six Weeks: Oxy-Fuel Cutting & Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)

  • Weeks 10–12: Oxy-Fuel Cutting & Thermal Processes

    • Oxy-fuel setup, lighting, adjusting neutral flame, and safety.

    • Straight cuts, beveling, piercing, and plasma arc cutting (PAC).

  • Weeks 13–15: SMAW (Stick Welding) Fundamentals

    • SMAW equipment setup, polarities, electrode selection (E6010, E7018), and amperage settings.

    • Striking an arc, running beads, pad of beads, and fillet welds in flat and horizontal positions.

  • Weeks 16–18: SMAW Joint Fabrication & Semester Midterm

    • **** joints, lap joints, and tee joints in flat and horizontal positions.

    • Non-destructive testing and visual inspection of welds.

    • Semester exam and fall shop maintenance.

Spring Semester

 Weeks: Wire-Fed Welding (GMAW/FCAW) & Cold Metalworking

  • Weeks 19–22: Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW / MIG)

    • GMAW machine setup, shielding gas selection, wire feed speed, and voltage tuning.

    • Short-circuit transfer mode on sheet and structural metal.

    • Fillet and groove welds in multiple positions.

  • Weeks 23–25: Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) & GTAW Intro

    • Self-shielded and gas-shielded FCAW applications.

    • Overview of Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW / TIG) equipment and basic torch control.

  • Weeks 26–27: Metalworking, Fasteners & Fencing

    • Metal identification, cold metal bending, threading, tapping, and fasteners.

      • Ag fencing materials, post setting, wire tensioning, and brace construction.

      •  Weeks: Ag Construction & Technical Skills (Carpentry, Electrical, Plumbing)

  • Weeks 28–30: Agricultural Carpentry & Concrete

    • Lumber grading, wood fasteners, and basic framing practices.

    • Basic concrete mixing, form construction, reinforcing, and finishing.

  • Weeks 31–33: Basic Electrical Wiring & Plumbing

    • Basic AC electrical safety, circuits, switches, outlets, and conduit bending.

    • Pipe sizing, fittings, cutting, and joining (PVC, PEX, threaded pipe).

  • Weeks 34–36: Capstone Project & Industry Certifications

    • Small agricultural project design, bill of materials, cost estimation, and fabrication.

    • Industry Certification testing (e.g., AWS Entry-Level Welder, OSHA 10-Hour, or NCCER Core).

    • Final lab cleanup and tool inventory.

Integrated Year-Round Components

  • FFA / Leadership: Ag Mechanics CDE / SDE preparation, public speaking, and parliamentary procedure.

  • Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE): Foundational and Immersion SAE tracking (e.g., Agricultural Mechanics Design and Fabrication project logbook).